Deborah Harkness' new book The Jewel House examines the scientific community in 16th century London and argues that the collaborative efforts of urban scientists made London a melting pot where a new mathematical and experimental culture developed. Harkness conducted extensive research, collecting sources like books, instruments, and notebooks, and recording information on the men and women involved in a database. She maps out London's scientific communities neighborhood by neighborhood, showing where different fields like apothecaries and clockmakers were centered. Harkness provides dynamic analyses of how groups' practices developed over time, showing that many alchemists already understood knowledge relies on familiarity not authority. She argues 16th century London scientists saw themselves as part of information sharing