One Day Meeting
Dr Carrie Soderman
Photo: © Cambridge Philosophical Society
Dr Dannielle Green
Dr Giorgia Busso talks about her work on the Gaia Mission at the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge.
Professor Roberto Maiolino
Photo: © NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI
Founded in 1819 'for the purpose of promoting scientific inquiry', The Cambridge Philosophical Society is an exciting hub for the promotion of scientific research, discussion, and learning. Discover more…
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In the millennium poll, James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) was voted the third greatest physicist of all time – behind Newton and Einstein. He is best known for his equations of electromagnetism and thermodynamic relations, but his interests and achievements extended far beyond these fields. His profound insights across many extraordinarily diverse areas have laid the foundations for much of contemporary physical science.
The day will begin with an overview of James Clerk Maxwell’s life and achievements. The talks following will focus on just a few of the fields where he did seminal work, and in which current research is revealing interesting developments.
There will be a small exhibition of artefacts including some of Maxwell’s models from the Cavendish collection. The exhibition catalogue can be found here
James Clerk Maxwell had strong links with the Cambridge Philosophical Society during his time at Cambridge. He studied mathematics as an undergraduate – initially at Peterhouse, but moving to Trinity before the end of his first term. He graduated in 1854, and shortly afterwards presented his first paper On the transformation of surfaces by bending to the Cambridge Philosophical Society. His career took him to Aberdeen, King’s College London and ther family estates at Glenlair before returning to Cambridge in 1871 to become the first Cavendish Professor of Experimental Physics. He was President of the Cambridge Philosophical Society 1875-1877. In 1879 he died in Cambridge at the age of 48.
We are seeking a Deputy Executive Secretary to support various activities run by the Society. Closing date 30 March 2025.
The Cambridge Philosophical Society has recently expanded its presence on social media by joining Bluesky.
In line with the core aim of 'keeping alive the spirit of inquiry’, the Society awards a number financial grants for future scientists, which include a three-year Research Studentships, the Henslow Fellowship, in the fields of Natural Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science and Clinical Sciences. Travel Grants are for Fellows of the Society and help support researchers to attend conferences and visit laboratories.
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From Darwin’s paper on evolution to the development of stem cell research, publications from the Society continue to shape the scientific landscape.
Mathematical Proceedings is one of the few high-quality journals publishing original research papers that cover the whole range of pure and applied mathematics, theoretical physics and statistics.
Biological Reviews covers the entire range of the biological sciences, presenting several review articles per issue. Although scholarly and with extensive bibliographies, the articles are aimed at non-specialist biologists as well as researchers in the field.
The Spirit of Inquiry celebrates the 200th anniversary of the remarkable Cambridge Philosophical Society and brings to life the many remarkable episodes and illustrious figures associated with the Society, including Adam Sedgwick, Mary Somerville, Charles Darwin, and Lawrence Bragg.
Become a Fellow of the Society and enjoy the benefits that membership brings. Membership costs £20 per year.
Please Note: Due to building works, the CPS office at 17 Mill Lane, Cambridge is now closed until further notice. Business operations as usual. Please contact us by email only: philosoc@group.cam.ac.uk
Cambridge Philosophical Society17 Mill LaneCambridgeCB2 1RXUnited Kingdom
Office Hours: (Temporarily closed)Monday and Thursday -10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm.
philosoc@group.cam.ac.uk