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51-536: The Boyle Lectures are named after Robert Boyle , a prominent natural philosopher of the 17th century and son of Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork . Under the terms of his Will, Robert Boyle endowed a series of lectures or sermons (originally eight each year) which were to consider the relationship between Christianity and the new natural philosophy (today's 'science') then emerging in European society. Since 2004, this prestigious Lectures series has been organized, with

102-634: A Robert Boyle Prize for Analytical Science , named in his honour. The Boyle Medal for Scientific Excellence in Ireland, inaugurated in 1899, is awarded jointly by the Royal Dublin Society and The Irish Times . Launched in 2012, The Robert Boyle Summer School organized by the Waterford Institute of Technology with support from Lismore Castle , is held annually to honor the heritage of Robert Boyle. The following are some of

153-419: A closed system is where no reactants or products can escape, only heat can be exchanged freely (e.g. an ice cooler). A closed system can be used when conducting chemical experiments where temperature is not a factor (i.e. reaching thermal equilibrium ). In an engineering context, a closed system is a bound system, i.e. defined, in which every input is known and every resultant is known (or can be known) within

204-614: A layman than a paid minister of the Church. Moreover, Boyle incorporated his scientific interests into his theology, believing that natural philosophy could provide powerful evidence for the existence of God. In works such as Disquisition about the Final Causes of Natural Things (1688), for instance, he criticised contemporary philosophers – such as René Descartes – who denied that the study of nature could reveal much about God. Instead, Boyle argued that natural philosophers could use

255-593: A process which he designated by the term "analysis". He further supposed that the elements were ultimately composed of particles of various sorts and sizes, into which, however, they were not to be resolved in any known way. He studied the chemistry of combustion and of respiration , and conducted experiments in physiology , where, however, he was hampered by the "tenderness of his nature" which kept him from anatomical dissections , especially vivisections , though he knew them to be "most instructing". In addition to philosophy, Boyle devoted much time to theology, showing

306-525: A series of lectures that came to be known as the Boyle Lectures . Boyle's great merit as a scientific investigator is that he carried out the principles which Francis Bacon espoused in the Novum Organum . Yet he would not avow himself a follower of Bacon, or indeed of any other teacher. On several occasions, he mentions that to keep his judgment as unprepossessed as might be with any of

357-486: A ship not to be sunk ", "practicable and certain way of finding longitudes ", "potent drugs to alter or exalt imagination, waking, memory and other functions and appease pain , procure innocent sleep , harmless dreams, etc.". All but a few of the 24 have come true. In 1668 he left Oxford for London where he resided at the house of his elder sister Katherine Jones, Lady Ranelagh , in Pall Mall . He experimented in

408-462: A very decided leaning to the practical side and an indifference to controversial polemics . At the Restoration of Charles II of England in 1660, he was favourably received at court and in 1665 would have received the provostship of Eton College had he agreed to take holy orders, but this he refused to do on the ground that his writings on religious subjects would have greater weight coming from

459-422: A wider outlook on the aims of scientific inquiry than had been enjoyed by his predecessors for many centuries. This, however, did not mean that he paid no attention to the practical application of science nor that he despised knowledge which tended to use. Robert Boyle was an alchemist ; and believing the transmutation of metals to be a possibility, he carried out experiments in the hope of achieving it; and he

510-522: Is best known for Boyle's law , which describes the inversely proportional relationship between the absolute pressure and volume of a gas, if the temperature is kept constant within a closed system . Among his works, The Sceptical Chymist is seen as a cornerstone book in the field of chemistry. He was a devout and pious Anglican and is noted for his works in theology. Boyle was born at Lismore Castle , in County Waterford , Ireland,

561-424: Is convenient for some purposes. In particular, some writers use 'closed system' where 'isolated system' is used here. ) For a simple system, with only one type of particle (atom or molecule), a closed system amounts to a constant number of particles. However, for systems which are undergoing a chemical reaction , there may be all sorts of molecules being generated and destroyed by the reaction process. In this case,

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612-545: Is in some pure state |ψ(t) ∈ H at time t, where H denotes the Hilbert space of the system, the time evolution of this state (between two consecutive measurements). i ℏ ∂ ∂ t Ψ ( r , t ) = H ^ Ψ ( r , t ) {\displaystyle i\hbar {\frac {\partial }{\partial t}}\Psi (\mathbf {r} ,t)={\hat {H}}\Psi (\mathbf {r} ,t)} where i

663-593: Is the imaginary unit , ħ is the Planck constant divided by 2π , the symbol ⁠ ∂ / ∂ t ⁠ indicates a partial derivative with respect to time t , Ψ (the Greek letter psi ) is the wave function of the quantum system, and Ĥ is the Hamiltonian operator (which characterizes the total energy of any given wave function and takes different forms depending on the situation). In chemistry,

