The Lunar Society Downunder.

During 'The Enlightenment' the world saw science collide with the ambition of entrepreneurs to create an industrial revolution.

Between 1765 and 1813, one group of people met on a Monday by the light of the moon to discuss ideas. They called themselves 'The Lunarticks' and their group was known as 'The Lunar Society'.

Principal members included James Watt who invented the steam engine; his partner Matthew Boulton who also revolutionised coin minting and social innovations like workers compensation; Erasmus Bolton who was already imagining Evolution before his grandson Charles completed the theory; Joseph Priestly the chemist who discovered oxygen and carbonated water and; Josiah Wedgewood the potter and social reformer.

These innovators, and many others collaborated outside of their Monday gatherings in daily conversations, exploring the ideas and discoveries that would move society forwards.

Today, we live in a similar time, but the steam engines of today are quantum computers and large language models. The discovery of oxygen is the ability to harness nature to build products in a sustainable way. The sailing ships that opened up the world are rockets taking us to Mars and beyond.

Last week, we convened a new Lunar Society as Australia's deep tech founders gathered for Deep Tech Week.

And the work continues now it is over.

I think we should make it 'a thing'.

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I'm a Partner at Main Sequence, a VC purpose-built to create global companies from scientific ideas with the inventors who imagine them. I build-out-loud here: https://philmorle.substack.com