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Culture, history and society

History of Physics Group

This is an IOP special interest group, which is a community of IOP members focused on a particular discipline, application or area of interest. 

Special interest groups allow members to connect and share knowledge and ideas. The IOP funds groups to deliver a range of activities including events, prizes and bursaries. All of our groups are driven by members.  


    About the group

    As a special interest, member-driven group, our main aims are to research and present accounts of the ways in which the subject of physics has developed, and also of the lives and achievements of the men and women who orchestrated this development.

    We also explores ways in which historical developments can be used in the understanding, teaching and general communication of physics.

    Our main areas of interest are:

    • the history of physics discoveries, theories and concepts
    • the history of experimentation and instruments
    • the history of interactions between physics and society
    • oral history and archives

    What the group does

    We provide a forum where the different and somewhat fragmented disciplines of physics and related subjects are able to interact fruitfully. We pursue the study of the history of physics from the perspective of the physicist, and so our activities are of particular interest to physics practitioners, but we also encourage dialogue between physicists and professional historians of science.

    We organise several lecture meetings each year which last between half a day and two days, many of them in collaboration with other IOP special interest groups, and usually around a specific theme. We also support meetings organised by others when these are likely to be of interest to its members.

    Our group also produces:

    • regular substantial newsletters which include written accounts of some of the talks from these meetings
    • other articles and book reviews on the history of physics
    • group news

    We have also published an e-book which arose out of one of our meetings.

    Joining an IOP special interest group

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    Physics resources

    Watch videos of our presentations:

    Group events

    Find events for the History of Physics Group

    Newsletters

    Useful links

    Blogs

    Committee and contacts

    Chair Dr Hugh Deighton, CSci CPhys FInstP
    Secretary Mr Julian Keeley, MInstP
    Treasurer Professor Alison McMillan, CPhys FInstP
    Ordinary Member Mrs Angelina Anderson-Groves, MInstP
    Ordinary Member Professor Gareth Appleby-Thomas, MInstP
    Ordinary Member Dr Joanna Ashbourn, CSci CPhys MInstP
    Ordinary Member Mr Paul Burton, CPhys FInstP
    Ordinary Member Mr Malcolm Cooper, MInstP
    Co-opted Member Professor Edward Davis, FInstP
    Ordinary Member Dr Angela Dyson, MInstP
    Ordinary Member Dr Peter Ford, MBE FInstP
    Ordinary Member Dr Stephen Kukureka, FInstP
    Co-opted Member Dr Juan-Andres Leon, MInstP
    Ordinary Member Dr Alexander May, MInstP

    Email: [email protected]