David Knight is Emeritus Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Durham. His distinguished career has led to numerous awards including a Templeton Foundation award for teaching ‘Science & Religion in the 19th century’, and the American Chemical Society’s Edelstein Award for History of Chemistry. His most recent publications include Science and Beliefs: From Natural Philosophy to Natural Science, 1700–1900 (co-editor), and Science and Spirituality: the Volatile Connection (Routledge, 2004).

• 1 Understanding 2 God’s clockworld 3 Holding forth 4 Poetry, metaphor and algebra 5 Picturing science 6 Ballyhoo 7 Display 8 Travel 9 Imagining 10 Science gossip 11 Suspending judgement 12 Classical physics 13 Promoters and popularisers