Peter J.T. Morris

Little known today, Henry Enfield Roscoe was one of the most prominent chemists and educational reformers in Victorian Britain. Having studied in Heidelberg, he worked to transform English education by using Germany as a model. He made Owens College, Manchester, viable and converted it into Victoria University (now the University of Manchester). He then campaigned for the reform of technical education in an alliance with like-minded campaigners which resulted in the Technical Instruction Act of 1889. Roscoe was also the Liberal MP for South Manchester between 1885 and 1895, one of the few academic chemists to become a member of the House of Commons. In his "retirement," he helped found the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine. Yet, despite his extensive impact on Britain at the time and our society today, he remains largely forgotten. In this detailed biography, authors Morris and Reed provide a timely and original contribution to the history of nineteenth-century British science and its relation to education, industry, and government policy, highlighting Roscoe's significant contributions and legacy as one of the leading scientists of his generation.

How were the polymers which have transformed our world created? How has our understanding of polymers changed since the Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius coined the word ‘polymer’ in 1832? Who were the people who wrought the polymer revolution? This book answers these questions by presenting a compelling narrative that weaves together the history of polymer science, the development of new plastics and rubbers and biographies of the leading actors in this revolution. A key feature of the polymer revolution was the involvement of industry. The author shows how industry supported research in factories and universities and how academic research assisted the development of new polymers. As a result, empirical trial and error, which laid the foundations of a new industry, was replaced by systematic scientific research based on our improved understanding of the structure and behaviour of polymers. Containing an unparalleled collection of short biographies of over eighty people including both famous scientists such as Thomas Graham, Hermann Staudinger and Stephanie Kwolek and obscure figures like William Caspari, Hans Fikentscher, Ray McIntire and Wilfred Swinney, this history lists the part of human endeavour in the polymer revolution. This book is aimed at anyone who wishes to find out more about the history of this economically important interdisciplinary subject, which straddles chemistry, biology, physics and engineering. With illuminating and entertaining prose, the reader will discover a fascinating story of the development of polymer science and technology. Written in an accessible style, it appeals to school pupils studying chemistry and university students, historians of science, technology and the economy as well as polymer scientists.