From Faraday to AI: Integrating science and technology into the study of museum collections

“All arts and sciences have a connection with one another, and discoveries in natural philosophy and other branches of speculative knowledge, for the improvement and advancement of which the said museum or collection was intended, do and may give rise to the most useful experiments and inventions.” British Museum Act (1753) 

This talk will explore the past, present and future of science and technology in the study museum collections. What is the context of these interventions and what have we learned? How do these applications support the wider purposes of museums, such as enhancing access and promoting understanding? What are the opportunities and challenges? I will select relevant examples drawn from the British Museum collection but I will also widen the discussion to other museums and the essential roles they play. 

Biography 

Carl Heron is Director of Scientific Research at the British Museum. He was appointed in 2016 after 26 years at the University of Bradford. Carl graduated in Archaeological Sciences at Bradford in 1984. He completed a PhD at University College, Cardiff and spent two years at the University of Liverpool as a postdoctoral researcher before taking up a lectureship at Bradford. Between September 2023 and June 2024, Carl was acting Deputy Director at the British Museum. 

The media will be available to view after the event.