In his first lecture, Professor Gareth Roberts takes us through some of the major inventions and innovations that science has brought into our homes, from microwaves to light bulbs.
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This lecture was filmed at the Ri on Saturday 17th December 1988.
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An excerpt from the 1988 programme: The continual requirement for novel, labour-saving, devices to reduce time spent on household chores has resulted in a wide range of domestic appliances incorporating modern technology developed originally for other purposes. A good example to illustrate the bridge of technology is the microwave oven, the popularity of which is due to greater emphasis being placed on speed and ease of preparation of food. Light was an important factor in social history. When Michael Faraday was appointed to the Royal Institution in 1813 as Humphry Davy's assistant, his terms of employment specified that he would be supplied with candles free of charge! The most popular electronic lamp is the incandescent lamp. The parallel inventions of Thomas Edison and Joseph Swan were made just over a century ago but still this type of lighting predominates despite its relatively low luminous efficiency. Exciting work is underway to use silicon micro-electronic circuits for this purpose.
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Professor Gareth Roberts (1940-2007), then of Thorn EMI plc and the University of Oxford, and later Sir Gareth, presents the 1988 CHRISTMAS LECTURES titled 'The Home of the Future'. The impact of modern developments in electronics, materials and communications technology is becoming increasingly apparent in the home. There are numerous examples of innovative products that have arisen due to a combination of scientific progress and market demands. Many other exciting ideas are now emerging from industrial and academic laboratories and will play a significant role in homes during the next decade. These will be discussed in this series of lectures together with classic discoveries and inventions in related areas.
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