A History of Science

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

A History of Science A HISTORY OF SCIENCE BY HENRY SMITH WILLIAMS, M.D., LL.D. ASSISTED BY EDWARD H. WILLIAMS, M.D. IN FIVE VOLUMES VOLUME III. MODERN DEVELOPMENT OF THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES Get any book for free on: www.Abika.com History of Science 2 CONTENTS BOOK III CHAPTER I. THE SUCCESSORS OF NEWTON IN ASTRONOMY The work of Johannes Hevelius--Halley and Hevelius--Halley's observation of the transit of Mercury, and his method of determining the parallax of the planets--Halley's observation of meteors--His inability to explain these bodies--The important work of James Bradley--Lacaille's measurement of the arc of the meridian--The determination of the question as to the exact shape of the earth--D'Alembert and his influence upon science- -Delambre's History of Astronomy--The astronomical work of Euler. CHAPTER II. THE PROGRESS OF MODERN ASTRONOMY The work of William Herschel--His discovery of Uranus--His discovery that the stars are suns--His conception of the universe--His deduction that gravitation has caused the grouping of the heavenly bodies--The nebula, hypothesis, --Immanuel Kant's conception of the formation of the world--Defects in Kant's conception--Laplace's final solution of the problem--His explanation in detail--Change in the mental attitude of the world since Bruno--Asteroids and satellites--Discoveries of Olbers1--The mathematical calculations of Adams and Leverrier--The discovery of the inner ring of Saturn--Clerk Maxwell's paper on the stability of Saturn's rings--Helmholtz's conception of the action of tidal friction--Professor G. H. Darwin's estimate of the consequences Get any book for free on: www.Abika.com History of Science 3 of tidal action--Comets and meteors--Bredichin's cometary theory--The final solution of the structure of comets--Newcomb's estimate of the amount of cometary dust swept up daily by the earth--The fixed stars--John Herschel's studies of double stars--Fraunhofer's perfection of the refracting telescope--Bessel's measurement of the parallax of a star,--Henderson's measurements--Kirchhoff and Bunsen's perfection of the spectroscope--Wonderful revelations of the spectroscope--Lord Kelvin's estimate of the time that will be required for the earth to become completely cooled-- Alvan Clark's discovery of the companion star of Sirius-- The advent of the photographic film in astronomy--Dr. Huggins's studies of nebulae--Sir Norman Lockyer's "cosmogonic guess,"--Croll's pre-nebular theory. CHAPTER III. THE NEW SCIENCE OF PALEONTOLOGY William Smith and fossil shells--His discovery that fossil rocks are arranged in regular systems--Smith's inquiries taken up by Cuvier--His Ossements Fossiles containing the first description of hairy elephant--His contention that fossils represent extinct species only--Dr. Buckland's studies of English fossil-beds--Charles Lyell combats catastrophism, --Elaboration of his ideas with reference to the rotation of species--The establishment of the doctrine of uniformitarianism, --Darwin's Origin of Species--Fossil man--Dr. Falconer's visit to the fossil-beds in the valley of the Somme--Investigations of Prestwich and Sir John Evans--Discovery of the Neanderthal skull, --Cuvier's rejection of human fossils--The finding of prehistoric Get any book for free on: www.Abika.com History of Science 4 carving on ivory--The fossil-beds of America--Professor Marsh's paper on the fossil horses in America--The Warren mastodon, --The Java fossil, Pithecanthropus Erectus. CHAPTER IV. THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN GEOLOGY James Hutton and the study of the rocks--His theory of the earth--His belief in volcanic cataclysms in raising and forming the continents--His famous paper before the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1781---His conclusions that all strata of the earth have their origin at the bottom of the sea---His deduction that heated and expanded matter caused the elevation of land above the sea-level--Indifference at first shown this remarkable paper--Neptunists versus Plutonists-- Scrope's classical work on volcanoes--Final acceptance of Hutton's explanation of the origin of granites--Lyell and uniformitarianism--Observations on the gradual elevation of the coast-lines of Sweden and Patagonia--Observations on the enormous amount of land erosion constantly taking place, --Agassiz and the glacial theory--Perraudin the chamois- hunter, and his explanation of perched bowlders--De Charpentier's acceptance of Perraudin's explanation--Agassiz's paper on his Alpine studies--His conclusion that the Alps were once covered with an ice-sheet--Final acceptance of the glacial theory--The geological ages--The work of Murchison and Sedgwick--Formation of the American continents--Past, present, and future. CHAPTER V. THE NEW SCIENCE OF METEOROLOGY Get any book for free on: www.Abika.com History of Science 5 Biot's investigations of meteors--The observations of Brandes and Benzenberg on the velocity of falling stars-- Professor Olmstead's observations on the