Public Talk in Durham 24th Jan: Medieval and Modern Explanations of Colour

Hannah Smithson

Hannah Smithson will be delivering a public lecture in Durham next week, as part of the Institute of Advanced Study’s Fellows’ Public Lecture series.

Medieval and Modern Explorations of Human Colour Perception
will take place on
Tuesday 24 January 2017, 17:30 to 18:30

in the Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede, Durham University

Talk outline: Can science today learn from thirteenth century literature? An interdisciplinary team of physicists, medievalists, Latin scholars and historians of science has embarked on a rich encounter with the great medieval English thinker Robert Grosseteste (1175-1253). The team presents Grosseteste’s treatise the De colore (On colour), to reveal and explore the three-dimensional space within which he characterises colour. His later treatise the De iride (On the rainbow) revisits his theory of colour generation, but with surprising results when seen from modern perspectives. By using medieval studies and modern colour science, the treatises can be interpreted in new, stimulating and more complete ways. Almost 800 years after their inception, Grosseteste’s writings prompt us to explore a new coordinate system for colour.

Directions to the Joachim Room, College of St Hild & St Bede with a Map – College of St Hild & St Bede is denoted as building No. 30. For more information about this event please contact enquiries.ias@durham.ac.uk.

Please do feel free to come along, to meet Hannah and other members of the Ordered Universe team!