I N T E R N A T I O N A L

Royal Society Celebrates Its 300th Year Queen Elizabeth opens the regal celebration and the King of Sweden becomes a Royal Society member

Amid all the pomp and glitter the British government could command, the Royal Society celebrated its 300th anniversary in Britain's famed Royal Albert Hall. Founded in a day when scientific experiment was mainly a pastime of 17th century gentlemen, the Royal Society of London for the Pro­motion of Natural Knowledge is still perhaps the world's most distinguished scientific society.

Opening the ceremonies of the Royal Society's 300th birthday were Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. Queen Elizabeth, as was her 17th century predecessor King Charles II, is a Royal Patron of the

society. King Gustaf VI Adolf and Queen Louise of Sweden were also on hand to get the celebration under way. During the event, King Gustaf (an archeologist) became an official mem­ber of the society.

The Royal Society is an exclusive group. At present only 25 new mem­bers are elected each year. These must be British subjects, or from Eire. In addition four foreign members are elected each year. Usually two of the foreign members are Nobel Prize winners. Total membership is now about 650.

Although it enjoys royal patronage, the Royal Society is not a government

NEW MEMBER. King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, an archeologist, addresses the Royal Society's tercentenary celebration. Queen Elizabeth (right) officiated at the opening

body. Its members must pay an an­nual subscription. Today it promotes science in various ways and exerts considerable influence in the direction of Britain's scientific activities. It bestows a large number of govern­ment research grants, and also admin­isters a number of private research funds. The society is responsible for the management of the National Physical Laboratory in England, and helps manage» such institutions as the Greenwich Observatory. Its com­mittees are concerned with encourag­ing and coordinating research in al­most every branch of science. One of its latest major activities has been its work with the International Geo­physical Year.

A Fellow of the Royal Society to­day is a member of a group which has included some of the really great his­torical figures in science. Robert Boyle was among the founders, Sir Isaac Newton, Darwin, Faraday, and Pasteur all took an active part in the organization. Sir Joseph Banks, who was president for many years, accom­panied Captain Cook on some of his voyages and afterwards sponsored the ill-fated voyage of Captain Bligh which% ended up in "Mutiny on the Bounty." The clock used by the sur­veyors Mason and Dixon during their expedition in America still ticks away in the society's quarters in London.

Continuity of the past with the present was noted by Sir Cyril Hin-shelwood, president of the Royal So­ciety, in his address at the tercentenary celebration. "The not infrequently disreputable operations of the alchem­ists grew into the science of chemistry but the stages in the development were complicated, and contributions came from many quarters." Sir Cyril pointed out that the modern plastics industry can trace its descent from an Irish gentleman, a French state official, a Manchester schoolmaster, a German professor, and an American industrial research chemist.

In looking toward the future activi­ties of the Royal Society Sir Cyril said, "It is the duty of the Royal So­ciety not to predict, not to legislate, but to maintain within the larger community the smaller one in which creative activity can flourish. The most original minds . . . find their true affinities in continuing the sequence of their predecessors, and their fulfilment only in their successors. In a measure this is true not only of genius but of all men/'

66 C & E N A U G . 8, 1960

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C & Ε Ν 67

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but a man of imagination named Otto Lilienthal saw more, and con­ceived an idea of consequence to the future of the world· The sources of world-shaping ideas are myriad; the men capable of conceiving these ideas, few.

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BRIEFS

Borden and British Industrial Plastics, Ltd., are making plans to form a new company to make amino molding com­pounds in the Mexico City area. Each will put up half the $800,000 capital requirement, with Mexican capital be­ing invited to participate also. To be called Materiales Moldeables S. A. de D. V., the firm will have an initial ca­pacity of 1000 tons of amino molding compounds per year. BIP will design the plant and supply the know-how. First production is expected in about a year.

Canadian Industries, Ltd., and the Oil, Chemical & Atomic Workers have signed a contract calling for a 5 cent-per-hour increase now and an addi­tional 7 cents next November for 80 employees at CIL's ammonia plant at Millhaven, Ont. The contract, which expires Jan. 28, 1962, had been under negotiation since February 1959.

Upjohn has formed a subsidiary, Up­john S.p.A, to manufacture and sell its pharmaceuticals in Italy. Offices will be in Milan. Robert M. Boudeman, executive vice president of Upjohn In­ternational, will head the Italian firm. Upjohn now has 13 subsidiary com­panies in 12 countries, plus branches in Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and Cuba.

Chemical Construction will build a sul­furic acid and single superphosphate plant in Bombay, India, for Adarsh Chemicals & Fertilizers, Ltd. When completed next year, the plant will be able to turn out 50 tons of sulfuric a day and 6 to 10 tons of single super­phosphate an hour.

Hydrocarbon Research will engineer and build expanded catalytic cracking and related facilities for a petroleum refinery near Lisbon, Portugal. In 1953-54, HRI built the 24,000 barrel-per-day refinery, which is owned by Sociedada Anonima Concessionaria da Refinagao de Petroleos en Portugal. Expansion will increase capacity for liquefied propane and butane to serve as a basic charge for petrochemical plants. Completion is scheduled for early 1961.

68 C & E N A U G . 8, 1960

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