meteoric shower of 1833- -Confirmation of Chladni's hypothesis of 1794--The aurora borealis--Franklin's suggestion that it is of electrical origin--Its close association with terrestrial magnetism--Evaporation, cloud-formation, and dew--Dalton's demonstration that water exists in the air as an independent gas--Hutton's theory of rain--Luke Howard's paper on clouds--Observations on dew, by Professor Wilson and Mr. Six--Dr. Wells's essay on dew--His observations on several appearances connected with dew--Isotherms and ocean currents--Humboldt and the-science of comparative climatology--His studies of ocean currents-- Maury's theory that gravity is the cause of ocean currents-- Dr. Croll on Climate and Time--Cyclones and anti-cyclones, --Dove's studies in climatology--Professor Ferrel's mathematical law of the deflection of winds--Tyndall's estimate of the amount of heat given off by the liberation of a pound of vapor--Meteorological observations and weather predictions. CHAPTER VI. MODERN THEORIES OF HEAT AND LIGHT Josiah Wedgwood and the clay pyrometer--Count Rumford and the vibratory theory of heat--His experiments with boring cannon to determine the nature of heat--Causing water to boil by the friction of the borer--His final determination that heat is a form of motion--Thomas Young Get any book for free on: www.Abika.com History of Science 6 and the wave theory of light--His paper on the theory of light and colors--His exposition of the colors of thin plates--Of the colors of thick plates, and of striated surfaces, --Arago and Fresnel champion the wave theory--opposition to the theory by Biot--The French Academy's tacit acceptance of the correctness of the theory by its admission of Fresnel as a member. CHAPTER VII. THE MODERN DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM Galvani and the beginning of modern electricity--The construction of the voltaic pile--Nicholson's and Carlisle's discovery that the galvanic current decomposes water--Decomposition of various substances by Sir Humphry Davy--His construction of an arc-light--The deflection of the magnetic needle by electricity demonstrated by Oersted--Effect of this important discovery--Ampere creates the science of electro-dynamics--Joseph Henry's studies of electromagnets--Michael Faraday begins his studies of electromagnetic induction--His famous paper before the Royal Society, in 1831, in which he demonstrates electro-magnetic induction--His explanation of Arago's rotating disk--The search for a satisfactory method of storing electricity-- Roentgen rays, or X-rays. CHAPTER VIII. THE CONSERVATION OF ENERGY Faraday narrowly misses the discovery of the doctrine of conservation--Carnot's belief that a definite quantity of work can be transformed into a definite quantity of heat--The work of James Prescott Joule--Investigations begun by Dr. Get any book for free on: www.Abika.com History of Science 7 Mayer--Mayer's paper of 1842--His statement of the law of the conservation of energy--Mayer and Helmholtz--Joule's paper of 1843--Joule or Mayer--Lord Kelvin and the dissipation of energy-The final unification. CHAPTER IX. THE ETHER AND PONDERABLE MATTER James Clerk-Maxwell's conception of ether--Thomas Young and "Luminiferous ether,"--Young's and Fresnel's conception of transverse luminiferous undulations--Faraday's experiments pointing to the existence of ether--Professor Lodge's suggestion of two ethers--Lord Kelvin's calculation of the probable density of ether--The vortex theory of atoms--Helmholtz's calculations in vortex motions --Professor Tait's apparatus for creating vortex rings in the air---The ultimate constitution of matter as conceived by Boscovich--Davy's speculations as to the changes that occur in the substance of matter at different temperatures--Clausius's and Maxwell's investigations of the kinetic theory of gases--Lord Kelvin's estimate of the size of the molecule-- Studies of the potential energy of molecules--Action of gases at low temperatures. APPENDIX Get any book for free on: www.Abika.com History of Science 8 A HISTORY OF SCIENCE BOOK III MODERN DEVELOPMENT OF THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES With the present book we enter the field of the distinctively modern. There is no precise date at which we take up each of the successive stories, but the main sweep of development has to do in each case with the nineteenth century. We shall see at once that this is a time both of rapid progress and of great differentiation. We have heard almost nothing hitherto of such sciences as paleontology, geology, and meteorology, each of which now demands full attention. Meantime, astronomy and what the workers of the elder day called natural philosophy become wonderfully diversified and present numerous phases that would have been startling enough to the star-gazers and philosophers of the earlier epoch. Thus, for example, in the field of astronomy, Herschel is able, thanks to his perfected telescope, to discover a new planet and then to reach out into the depths of space and gain such knowledge of stars and nebulae as hitherto no one had more than dreamed of.
