The Lord Mayor of the , Michael Mainelli, will tonight (31 October) close his Experiment Series, a set of scientific trials held as part of his mayoral theme, ‘Connect to Prosper’. The experiments, which brought together academic researchers and industry experts, underscore the City’s strength as a knowledge hub where academia and business unite to solve complex challenges.
The ‘Measuring the Monument’ experiment proved that the pillar, erected to celebrate London’s recovery from the Great Fire of 1666, is physically unsuitable for its lesser-known second purpose to act as a giant telescope for viewing the stars and measuring their movements.
This is because, although the tower was built to be as rigid as possible, its tall structure would always make it prone to vibrations, and those vibrations are big enough to stop the positions of the stars being measured accurately.
Up to now, the limiting factor has been thought to be road traffic – with this theory dating back to the 1670s – but advanced measurement methods show that wind gusts, even moderate breezes, pose an even greater problem. Robert Hooke was up against the forces of nature as well as man-made vibrations. The Monument could not, in the end, double up as the telescope Hooke had designed it to be.
The Lord Mayor of the Corporation, Michael Mainelli said:
“The theme of this mayoralty is Connect to Prosper, celebrating the many knowledge miles which flow through our Square Mile – the world’s coffee house.
“Over 40 learned societies, 70 higher education institutions, and 130 research institutes exist in and around the , making this the world’s most successful concentration of interconnected knowledge networks – where science and finance meet to find and to fund the solutions to global challenges.”
Professor Philip Thomas, Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers, said:
“Scientific Instrument Makers from academia and commercial organisations came together to clear up the centuries-old conundrum of why Robert Hooke abandoned his most visible and expensive experiment, where he wanted to prove, beyond doubt, that the Earth goes round the sun. We have created new knowledge in the process.”
Dr Adebayo Ogunjimi, chief executive at City Optotech said:
“City Optotech Ltd, a spinout company of City St Georges’ University of London, prides herself in deploying innovative fibre optic sensors in groundbreaking scientific measurements. By aligning with the Lord Mayor’s focus on advancing science in the City, this project, which was supported by the Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers, demonstrates clearly how the University’s academic enterprise can benefit the economy of the and its infrastructure.”
Elisabeth Jarvis, Operations Director at Imetrum said:
“Imetrum is delighted to be using its unique non-contact measurement technology to collaborate on this project. We are excited that the partnership has been able to use several 21st Century technologies to bring to life an experiment that started over 350 years ago.”
Enrique Gaztanaga, Professor in Astrophysics at Portsmouth University said:
“After 350 years, we have solved the mystery of its failure as a telescope, but The Monument stands as a testament to the scientific revolution that sought universal laws of physics and our place in the cosmos.”
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