714-407: Is the total number of atoms of element i {\displaystyle i} in the system, which remains constant, since the system is closed. There will be one such equation for each different element in the system. In thermodynamics, a closed system is important for solving complicated thermodynamic problems. It allows the elimination of some external factors that could alter the results of

765-538: The Christian religion against those he considered "notorious infidels , namely atheists , deists , pagans , Jews and Muslims", with the provision that controversies between Christians were not to be mentioned (see Boyle Lectures ). As a founder of the Royal Society, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1663 . Boyle's law is named in his honour. The Royal Society of Chemistry issues

816-577: The High Street at Oxford (now the location of the Shelley Memorial ), marking the spot where Cross Hall stood until the early 19th century. It was here that Boyle rented rooms from the wealthy apothecary who owned the Hall. Reading in 1657 of Otto von Guericke 's air pump, he set himself, with the assistance of Robert Hooke , to devise improvements in its construction. Guericke's air pump

867-405: The semen . Boyle's writings mention that at his time, for "European Eyes", beauty was not measured so much in colour of skin , but in "stature, comely symmetry of the parts of the body, and good features in the face". Various members of the scientific community rejected his views and described them as "disturbing" or "amusing". In his will, Boyle provided money for a series of lectures to defend

918-592: The " Invisible College ", who devoted themselves to the cultivation of the "new philosophy". They met frequently in London, often at Gresham College , and some of the members also had meetings at Oxford . Having made several visits to his Irish estates beginning in 1647, Robert moved to Ireland in 1652 but became frustrated at his inability to make progress in his chemical work. In one letter, he described Ireland as "a barbarous country where chemical spirits were so misunderstood and chemical instruments so unprocurable that it

969-682: The Belief of a Deity; nothing can rejoice me more than to find it useful for that Purpose. The early lecturers were specifically charged to prove the truth of the Christian religion against Jews, Muslims and non-believers, without considering any controversies or differences that might exist between different Christian groups. "To preach eight sermons in the year, for proving the Christian religion against notorious infidels, viz. Atheists, Deists, Pagans, Jews, Mahometans, not descending to any controversies that are among Christians themselves." A clergyman

1020-787: The Boyle Lectures Board of Trustees. Members of the board include John Boyle, 15th Earl of Cork ; the Hon. Robert Boyle; Julian Tregoning , Past Master of the Grocers' Company ; Xenia Dennan, Past Master of the Mercers Company ; the Revd George R. Bush, Rector of St Mary-le-Bow; Emeritus Professor John Hedley Brooke; Dr Russell Re Manning; Professor Fraser Watts; and the Revd Michael Reiss, former President of

1071-457: The ISSR. Robert Boyle Robert Boyle FRS ( / b ɔɪ l / ; 25 January 1627 – 31 December 1691) was an Anglo-Irish natural philosopher , chemist , physicist , alchemist and inventor. Boyle is largely regarded today as the first modern chemist, and therefore one of the founders of modern chemistry , and one of the pioneers of modern experimental scientific method . He

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1122-519: The Irish". After spending over three years at Eton, Robert travelled abroad with a French tutor. They visited Italy in 1641 and remained in Florence during the winter of that year studying the "paradoxes of the great star-gazer", the elderly Galileo Galilei . Robert returned to England from continental Europe in mid-1644 with a keen interest in scientific research. His father, Lord Cork , had died

1173-460: The Royal Society, and advertising his desire to be excused from receiving guests, "unless upon occasions very extraordinary", on Tuesday and Friday forenoon, and Wednesday and Saturday afternoon. In the leisure thus gained he wished to "recruit his spirits, range his papers", and prepare some important chemical investigations which he proposed to leave "as a kind of Hermetic legacy to the studious disciples of that art", but of which he did not make known

1224-693: The assistance of Board of the Boyle Lectures, by the International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) and has been held at one of its original locations, the Wren church of St Mary-le-Bow on Cheapside in the City of London. The first such lecture was given in 1692 by Richard Bentley , to whom Isaac Newton had written: Sir, When I wrote my Treatise about our System, I had an Eye upon such Principles as might work with considering Men, for

1275-421: The charter of incorporation granted by Charles II of England named Boyle a member of the council. In 1680 he was elected president of the society, but declined the honour from a scruple about oaths. He made a "wish list" of 24 possible inventions which included "the prolongation of life ", the " art of flying ", " perpetual light ", "making armour light and extremely hard", "a ship to sail with all winds, and