Recommended publications
  • Glossary Glossary
    Glossary Glossary Albedo A measure of an object’s reflectivity. A pure white reflecting surface has an albedo of 1.0 (100%). A pitch-black, nonreflecting surface has an albedo of 0.0. The Moon is a fairly dark object with a combined albedo of 0.07 (reflecting 7% of the sunlight that falls upon it). The albedo range of the lunar maria is between 0.05 and 0.08. The brighter highlands have an albedo range from 0.09 to 0.15. Anorthosite Rocks rich in the mineral feldspar, making up much of the Moon’s bright highland regions. Aperture The diameter of a telescope’s objective lens or primary mirror. Apogee The point in the Moon’s orbit where it is furthest from the Earth. At apogee, the Moon can reach a maximum distance of 406,700 km from the Earth. Apollo The manned lunar program of the United States. Between July 1969 and December 1972, six Apollo missions landed on the Moon, allowing a total of 12 astronauts to explore its surface. Asteroid A minor planet. A large solid body of rock in orbit around the Sun. Banded crater A crater that displays dusky linear tracts on its inner walls and/or floor. 250 Basalt A dark, fine-grained volcanic rock, low in silicon, with a low viscosity. Basaltic material fills many of the Moon’s major basins, especially on the near side. Glossary Basin A very large circular impact structure (usually comprising multiple concentric rings) that usually displays some degree of flooding with lava. The largest and most conspicuous lava- flooded basins on the Moon are found on the near side, and most are filled to their outer edges with mare basalts.
    [Show full text]
  • Research on Crystal Growth and Characterization at the National Bureau of Standards January to June 1964
    NATL INST. OF STAND & TECH R.I.C AlllDS bnSflb *^,; National Bureau of Standards Library^ 1*H^W. Bldg Reference book not to be '^sn^ t-i/or, from the library. ^ecknlccil v2ote 251 RESEARCH ON CRYSTAL GROWTH AND CHARACTERIZATION AT THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS JANUARY TO JUNE 1964 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS tiona! Bureau of Standards NOV 1 4 1968 151G71 THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS The National Bureau of Standards is a principal focal point in the Federal Government for assuring maximum application of the physical and engineering sciences to the advancement of technology in industry and commerce. Its responsibilities include development and maintenance of the national stand- ards of measurement, and the provisions of means for making measurements consistent with those standards; determination of physical constants and properties of materials; development of methods for testing materials, mechanisms, and structures, and making such tests as may be necessary, particu- larly for government agencies; cooperation in the establishment of standard practices for incorpora- tion in codes and specifications; advisory service to government agencies on scientific and technical problems; invention and development of devices to serve special needs of the Government; assistance to industry, business, and consumers in the development and acceptance of commercial standards and simplified trade practice recommendations; administration of programs in cooperation with United States business groups and standards organizations for the development of international standards of practice; and maintenance of a clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination of scientific, tech- nical, and engineering information. The scope of the Bureau's activities is suggested in the following listing of its four Institutes and their organizational units.
