COMPLETE 341 YEARS OF LANDMARK IN SCIENCE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

The complete archive of the Royal Society journals, including some of the most significant scientific papers ever published since 1665, is now freely available online for the first time for a two month period. The archive contains many classic papers including accounts of Michael Faraday's groundbreaking series of electrical experiments, Isaac Newton's invention of the reflecting telescope, and the first research paper published by Stephen Hawking as well as Benjamin Franklin's legendary kite experiment. More details can be found at http://www.pubs.royalsoc.ac.uk/archive <http://www.pubs.royalsoc.ac.uk/archive> . The Society's online collection, which until now only extended back to 1997, contains every paper published in the Royal Society journals from the first ever peer-reviewed scientific journal, Philosophical Transactions in 1665, to the most recent additions, Interface and Biology Letters, and articles published online today ahead of print. The archive will be free to everyone until December 2006 and then will be available as part of the Royal Society new journal subscription packages (see www.pubs.royalsoc.ac.uk/subscribers <outbind://53/www.pubs.royalsoc.ac.uk/subscribers> ). Professor Martin Taylor, Vice President of the Royal Society, said: "The Royal Society archive is a unique source of information for practicing scientists, science historians and indeed anyone with an interest in history. The rich, varied and sometimes entertaining archive documents the earliest accounts of the seventeenth century's 'new experimental philosophy', through which an understanding of the natural world was acquired by experiment and observation. This provided the foundation of the modern scientific method." The archive provides a record of some key scientific discoveries in the last 340 years, including Halley's description of 'his comet' in 1705, details of the double helix of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1954 and Edmond Stone's breakthrough in 1763 that willow bark cured fevers, leading to the discovery of salicylic acid and later the development of aspirin. Some of the more obscure papers explore rudimentary prototypes of modern day technology. Trials proposed by Robert Boyle in 1665 hypothesize on the possibilities of blood transfusions, pondering "Whether a fierce dog stocked with the blood of a cowardly dog may not become more tame?". A forerunner for ventilators was also discussed in a paper by Robert Hooke in 1667 entitled "An account of an experiment made by Mr. Hook [sic], of preserving animals alive by blowing through their lungs with bellows". Professor Taylor added: "In addition to being a valuable scientific resource, the journal archives are also a rich historical record documenting a time which is hard to imagine given the knowledge we have today." The digital archive contains papers documenting the discovery of new planets, the first descriptions of organisms through a microscope, and the first account of photography. Early journal papers contain fascinating descriptions of how Captain James Cook preserved the health of his crew aboard the HMS Endeavour and the astonishment of 18th century Society by the performance of a eight year-old Mozart. Links to some key papers are below. If you think any other papers would also be of general interest please contact me at mailto:charles.lusty@royalsoc.ac.uk <mailto:charles.lusty@royalsoc.ac.uk> . Benjamin Franklin's legendary kite experiment, drawing down lightning and showing its electrical nature (1752) http://www.journals.royalsoc .ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0260-7 085&volume=47&spage=202 <http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0260- 7085&volume=47&spage=202> . The Complementary Structure of Deoxyribonucleic Acid F.H.C Crick and J.D Watson - 1954 http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0080-4 630&volume=223&issue=1152&spage=80 <http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0080-4630&volume=223&issue=1152&spage=80> <http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0080- 4630&volume=223&issue=1152&spage=80 <http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0080-4630&volume=223&issue=1152&spage=80> > . On the Hoyle-Narlikar Theory of Gravitation, S. W. Hawking - 1965 http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0080-4630&volume=287&issue=1406&spage=313 <http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0080- 4630&volume=287&issue=1406&spage=313> . An Account of an Experiment Made by Mr. Hook, of Preserving Animals Alive by Blowing through Their Lungs with Bellows, Robert Hooke - 1667 http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0370-2 316&volume=2&spage=539 <http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0370- 2316&volume=2&spage=539> . An Account of a Very Odd Monstrous Calf, Robert Boyle - 1665 http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0370-2 316&volume=1&spage=10 < http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0370- 2316&volume=1&spage=10> . Observables upon a Monstrous Head, Robert Boyle - 1666 http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0370-2 316&volume=1&spage=85 <http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0370- 2316&volume=1&spage=85> . Account of a very remarkable young musician (Mozart), Daines Barrington - 1770 http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0260-7 085&volume=60&spage=54 <http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0260- 7085&volume=60&spage=54> . Alexander Fleming (Paper describing early stages of penicillin discoveries) - 1922 http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0950-1 193&volume=93&issue=653&spage =306 <http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0950- 1193&volume=93&issue=653&spage=306> . Control Over the Onset of DNA Synthesis in Fission Yeast - 1987 Paul Nurse (Nobel Prize winner) http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0080-4 622&volume=317&issue=1187&spage=507 <http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0080- 4622&volume=317&issue=1187&spage=507> . William Henry Fox Talbot's first account of photography - 1839 (2 articles refer to this in the volume) http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0365-5 695&volume=4&spage=120 <http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0365- 5695&volume=4&spage=120> . http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0365-5 695&volume=4&spage=124 <http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0365- 5695&volume=4&spage=124> . Arthur Eddington's solar eclipse observations, confirming Einstein's general theory of relativity (Phil Trans 1919) http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0264-3 952&volume=220&spage=291 <http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0264- 3952&volume=220&spage=291> . Edmund Stone Willow bark - Aspirin - 1763 http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0260-7 085&volume=53&spage=195 <http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&issn=0260- 7085&volume=53&spage=195> . Note: The complete Royal Society journal archive and current content can be browsed at www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk <outbind://53/www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk>