Science in London

Istvan Hargittai is a physical chemist and professor emeritus (active) at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. He is a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Academia Europaea (London), and a foreign member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (Oslo). He is a PhD and DSc, and has honorary doctorates from Lomonosov Moscow State University, the University of North Carolina, and the Russian Academy of Sciences. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the international periodical Structural Chemistry (Springer). He has authored and edited numerous books about structural chemistry, history of science, the nature of scientific discovery, memorials of scientists, conversations with famous scientists, and other topics. His books have appeared in English, Hungarian, Russian, German, Swedish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, and in the Farsi language.Magdolna Hargittai is a physical chemist and a research professor of structural chemistry at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. She is a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Academia Europaea (London). She is a PhD and DSc, and has an honorary doctorate from the University of North Carolina. In addition to her research in structural chemistry, she has been interested in the lives and careers of women scientists and has lectured and published a monograph, Women Scientists, about this topic. She and her husband, Istvan, have joinly worked and published extensively on symmetry, science history, conversations with famous scientists, and, lately, the memorials of scientists in great cities. Her books have appeared in English, Hungarian, Russian, German, Swedish, and Korean. The Hargittais live in Budapest. Their son is a professor of chemistry in the United States and their daughter is a professor of communication studies in Switzerland.

• Foreword.- Preface.- Chapter 1: Why London is Special.- Chapter 2 Explorers.- Chapter 3 Scientists: Physicists, Chemists, Naturalists.- Chapter 4 Medicine.- Chapter 5 Inventors and Technologists.- Subject Index.- Name Index.- Index of Artists and Architects.

“The contribution of each of these persons is described in detail, giving the reader a feeling of ‘being there’ in a living history. And what a walk it is! This is a journey that would take weeks, if not months, to complete in person. … This book is highly recommended for the lover of science—and should serve as a pleasant vicarious visit for the reader, at his leisure without the rush (and expense) of today’s travel.” (James L. Marshall, Bulletin for the History of Chemistry, Vol. 47 (3), 2022)