▁secretary . ▁It ▁became ▁an ▁official ▁society ▁publication ▁in ▁ 1 7 5 2 . ▁It ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 6 6 5 , ▁making ▁it ▁the ▁first ▁journal ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁exclus ively ▁devoted ▁to ▁science , ▁and ▁therefore ▁also ▁the ▁world ' s ▁longest - running ▁scientific ▁journal . ▁The ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁word ▁philosoph ical ▁in ▁the ▁title ▁refers ▁to ▁natural ▁philosophy , ▁which ▁was ▁the ▁equivalent ▁of ▁what ▁would ▁now ▁be ▁generally ▁called ▁science . ▁ ▁Current ▁publication ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 7 ▁the ▁journal ▁expanded ▁and ▁divided ▁into ▁two ▁separate ▁publications , ▁one ▁serving ▁the ▁physical ▁sciences ▁( Ph il osoph ical ▁Trans actions ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society ▁A : ▁Mathemat ical , ▁Phys ical ▁and ▁Engineering ▁Sciences ) ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁foc using ▁on ▁the ▁life ▁sciences ▁( Ph il osoph ical ▁Trans actions ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society ▁B : ▁Bi ological ▁Sciences ). ▁Both ▁journ als ▁now ▁publish ▁them ed ▁issues ▁and ▁issues ▁resulting ▁from ▁papers ▁presented ▁at ▁the ▁Disc uss ion ▁Me et ings ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society . ▁Primary ▁research ▁articles ▁are ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁sister ▁journ als ▁Pro ceed ings ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society , ▁Bi ology ▁Let ters , ▁Journal ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society ▁Interface , ▁and ▁Interface ▁F ocus . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁and ▁history ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁▁ ▁The ▁first ▁issue , ▁published ▁in ▁London ▁on ▁ 6 ▁March ▁ 1 6 6 5 , ▁was ▁edited ▁and ▁published ▁by ▁the ▁Society ' s ▁first ▁secretary ,