Significance: Davy (1778-1829) was the foremost British chemist of the early nineteenth century. He isolated more chemical elements than anyone has before or since, he inhaled nitrous oxide for the first time, and invented a wire mesh miners’ safety lamp called the ‘Davy lamp. He also wrote poetry throughout his life and was friends with Lord Byron, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Maria Edgeworth, Walter Scott and William Wordsworth among others. His work influenced Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Link to Observer article: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/dec/30/reams-of-secret-poetry-by-a-sir-humphry-davy-british-scientist-finally-come-to-light

Engagement: STEM Learning have developed Key Stage 3 teaching resources.

Partners: the Royal Institution of Great Britain.

Funding: Arts and Humanities Research Council

Events: See https://wp.lancs.ac.uk/davynotebooks/events/

Key publications: See https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/humphrydavy/davy-notebooks-project/about/results