Study Gallery

Praying hands, art by Durer

Durer's Praying Hands. Sketch by the German artist Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) of praying hands (1508). Durer did much to introduce the Renaissance style of art to northern Europe. He travelled to Italy in 1494 and 1505 and studied the new art. He was one of the first to study and use perspective, and his mathematical rigour meant his works were among the best of the time

© SHEILA TERRY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

George Berkeley, Irish philosopher

George Berkeley (1685-1753), Irish philosopher and Bishop of Cloyne (appointed 1734). Berkeley is famous for his philosophical theory concerning the perception of sensations and ideas. Now known as subjective idealism, his philosophy was summed up by the phrase Esse est percipi ("To be is to be perceived"). Theologically, this means that God is an ever-present cause of experience, rather than the remote God found in the clockwork Newtonian worldview. Berkeley's works included his Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge (1710), and Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous (1713)

© HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES LIBRARY/NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Mars Spirit rover

Mars Spirit rover. Computer illustration of the Spirit rover on the surface of Mars. This is one of two identical rovers sent to Mars in 2003. It is designed to study the history of the Martian climate and to search for evidence of ancient water. It will study the composition and formation of soil and rocks. It has a panoramic camera on the white pole at upper centre which will allow interesting areas to be chosen for study. It will travel up to 100 metres in each Martian day (sol; 24 hours 37 minutes). It is hoped it will operate for over 90 sols. Spirit landed successfully on Mars in January 2004

© NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY