The seven ages of science. 3/7 Age of opportunity.

Radio documentary presented by Lisa Jardine who traces the evolution of scientific endeavour in Britain over the last four centuries. In this episode she explores the age of opportunity that came with the new industrial revolution and how it influenced science. In Stoke-on-Trent, Lisa Jardine investigates the science of ceramics and talks briefly about Josiah Wedgwood's career and pottery. Author and biographer, Jenny Uglow, discusses various social changes during this period. Gay Blake Edwards, from the Wedgwood Museum in Stoke-on-Trent, mentions the colours on Wedgwood's porcelain, the various chemicals used and the meticulous notes he made. M.P. for Stoke-on-Trent Central and historian, Tristram Hunt, discusses this further. Historian of science, David Knight, discusses how quality control became prevalent and how, with rigorous testing, new items were produced with instructions written down to provide manufacturing standards which led to mass production. This new information began to have a commercial value. Wedgwood guarded his secrets and patented each process. He was one of the founders of the Lunar Society of Birmingham which met to discuss the latest scientific discoveries. Jenny Uglow talks about the Lunar Society, including one of its key members, James Keir, a doctor who worked as a chemist and was famous for translating a key French chemistry dictionary, and for large scale soap production. James Watt was also interested in mass production and Ben Russell talks about Watt's workshop which is now located in the Science Museum in London. Jenny Uglow mentions Matthew Boulton, another member of the Lunar Society. In the next generation, Humphry Davy took up some of the aims of the Society, and became famous for work he did with gases. He also experimented with nitrous oxide, and this is talked about by biographer and historian, Richard Holmes, including some of the links between Davy and romantic poets of the time. Davy was offered a job at the new Royal Institution which was committed to bringing science to a wider audience. He gave many celebrated performances of science in the Institution's lecture theatre, which women could also attend. He used the latest French technology including a voltaic battery to extract new elements and his experiments were seen as fun and popular. The social impact of this opened up further opportunities for scientific development with science being seen as both profitable and as a recognisable profession.