News, Articles and Comment

Naval practitioners have previously commented on the mission-focused desirability of warship modularity [NR 111/1, p. 34]. In this article, the author argues in favour of adopting the modular NavyPods technology concept aboard the Royal Navy’s Hunt-class Mine Countermeasure Vessels. A 10 minute read.

Not too unlike the Hellenstic inventor Archimedes and his patron Hiero II of Syracuse, or 20th century technologists such as Bob Noyce and William Shockley, brothers Samuel and Jeremy Bentham were a pair of functionalist Georgian characters. While Jeremy is well known for his contributions to the Reform Movement and utilitarian philosophy, the younger brother Samuel, a prototypical early steam-era inventor and Royal Navy engineer, in the mold of predecessors such as Thomas Slade and Charles Middleton, or successors like Sir Robert Seppings and Sir Nathaniel Barnaby, is less well known. The authors herein examine Samuel Bentham’s life and work. A 30 minute read.