Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society
Encyclopedia
The Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society (formerly known as Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society) is an academic journal
published annually by the Royal Society
. It publishes obituaries of Fellows of the Royal Society
. Biographical Memoirs has been published since 1955; Obituary Notices was published from 1932-1954 including biographies of Arthur Eddington, Ernest Rutherford
and Max Planck
. Prior to this, obituaries were published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society
. They then developed from being relatively short, traditional obituaries to biographical essays. After 1955, the memoirs include life studies of many widely known scientists including Albert Einstein
, Enrico Fermi
, Alan Turing
, Bertrand Russell
, Erwin Schrödinger
and Claude Shannon
The obituaries are often quite long and detailed. They include portraits provided by the Society's extensive archive and a copy of the original signature in the Royal Society Charter Book which all new Fellows must sign at election. Each memoir includes a full bibliography
of work by the subjects. The memoirs are often written by a scientist of the next generation, often one of the subject's own former students, or a close colleague. In most cases the author is also a Fellow.
Biographical Memoirs serve as an excellent source for research into biographies of scientists and for information about the history of science
. Each year around 20 to 25 Memoirs of deceased Fellows of the Royal Society are collated by the editor in chief
, currently Tom Meade.
Academic journal
An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
published annually by the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
. It publishes obituaries of Fellows of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
. Biographical Memoirs has been published since 1955; Obituary Notices was published from 1932-1954 including biographies of Arthur Eddington, Ernest Rutherford
Ernest Rutherford
Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson OM, FRS was a New Zealand-born British chemist and physicist who became known as the father of nuclear physics...
and Max Planck
Max Planck
Max Karl Ernst Ludwig Planck, ForMemRS, was a German physicist who actualized the quantum physics, initiating a revolution in natural science and philosophy. He is regarded as the founder of the quantum theory, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918.-Life and career:Planck came...
. Prior to this, obituaries were published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society
Proceedings of the Royal Society
Proceedings of the Royal Society is the parent title of two scientific journals published by the Royal Society, whereas its initial journal, Philosophical Transactions, is now devoted to special thematic issues...
. They then developed from being relatively short, traditional obituaries to biographical essays. After 1955, the memoirs include life studies of many widely known scientists including Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
, Enrico Fermi
Enrico Fermi
Enrico Fermi was an Italian-born, naturalized American physicist particularly known for his work on the development of the first nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, and for his contributions to the development of quantum theory, nuclear and particle physics, and statistical mechanics...
, Alan Turing
Alan Turing
Alan Mathison Turing, OBE, FRS , was an English mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, and computer scientist. He was highly influential in the development of computer science, providing a formalisation of the concepts of "algorithm" and "computation" with the Turing machine, which played a...
, Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist, but he also admitted that he had never been any of these things...
, Erwin Schrödinger
Erwin Schrödinger
Erwin Rudolf Josef Alexander Schrödinger was an Austrian physicist and theoretical biologist who was one of the fathers of quantum mechanics, and is famed for a number of important contributions to physics, especially the Schrödinger equation, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1933...
and Claude Shannon
The obituaries are often quite long and detailed. They include portraits provided by the Society's extensive archive and a copy of the original signature in the Royal Society Charter Book which all new Fellows must sign at election. Each memoir includes a full bibliography
Bibliography
Bibliography , as a practice, is the academic study of books as physical, cultural objects; in this sense, it is also known as bibliology...
of work by the subjects. The memoirs are often written by a scientist of the next generation, often one of the subject's own former students, or a close colleague. In most cases the author is also a Fellow.
Biographical Memoirs serve as an excellent source for research into biographies of scientists and for information about the history of science
History of science
The history of science is the study of the historical development of human understandings of the natural world and the domains of the social sciences....
. Each year around 20 to 25 Memoirs of deceased Fellows of the Royal Society are collated by the editor in chief
Editor in chief
An editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...
, currently Tom Meade.