Dear members of the KIVI Department of History of Technology and of Histechnica,

The boards of the Histechnica Association and of the KIVI History of Technology Section are pleased to invite you to attend a lecture to be delivered by Prof D. van Delft entitled:

"Invisible Life: Antoni van Leeuwenhoek and the wonderful world of microbiology"

on Saturday 23 September 2023

Programme

10.30 hrs: Walk-in with coffee and tea

11:00: Welcome and introduction

11.05:00: Lecture by Prof Dirk van Delft

11:50 a.m.: Break

12:15: Continuation of lecture and concluding discussion

12:45: End of meeting.

Summary of lecture

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) saw what no one had seen before. Red blood cells, bacteria, sperm cells and much more. His microscopes were unsurpassed in simplicity and power. His discoveries astounded science. A celebrated researcher and fellow of the Royal Society, he was visited by the world's greats, including Tsar Peter the Great. Unbiased, Antoni wandered around the wonderful world of microbiology. Virologists researching Covid-19 actually stood on his shoulders.

Of the hundreds of microscopes Van Leeuwenhoek bequeathed, less than a dozen remain. Unsightly to look at and awkward to use, they have been discarded en masse. Thanks to the expertise of Rijksmuseum Boerhaave, a recently surfaced silver 'Leeuwenhoek' was found to be genuine and another was exposed as a replica. In 2021, clarity emerged around the secret Antoni took with him to his grave: how he made his best lenses.

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek was a curious and driven researcher who went his own way. Who dealt with Delft market people as easily as with magistrates. And who, as an autodidact, won admiration as well as condescending criticism.

Information about the speaker

Dirk van Delft (1951) studied physics in Leiden. He stood in front of the classroom, was chief scientist at NRC Handelsblad and director of Rijksmuseum Boerhaave. At Leiden University, he is emeritus professor of 'Material heritage of the natural sciences'. Since his retirement in 2018, he has been a visiting fellow at the Institute Lorentz. In 2015, he obtained his PhD with Heike Kamerlingh Onnes. A biography. With Ton van Helvoort, he wrote Images without parallel: the electron microscope from Ernst Ruska to Ben Feringa (2018) and with Frits Berends the biography Lorentz: celebrated physicist, born conciliator (2019). Last February, 'Verrekt dat 't!" was published The combative life of Nobel laureate Martinus Veltman.

On Saturday 22 October 2022, Dirk van Delft gave a lecture for us on his book "Splijtstof".

To attend this lecture, please register:

  • KIVI members should register via the KIVI website
  • Members of Histechnica should register through the secretary hotzeboonstra@gmail.com
  • Interested parties who are not members can also register through the above channels. There will then be a charge of €5.00.

The lecture will be broadcast live; you should also register for this through the above channels. There is no charge for this.

Upcoming activities in Science Center Delft

  • Saturday 28 October 2023 at 11:00 lecture by Prof Rien Weygaert:
  • Saturday 25 November 2023 at 11:00 lecture by Marten Fluks and Edward Heerema "Development of tuber extraction"
  • Saturday 16 December 2023 at 11:00 lecture by Dr Abel Streefland "University press in Delft"

Thursday 26 October 2023 presentation of Willem Wolff Prize 2023 to Museum Zaanse Tijd. Details to follow

On the occasion of the 175th anniversary of KIVI, the History of Engineering Department has published a book highlighting the three founders of KIVI in the times in which they lived. The book will be available free of charge during the lecture for members of Histechnica and for members of the KIVI Department of History of Engineering.

Documents