    [Show full text]
  • 6Th Annual Jackson School of Geosciences Student Research Symposium February 4, 2017
    6th Annual Jackson School of Geosciences Student Research Symposium February 4, 2017 Jackson School of Geosciences GSEC Graduate Student Executive Committee Welcome to the 6th Annual Jackson School Research Symposium It is with great pleasure we welcome you all to the 6th Annual Jackson School Research Symposium at UT-Austin! This symposium would not have been possible without the hard work of student volunteers, the support of faculty/research scientists, and generous support from ConocoPhillips. Thank you for taking part in supporting our students and growing research program within the Jackson School. Enjoy the posters! Schedule of Presentations and Events Breakfast, A.M. session poster set-up...............................................8:30 a.m. Early Career Graduate (ECG) posters......................................9:00-11:30 a.m. Late Career Masters (LCM) posters.........................................9:00-11:30 a.m. Lunch, A.M. session poster take-down.............................................11:30 a.m. P.M. session poster set-up................................................................12:30 p.m. Undergraduate (U) posters….....................................................1:00-3:30 p.m. Late Career PhD (LCPhD) posters.............................................1:00-3:30 p.m. Happy hour/judging............................................................................3:30 p.m. Awards/closing....................................................................................4:00 p.m. ii Table of Contents Program
    [Show full text]
  • Viscosity from Newton to Modern Non-Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics
    Viscosity from Newton to Modern Non-equilibrium Statistical Mechanics S´ebastien Viscardy Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, 3, Avenue Circulaire, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium Abstract In the second half of the 19th century, the kinetic theory of gases has probably raised one of the most impassioned de- bates in the history of science. The so-called reversibility paradox around which intense polemics occurred reveals the apparent incompatibility between the microscopic and macroscopic levels. While classical mechanics describes the motionof bodies such as atoms and moleculesby means of time reversible equations, thermodynamics emphasizes the irreversible character of macroscopic phenomena such as viscosity. Aiming at reconciling both levels of description, Boltzmann proposed a probabilistic explanation. Nevertheless, such an interpretation has not totally convinced gen- erations of physicists, so that this question has constantly animated the scientific community since his seminal work. In this context, an important breakthrough in dynamical systems theory has shown that the hypothesis of microscopic chaos played a key role and provided a dynamical interpretation of the emergence of irreversibility. Using viscosity as a leading concept, we sketch the historical development of the concepts related to this fundamental issue up to recent advances. Following the analysis of the Liouville equation introducing the concept of Pollicott-Ruelle resonances, two successful approaches — the escape-rate formalism and the hydrodynamic-mode method — establish remarkable relationships between transport processes and chaotic properties of the underlying Hamiltonian dynamics. Keywords: statistical mechanics, viscosity, reversibility paradox, chaos, dynamical systems theory Contents 1 Introduction 2 2 Irreversibility 3 2.1 Mechanics. Energyconservationand reversibility . ........................ 3 2.2 Thermodynamics.
    [Show full text]
  • Appendix I Lunar and Martian Nomenclature
