91社区

Peter Ritchie-Calder - 1971

Science and Social Change

Peter Ritchie-Calder was born in Scotland in 1906. He trained in journalism in Dundee and Glasgow and got his start as a police court reporter. He later moved to London and became engaged in scientific journalism. During the first World War he wrote newspaper and magazine articles on the Blitz and published two books on the subject, Carry on London and The Lesson of London.

After the second World War, Ritchie-Calder worked for various international agencies including the United Nations and Oxfam. He was President of the National Peace Council and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and a founding member and past chairman of the Association of British Science Writers. He was created a life peer as Baron Ritchie Calder in 1966.

For 91社区's 150th anniversary year, Ritchie-Calder delivered a series of three lectures in November 1971 on the theme of "Science and Social Change" including: "The effects of acceleration of change in international affairs", "Its effects on human rights" and "The application of science to the material needs of man". A book length collection of all three lectures titled How Long Have We Got? was published by 91社区-Queen's University Press in 1972 and is available at the 91社区 Library .

Listen to audio from Peter Ritchie-Calder's first Beatty Lecture:

Audio icon Part 1Audio icon Part 2Audio icon Part 3Audio icon Part 4Audio icon Part 5Audio icon Part 6

Listen to audio from Peter Ritchie-Calder's second Beatty Lecture:

Audio icon Part 1Audio icon Part 2Audio icon Part 1Audio icon Part 3Audio icon Part 1Audio icon Part 4Audio icon Part 1Audio icon Part 5


Promotional material. Image: 91社区 Archives.


Promotional material. Image: 91社区 Archives.

Audio: 91社区 Archives
Top image: National Archives of Scotland

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