The queen of science

摘要

VESUVIUS'S crater was spewing gases and snorting magma as the lady gingerly traversed it, handkerchief pressed to her nose. In places the lava had formed a crust hard enough to step on. As she peered through the cracks, glowing molten rock was visible beneath. It was December 1817 and Mary Somerville, the first great populariser of science, was following her passion. Not content with merely interpreting scientific research, Somerville was eager to see natural phenomena for herself and so gather source material for her greatest work, On the Connexion of the Physical Sciences. Published in 1834, it was a revelation. It was a compendium that brought the latest knowledge of every branch of physical science together in one place. What's more, it was aimed at a mass audience - a pioneering piece of popular science writing that foreshadowed the magazines and bestselling books of today.