    APPENDIX I LUNAR AND MARTIAN NOMENCLATURE LUNAR AND MARTIAN NOMENCLATURE A large number of names of craters and other features on the Moon and Mars, were accepted by the IAU General Assemblies X (Moscow, 1958), XI (Berkeley, 1961), XII (Hamburg, 1964), XIV (Brighton, 1970), and XV (Sydney, 1973). The names were suggested by the appropriate IAU Commissions (16 and 17). In particular the Lunar names accepted at the XIVth and XVth General Assemblies were recommended by the 'Working Group on Lunar Nomenclature' under the Chairmanship of Dr D. H. Menzel. The Martian names were suggested by the 'Working Group on Martian Nomenclature' under the Chairmanship of Dr G. de Vaucouleurs. At the XVth General Assembly a new 'Working Group on Planetary System Nomenclature' was formed (Chairman: Dr P. M. Millman) comprising various Task Groups, one for each particular subject. For further references see: [AU Trans. X, 259-263, 1960; XIB, 236-238, 1962; Xlffi, 203-204, 1966; xnffi, 99-105, 1968; XIVB, 63, 129, 139, 1971; Space Sci. Rev. 12, 136-186, 1971. Because at the recent General Assemblies some small changes, or corrections, were made, the complete list of Lunar and Martian Topographic Features is published here. Table 1 Lunar Craters Abbe 58S,174E Balboa 19N,83W Abbot 6N,55E Baldet 54S, 151W Abel 34S,85E Balmer 20S,70E Abul Wafa 2N,ll7E Banachiewicz 5N,80E Adams 32S,69E Banting 26N,16E Aitken 17S,173E Barbier 248, 158E AI-Biruni 18N,93E Barnard 30S,86E Alden 24S, lllE Barringer 29S,151W Aldrin I.4N,22.1E Bartels 24N,90W Alekhin 68S,131W Becquerei
    [Show full text]
  • Facts & Features Lunar Surface Elevations Six Apollo Lunar
    Greek Mythology Quadrants Maria & Related Features Lunar Surface Elevations Facts & Features Selene is the Moon and 12 234 the goddess of the Moon, 32 Diameter: 2,160 miles which is 27.3% of Earth’s equatorial diameter of 7,926 miles 260 Lacus daughter of the titans 71 13 113 Mare Frigoris Mare Humboldtianum Volume: 2.03% of Earth’s volume; 49 Moons would fit inside Earth 51 103 Mortis Hyperion and Theia. Her 282 44 II I Sinus Iridum 167 125 321 Lacus Somniorum Near Side Mass: 1.62 x 1023 pounds; 1.23% of Earth’s mass sister Eos is the goddess 329 18 299 Sinus Roris Surface Area: 7.4% of Earth’s surface area of dawn and her brother 173 Mare Imbrium Mare Serenitatis 85 279 133 3 3 3 Helios is the Sun. Selene 291 Palus Mare Crisium Average Density: 3.34 gm/cm (water is 1.00 gm/cm ). Earth’s density is 5.52 gm/cm 55 270 112 is often pictured with a 156 Putredinis Color-coded elevation maps Gravity: 0.165 times the gravity of Earth 224 22 237 III IV cresent Moon on her head. 126 Mare Marginis of the Moon. The difference in 41 Mare Undarum Escape Velocity: 1.5 miles/sec; 5,369 miles/hour Selenology, the modern-day 229 Oceanus elevation from the lowest to 62 162 25 Procellarum Mare Smythii Distances from Earth (measured from the centers of both bodies): Average: 238,856 term used for the study 310 116 223 the highest point is 11 miles.
    [Show full text]
  • The Tennessee Meteorite Impact Sites and Changing Perspectives on Impact Cratering
    UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND THE TENNESSEE METEORITE IMPACT SITES AND CHANGING PERSPECTIVES ON IMPACT CRATERING A dissertation submitted by Janaruth Harling Ford B.A. Cum Laude (Vanderbilt University), M. Astron. (University of Western Sydney) For the award of Doctor of Philosophy 2015 ABSTRACT Terrestrial impact structures offer astronomers and geologists opportunities to study the impact cratering process. Tennessee has four structures of interest. Information gained over the last century and a half concerning these sites is scattered throughout astronomical, geological and other specialized scientific journals, books, and literature, some of which are elusive. Gathering and compiling this widely- spread information into one historical document benefits the scientific community in general. The Wells Creek Structure is a proven impact site, and has been referred to as the ‘syntype’ cryptoexplosion structure for the United State. It was the first impact structure in the United States in which shatter cones were identified and was probably the subject of the first detailed geological report on a cryptoexplosive structure in the United States. The Wells Creek Structure displays bilateral symmetry, and three smaller ‘craters’ lie to the north of the main Wells Creek structure along its axis of symmetry. The question remains as to whether or not these structures have a common origin with the Wells Creek structure. The Flynn Creek Structure, another proven impact site, was first mentioned as a site of disturbance in Safford’s 1869 report on the geology of Tennessee. It has been noted as the terrestrial feature that bears the closest resemblance to a typical lunar crater, even though it is the probable result of a shallow marine impact.