1326-565: The city. A book to mark the 10th anniversary of the revived series was edited by Russell Re Manning and Michael Byrne and published by SCM Press in 2013 as 'Science and Religion in the Twenty-First Century: The Boyle Lectures 2004-2013'. Having convened the first 15 lectures in the new series, Michael Byrne stepped down as Convenor in 2018. Management of the lecture then passed to the International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) in cooperation with

1377-544: The design apparently on display in some parts of nature to demonstrate God's involvement with the world. He also attempted to tackle complex theological questions using methods derived from his scientific practices. In Some Physico-Theological Considerations about the Possibility of the Resurrection (1675), he used a chemical experiment known as the reduction to the pristine state as part of an attempt to demonstrate

1428-425: The expansive force of freezing water, on specific gravities and refractive powers, on crystals , on electricity, on colour, on hydrostatics , etc. – chemistry was his peculiar and favourite study. His first book on the subject was The Sceptical Chymist , published in 1661, in which he criticised the "experiments whereby vulgar Spagyrists are wont to endeavour to evince their Salt, Sulphur and Mercury to be

1479-426: The experiment or problem thus simplifying it. A closed system can also be used in situations where thermodynamic equilibrium is required to simplify the situation. This equation, called Schrödinger's equation , describes the behavior of an isolated or closed quantum system, that is, by definition, a system which does not interchange information (i.e. energy and/or matter) with another system. So if an isolated system

1530-558: The fact that the system is closed is expressed by stating that the total number of each elemental atom is conserved, no matter what kind of molecule it may be a part of. Mathematically: where N j {\displaystyle N_{j}} is the number of j-type molecules, a i j {\displaystyle a_{ij}} is the number of atoms of element i {\displaystyle i} in molecule j {\displaystyle j} and b i {\displaystyle b_{i}}

1581-415: The factors that can affect the results of a specific problem or experiment. In thermodynamics , a closed system can exchange energy (as heat or work ) but not matter , with its surroundings. An isolated system cannot exchange any heat, work, or matter with the surroundings, while an open system can exchange energy and matter. (This scheme of definition of terms is not uniformly used, though it

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1632-508: The hypothesis was Henry Power in 1661. Boyle in 1662 included a reference to a paper written by Power, but mistakenly attributed it to Richard Towneley . In continental Europe, the hypothesis is sometimes attributed to Edme Mariotte , although he did not publish it until 1676 and was probably aware of Boyle's work at the time. In 1663 the Invisible College became The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge , and

1683-640: The laboratory she had in her home and attended her salon of intellectuals interested in the sciences. The siblings maintained "a lifelong intellectual partnership, where brother and sister shared medical remedies, promoted each other's scientific ideas, and edited each other's manuscripts." His contemporaries widely acknowledged Katherine's influence on his work, but later historiographers dropped discussion of her accomplishments and relationship to her brother from their histories. In 1669 his health, never very strong, began to fail seriously and he gradually withdrew from his public engagements, ceasing his communications to

1734-581: The modern theories of philosophy, until he was "provided of experiments" to help him judge of them. He refrained from any study of the atomical and the Cartesian systems, and even of the Novum Organum itself, though he admits to "transiently consulting" them about a few particulars. Nothing was more alien to his mental temperament than the spinning of hypotheses. He regarded the acquisition of knowledge as an end in itself, and in consequence, he gained

1785-476: The more important of his works: Among his religious and philosophical writings were: Closed system In nonrelativistic classical mechanics , a closed system is a physical system that does not exchange any matter with its surroundings, and is not subject to any net force whose source is external to the system. A closed system in classical mechanics would be equivalent to an isolated system in thermodynamics . Closed systems are often used to limit

1836-438: The nature. His health became still worse in 1691, and he died on 31 December that year, just a week after the death of his sister, Katherine, in whose home he had lived and with whom he had shared scientific pursuits for more than twenty years. Boyle died from paralysis. He was buried in the churchyard of St Martin-in-the-Fields , his funeral sermon being preached by his friend, Bishop Gilbert Burnet . In his will, Boyle endowed

1887-594: The physical possibility of the resurrection of the body . Throughout his career, Boyle tried to show that science could lend support to Christianity. As a director of the East India Company he spent large sums in promoting the spread of Christianity in the East, contributing liberally to missionary societies and to the expenses of translating the Bible or portions of it into various languages. Boyle supported

1938-604: The policy that the Bible should be available in the vernacular language of the people. An Irish language version of the New Testament was published in 1602 but was rare in Boyle's adult life. In 1680–85 Boyle personally financed the printing of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, in Irish. In this respect, Boyle's attitude to the Irish language differed from the Protestant Ascendancy class in Ireland at

1989-544: The previous year and had left him the manor of Stalbridge in Dorset as well as substantial estates in County Limerick in Ireland that he had acquired. Robert then made his residence at Stalbridge House , between 1644 and 1652, and settled a laboratory where he conducted many experiments. From that time, Robert devoted his life to scientific research and soon took a prominent place in the band of enquirers, known as

