Ministero dei Beni delle Attivitą Culturali e del Turismo Direzione Generale Biblioteche e Istituti Culturali

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society

Philosophical TransactionsBegun in 1665, "Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society" is the oldest scientific journal printed in English and the second oldest in the world, after the French "Journal des sçavans" (later "Journal de savants"). As yet published, it is the longest running scientific journal in the world. The use of the word "philosophical" in the title is derived from the definition of "natural philosophy", the equivalent of what is now generically called "science."

The first issue, dated March 6, 1665, was prepared and published by the secretary of the society Henry Oldenburg, about six years after the founding of the Royal Society. Over the centuries, many important scientific findings have been disseminated by the Philosophical Transactions: between famous contributors, Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday and Charles Darwin. In 1672 the magazine published the first work of Newton, New Theory about Light and Colours, which can be considered the beginning of his scientific public career.

In 1887 the magazine gave life to two separate publications, one dedicated to the physical sciences, "Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Physical, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences" and the other focuses on the biological sciences "Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences ", still in progress, while the articles of researchers is for the journal" Proceedings of the Royal Society".