title: Scientific coats of arms.
abstract: With their mythical creatures and arcane symbolism, coats of arms seem to have little connection with modern science. Yet despite its chivalric origins, the ancient language of heraldry has long fascinated famous scientists. Although this idiosyncratic tradition was parodied by Victorian geologists, who laughingly replaced unicorns and griffins with images of dinosaurs that they had recently discovered, it has been perpetuated since by Ernest Rutherford, who liked to present himself as a new alchemist.
authors.affiliation: Clare College, Cambridge CB2 1TL, UK. pf1006@cam.ac.uk
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fara
mesh_terms: D004616:Emblems and Insignia / Q000266:history*; D005197:Famous Persons; D005789:Genealogy and Heraldry; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D009686:Nuclear Physics / Q000266:history; D006113:United Kingdom; D014925:Wit and Humor as Topic / Q000266:history