Lecture series inspired by the past supports bicentenary celebrations

Researchers from Northumbria University are helping to celebrate 200 years since the opening of a Newcastle building that has witnessed extraordinary scientific displays, lectures and discussions – including Sir Joseph Swan’s demonstration of the incandescent light bulb in 1880.

July 2025 marks the bicentenary of the opening of Newcastle Literary and Philosophical Society’s home on Westgate Road in the city. The historic library building, known as the Lit & Phil, is now integral to Newcastle’s cultural and creative heritage and will play host to a series of free public lectures by today’s scientists, exploring enduring themes.

Subjects of 19th century lectures that took place at the Lit & Phil include The Arctic Regions, Recent Astronomical Discoveries, The Curiosities of Natural History, and Changes in the Appearance of the Planet Saturn. These topics, and many more, will now be revisited for a contemporary audience by Northumbria University experts, who will share their latest research insights.

Organised by Professor Martyn Amos from Northumbria University’s Department of Computer and Information Sciences, the Inspired By series is the latest programme of public talks involving Northumbria speakers at the Lit & Phil. Professor Amos also organises the NU Ideas series, which is still running.

“It’s fantastic that we’ve been able to curate open and accessible lectures to provide a link between past and present and bring the latest knowledge to audiences on areas of research that have always fascinated the public,” he explained.

Inspired by is made up of 11 events, running throughout 2025. The series got under way on 27 January with a talk by polar scientist, Dr Sammie Buzzard, covering the past 200 years of advances in polar research.

Dr Buzzard, who is part of the Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling based within the Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences at Northumbria University, said: “It was a privilege to be part of the Inspired by lecture series to celebrate this 200 year milestone in the history of such an important North East institution and to have the opportunity to show the audience how far my own discipline of polar science has come during this time.”

Kay Easson, Head Librarian at the Lit & Phil added: “The appetite for lectures continues to this day and this new series is part of bicentenary celebrations planned to continue throughout the year. Although the texts of most of the original lectures haven’t survived, we do have the original titles, so it’s exciting to see them reimagined by everyone involved at Northumbria University and brought to life for audiences today.”

The Inspired by lecture series includes:

17 February

• Charlotte Goetz, Recent Astronomical Discoveries

25 March

• Steph Yardley, Solar and Stellar Chemistry

17 April

• Mike Jeffries, The Curiosities of Natural History

27 May

• Mark Moss, The Connection of the Mind with the Organisation of the Brain and Nerves

30 June

• Henrik Melin, The Late Discoveries of Changes in the Appearance of the Planet Saturn

24 July

• Iain Sutcliffe, Investigations into the origin and development of minute organic forms, with consideration of the bearing of these upon the origin of Bacteria

24 September

• David Smailes, Popular Scientific Errors

23 October

• Yao Liu, Do Plants Think?

17 November

• Daniel Ratliff, Waves

9 December

• Patrick Antolin/Richard Morton, The Progress of Solar Research

Directions to the Lit and Phil can be found here and tickets to each event can be booked online.