Romantic Science & the birth of Frankenstein

Mary Shelley and the birth of an enduring novel

In the early 19th Century, society and in particular Romantic writers and philosophers viewed scientific progress with a mixture of awed wonder and unease. One subject which provoked intense debate was the “vital spark” or how life begins. A peculiar set of circumstances led to the writing, in 1816, of Frankenstein in which the 18 year old Mary Shelley explored the nature of creation. Although, thanks to Hollywood, Frankenstein has evolved into a cultural icon far removed from the original, recent developments in the biological sciences have brought to prominence once more the ethical and moral issues that the novel raised.

This lecture is organised to celebrate the National Science and Engineering Week 2010 and coincides with the 350th anniversary of the foundation of the Royal Society.

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