Falling Stars

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BBC Radio 4 - Falling Stars

Poet Dr Sam Illingworth looks at our shifting relationship with scientific language.

Poet Dr Sam Illingworth looks at the challenges of scientific terms named after people we perhaps wouldn't celebrate today. Who gets to choose them anyway?

In the history of science, many individuals are honoured by having technical terms named after them. To modern sensibilities, this is sometimes regrettable.

Poet Dr Sam Illingworth looks at the challenges of scientific terms named after people we perhaps wouldn't celebrate today. Who gets to choose them anyway?

It's one thing to quietly change the name of a scientific prize, a research facility or a lecture theatre. But how would you rename an element or a famous equation? With a book, a record or a painting we can choose to leave them on the shelf if we so wish, but some scientific names seem as hard-wearing as concrete...

Photo: The Pillars of Creation as captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope/JWST
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

Written and presented by Sam Illingworth
Produced by Alex Mansfield

With contributions from:
Dr Emma Chapman, University of Nottingham author of "First Light"
Sam Kean, historian of science and author of "The Disappearing Spoon" and "The Icepick Surgeon".
Prof Natalie Bann, University of Victoria, British Columbia
Derek Robertson, artist, co-author of "Bho Bheul An Eòin / From The Bird's Mouth"
Derek's exhibition of the project is at the Scottish Poetry Library, Edinburgh until Dec 31st 2022.

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