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Hello, the word science first appeared in the English language. the

word science first appeared in the English language in 1340 and ever since its meaning has

been in a state of flux. The notion of the scientist has

had a similarly evolving history. For some the scientist doesn't truly appear

until after the Renaissance, others put its emergence much later than that. So when did the words

and concepts we recognize today take on their contemporary meaning? How has the role of the scientist? and rival to religion or was it once an ally and how has the scientist been perceived by

the wider world as a modern saint the priest of learning as in Newton's time the genius

Newton again or as a terrifying and amoral menace these scientist of film and literature. With me to discuss the

scientist at John Gribbin, visiting fellow in astronomy at the University of Sussex,

an author of Science A History, 1543 to 2001.

Project Schifara, who lectures on the history of science

at Cambridge University, and is author of Newton,

the Making of Genius, and Hugh Pennington,

head of the Department of Medical Microbiology at the University of Aberdeen.

John Grimmin, your book begins in 1543.

Is that the moment when we can start speaking about the scientist or are we overlooking the contribution of

Babylonians Greeks Egyptians let's stick with the Greeks well we certainly are as

I say in the book I mean that's a deliberate choice there's only so much you can

...