“Let us go forward together”

Abstract

He is regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century, enjoyed Havana cigars, and liked to wear the siren suit (the 1940s precursor to the onesie). Winston Churchill is perhaps less well known for his interest in science. Churchill's Scientists, at the Science Museum in London, uncovers how British science was recruited to the war effort and flourished in the general “culture of encouragement” that Churchill fostered.Speaking about the impetus for the exhibition, Andrew Nahum, Lead Curator, explains: “We were looking at the phenomenon of the exodus of scientists from universities into defence work in the war, and their return in the post-war period. I was very intrigued by the outstanding accomplishments of these people who had a huge amount of responsibility during the war and then went on to great things.” Nahum continues, “As the Churchill commemorative year came upon us, we realised that this study would have a lot more immediacy and impact if it was tied to Churchill and his own interest in science and technology.”From the mass production of penicillin and antibiotics, the invention of radar, to Britain's research on the first atomic bomb, this exhibition tells the story of Churchill's fascination with, and support for, science. Guarding the entrance to the exhibition is an imposing Jacob Epstein bust of Sir Winston; one room tells the story of how science served the war effort, while another highlights the heritage of that science and its influence on post-war research.Great advances were made in medicine during World War 2. At the start of the war, the only antimicrobial drugs in existence were synthetic sulphonamides (and Churchill was an early recipient, being treated with it successfully for pneumonia while in north Africa). However, the laboratory discovery of Penicillium mould had not yet been converted into large-scale production and the war accelerated the isolation and mass production of the drug. The exhibition tells the story of Dorothy Hodgkin, the only British woman to have ever won one of the science Nobels, who solved the structure of penicillin in 1945, and shows her 3D model of the penicillin molecule, as well as the large glass fermentation vessels used to produce the “wonder drug”, which was so crucial to the fighting services during the war.Less well known topics showcased in the exhibition include the work (and self-experimentation) done by chemist Elsie Widdowson and her colleagues to establish a healthy restricted wartime diet. Churchill was the first Prime Minister to have a scientific adviser always at hand—close friend and physicist Frederick Lindemann. As Nahum argues, Lindemann is often negatively portrayed as a “science Tsar”, but the exhibition shows his specific contributions and emphasises how science prospered at this time as a result of the initiative of the people involved.After the war, Churchill pronounced that British science had been “fanned by the crimson wings of war”. As author Brian J Ford surmised: “If any good can be said to come of war, then the Second War must go on record as assisting and accelerating one of the greatest blessings that the 20th century has conferred on Man—the huge advances in medical knowledge and surgical techniques.” One man who epitomises the skills and connections made by wartime scientists is John Kendrew. The former reaction kinetics researcher was so inspired by a conversation he had with crystallographer J D Bernal during the war that he went back to Cambridge to study protein structure; by 1957 he had solved the structure of myoglobin by x-ray crystallography. Kendrew's 3D model of myoglobin, the forest of rods, is among the items on show.If you find yourself with a free weekend in London, visit the Science Museum for a truly fascinating exhibition about an extraordinary period in British science and a crucial but often overlooked part of Churchill's legacy.Churchill's Scientists Science Museum, London, UK, until March 1, 2016 http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/Plan_your_visit/exhibitions/churchills-scientists.aspxView Large Image Copyright © 2015 Science Museum, London/Science & Society Picture Library He is regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century, enjoyed Havana cigars, and liked to wear the siren suit (the 1940s precursor to the onesie). Winston Churchill is perhaps less well known for his interest in science. Churchill's Scientists, at the Science Museum in London, uncovers how British science was recruited to the war effort and flourished in the general “culture of encouragement” that Churchill fostered. Speaking about the impetus for the exhibition, Andrew Nahum, Lead Curator, explains: “We were looking at the phenomenon of the exodus of scientists from universities into defence work in the war, and their return in the post-war period. I was very intrigued by the outstanding accomplishments of these people who had a huge amount of responsibility during the war and then went on to great things.” Nahum continues, “As the Churchill commemorative year came upon us, we realised that this study would have a lot more immediacy and impact if it was tied to Churchill and his own interest in science and technology.” From the mass production of penicillin and antibiotics, the invention of radar, to Britain's research on the first atomic bomb, this exhibition tells the story of Churchill's fascination with, and support for, science. Guarding the entrance to the exhibition is an imposing Jacob Epstein bust of Sir Winston; one room tells the story of how science served the war effort, while another highlights the heritage of that science and its influence on post-war research. Great advances were made in medicine during World War 2. At the start of the war, the only antimicrobial drugs in existence were synthetic sulphonamides (and Churchill was an early recipient, being treated with it successfully for pneumonia while in north Africa). However, the laboratory discovery of Penicillium mould had not yet been converted into large-scale production and the war accelerated the isolation and mass production of the drug. The exhibition tells the story of Dorothy Hodgkin, the only British woman to have ever won one of the science Nobels, who solved the structure of penicillin in 1945, and shows her 3D model of the penicillin molecule, as well as the large glass fermentation vessels used to produce the “wonder drug”, which was so crucial to the fighting services during the war. Less well known topics showcased in the exhibition include the work (and self-experimentation) done by chemist Elsie Widdowson and her colleagues to establish a healthy restricted wartime diet. Churchill was the first Prime Minister to have a scientific adviser always at hand—close friend and physicist Frederick Lindemann. As Nahum argues, Lindemann is often negatively portrayed as a “science Tsar”, but the exhibition shows his specific contributions and emphasises how science prospered at this time as a result of the initiative of the people involved. After the war, Churchill pronounced that British science had been “fanned by the crimson wings of war”. As author Brian J Ford surmised: “If any good can be said to come of war, then the Second War must go on record as assisting and accelerating one of the greatest blessings that the 20th century has conferred on Man—the huge advances in medical knowledge and surgical techniques.” One man who epitomises the skills and connections made by wartime scientists is John Kendrew. The former reaction kinetics researcher was so inspired by a conversation he had with crystallographer J D Bernal during the war that he went back to Cambridge to study protein structure; by 1957 he had solved the structure of myoglobin by x-ray crystallography. Kendrew's 3D model of myoglobin, the forest of rods, is among the items on show. If you find yourself with a free weekend in London, visit the Science Museum for a truly fascinating exhibition about an extraordinary period in British science and a crucial but often overlooked part of Churchill's legacy. Churchill's Scientists Science Museum, London, UK, until March 1, 2016 http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/Plan_your_visit/exhibitions/churchills-scientists.aspx Churchill's Scientists Science Museum, London, UK, until March 1, 2016 http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/Plan_your_visit/exhibitions/churchills-scientists.aspx Churchill's Scientists Science Museum, London, UK, until March 1, 2016 http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/Plan_your_visit/exhibitions/churchills-scientists.aspx