Genre:

Reportage, Spoof

Subjects:

Societies, Mechanics, Zoology, Heat, Geology, Sound, Inorganic Chemistry

Publications cited:

Buckman 1847, Grove 1847, Knowles 1847

    Report of the meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, begins by noting the public's persistent curiosity regarding the association's expensive activities. Discussion of proceedings includes speculation that Roderick I Murchison and Charles G B Daubeny's experiments on 'strong materials' focused on pokers and shirt collars, and considers the consequences of Edward Forbes presenting 'a preventive man [...] dressed up 'à-la-What-is-it?'. Describes Edward R J Knowles's failure to amuse his audience by claiming that the number of 'thieves' detected in the 'flame of a candle' had 'increased since the disappearance of snuffers had caused the abolition of capital punishment' for such 'wick-ed' intruders. Reports on an 'angry discussion' between William R Grove and Lyon Playfair over Grove's claim that 'heat would boil water away'. The reporter left precipitately during James Buckman's paper on the 'Silurian Beds, at Bay head', being in danger of falling asleep on them.