2040-688: The seventh son and fourteenth child of The 1st Earl of Cork ('the Great Earl of Cork') and Catherine Fenton . Lord Cork, then known simply as Richard Boyle, had arrived in Dublin from England in 1588 during the Tudor plantations of Ireland and obtained an appointment as a deputy escheator . He had amassed enormous wealth and landholdings by the time Robert was born and had been made Earl of Cork in October 1620. Catherine Fenton, Countess of Cork ,

2091-446: The theories of Robert Hooke and Isaac Newton about colour and light via optical projection (in physics ) into discourses of polygenesis , speculating that maybe these differences were due to " seminal impressions". Taking this into account, it might be considered that he envisioned a good explanation for complexion at his time, due to the fact that now we know that skin colour is disposed by genes , which are actually contained in

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2142-598: The time, which was generally hostile to the language and largely opposed the use of Irish (not only as a language of religious worship). Boyle also had a monogenist perspective about race origin. He was a pioneer in studying races, and he believed that all human beings, no matter how diverse their physical differences, came from the same source: Adam and Eve . He studied reported stories of parents giving birth to different coloured albinos , so he concluded that Adam and Eve were originally white and that Caucasians could give birth to different coloured races. Boyle also extended

2193-580: The title New Experiments Physico-Mechanical, Touching the Spring of the Air, and its Effects . Among the critics of the views put forward in this book was a Jesuit , Francis Line (1595–1675), and it was while answering his objections that Boyle made his first mention of the law that the volume of a gas varies inversely to the pressure of the gas, which among English-speaking people is usually called Boyle's Law after his name. The person who originally formulated

2244-399: The true Principles of Things." For him chemistry was the science of the composition of substances, not merely an adjunct to the arts of the alchemist or the physician. He endorsed the view of elements as the undecomposable constituents of material bodies; and made the distinction between mixtures and compounds . He made considerable progress in the technique of detecting their ingredients,

2295-545: Was hard to have any Hermetic thoughts in it." All Souls , Oxford University shows the arms of Boyle's family in colonnade of the Great Quadrangle, opposite the arms of the Hill family of Shropshire , close by a sundial designed by Boyle's friend Christopher Wren . In 1654, Boyle left Ireland for Oxford to pursue his work more successfully. An inscription can be found on the wall of University College, Oxford ,

2346-517: Was instrumental in obtaining the repeal, by the Royal Mines Act 1688 ( 1 Will. & Mar. c. 30), of the statute of Henry IV against multiplying gold and silver, the Gold and Silver Act 1403 ( 5 Hen. 4 . c. 4). With all the important work he accomplished in physics – the enunciation of Boyle's law , the discovery of the part taken by air in the propagation of sound, and investigations on

2397-413: Was large and required "the continual labour of two strong men for divers hours", and Boyle constructed one that could be operated conveniently on a desktop. With the result, the "machina Boyleana" or "Pneumatical Engine", finished in 1659, he began a series of experiments on the properties of air and coined the term factitious airs . An account of Boyle's work with the air pump was published in 1660 under

2448-736: Was the daughter of Sir Geoffrey Fenton , the former Secretary of State for Ireland , who was born in Dublin in 1539, and Alice Weston, the daughter of Robert Weston , who was born in Lismore in 1541. As a child, Boyle was raised by a wet nurse , as were his elder brothers. Boyle received private tutoring in Latin, Greek, and French and when he was eight years old, following the death of his mother, he, and his brother Francis, were sent to Eton College in England. His father's friend, Sir Henry Wotton ,

2499-506: Was then the provost of the college. During this time, his father hired a private tutor, Robert Carew, who had knowledge of Irish , to act as private tutor to his sons in Eton. However, "only Mr. Robert sometimes desires it [Irish] and is a little entered in it", but despite the "many reasons" given by Carew to draw their attention to it, "they practise the French and Latin but they affect not

2550-538: Was to be appointed to the lectureship for a term of no more than three years by Thomas Tenison (later Archbishop of Canterbury ) and three other nominated trustees. Boyle had assigned the rent from his house in Crooked Lane to support the lectures but the income from that source soon disappeared. Archbishop Tenison then arranged that the rental income from a farm in the parish of Brill in Buckinghamshire

2601-475: Was to be paid at the rate of £12.10.00 per quarter to the lecturer. The Boyle Lectures were revived in 2004 at the famous Wren church of St Mary-le-Bow in the City of London by Dr Michael Byrne, a Fellow of Birkbeck College London. Financial support for the lectures has been provided by a number of patrons, principally the Worshipful Company of Grocers and the Worshipful Company of Mercers in

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