    [Show full text]
  • Lick Observatory Records: Photographs UA.036.Ser.07
    http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c81z4932 Online items available Lick Observatory Records: Photographs UA.036.Ser.07 Kate Dundon, Alix Norton, Maureen Carey, Christine Turk, Alex Moore University of California, Santa Cruz 2016 1156 High Street Santa Cruz 95064 [email protected] URL: http://guides.library.ucsc.edu/speccoll Lick Observatory Records: UA.036.Ser.07 1 Photographs UA.036.Ser.07 Contributing Institution: University of California, Santa Cruz Title: Lick Observatory Records: Photographs Creator: Lick Observatory Identifier/Call Number: UA.036.Ser.07 Physical Description: 101.62 Linear Feet127 boxes Date (inclusive): circa 1870-2002 Language of Material: English . https://n2t.net/ark:/38305/f19c6wg4 Conditions Governing Access Collection is open for research. Conditions Governing Use Property rights for this collection reside with the University of California. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. The publication or use of any work protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use for research or educational purposes requires written permission from the copyright owner. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user. Preferred Citation Lick Observatory Records: Photographs. UA36 Ser.7. Special Collections and Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz. Alternative Format Available Images from this collection are available through UCSC Library Digital Collections. Historical note These photographs were produced or collected by Lick observatory staff and faculty, as well as UCSC Library personnel. Many of the early photographs of the major instruments and Observatory buildings were taken by Henry E. Matthews, who served as secretary to the Lick Trust during the planning and construction of the Observatory.
    [Show full text]
  • Calibration Targets
    EUROPE TO THE MOON: HIGHLIGHTS OF SMART-1 MISSION Bernard H. FOING, ESA SCI-S, SMART-1 Project Scientist J.L. Josset , M. Grande, J. Huovelin, U. Keller, A. Nathues, A. Malkki, P. McMannamon, L.Iess, C. Veillet, P.Ehrenfreund & SMART-1 Science & Technology Working Team STWT M. Almeida, D. Frew, D. Koschny, J. Volp, J. Zender, RSSD & STOC G. Racca & SMART-1 Project ESTEC , O. Camino-Ramos & S1 Operations team ESOC, [email protected], http://sci.esa.int/smart-1/, www.esa.int SMART-1 project team Science Technology Working Team & ESOC Flight Control Team EUROPE TO THE MOON: HIGHLIGHTS OF SMART-1 MISSION Bernard H. Foing & SMART-1 Project & Operations team, SMART-1 Science Technology Working Team, SMART-1 Impact Campaign Team http://sci.esa.int/smart-1/, www.esa.int ESA Science programme Mars Express Smart 1 Chandrayaan1 Beagle 2 Cassini- Huygens Solar System Venus Express 05 Solar Orbiter Rosetta 04 2017 BepiColombo 2013 SMART-1 Mission SMART-1 web page (http://sci.esa.int/smart-1/) • ESA SMART Programme: Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology – Spacecraft & payload technology demonstration for future cornerstone missions – Management: faster, smarter, better (& harder) – Early opportunity for science SMART-1 Solar Electric Propulsion to the Moon – Test for Bepi Colombo/Solar Orbiter – Mission approved and payload selected 99 – 19 kg payload (delivered August 02) – 370 kg spacecraft – launched Ariane 5 on 27 Sept 03, Kourou Europe to the Moon Some of the Innovative Technologies on Smart-1 Sun SMART-1 light Reflecte d Sun
    [Show full text]
  • 304 Index Index Index
    _full_alt_author_running_head (change var. to _alt_author_rh): 0 _full_alt_articletitle_running_head (change var. to _alt_arttitle_rh): 0 _full_article_language: en 304 Index Index Index Adamson, Robert (1821–1848) 158 Astronomische Gesellschaft 216 Akkasbashi, Reza (1843–1889) viiii, ix, 73, Astrolog 72 75-78, 277 Astronomical unit, the 192-94 Airy, George Biddell (1801–1892) 137, 163, 174 Astrophysics xiv, 7, 41, 57, 118, 119, 139, 144, Albedo 129, 132, 134 199, 216, 219 Aldrin, Edwin Buzz (1930) xii, 244, 245, 248, Atlas Photographique de la Lune x, 15, 126, 251, 261 127, 279 Almagestum Novum viii, 44-46, 274 Autotypes 186 Alpha Particle Spectrometer 263 Alpine mountains of Monte Rosa and BAAS “(British Association for the Advance- the Zugspitze, the 163 ment of Science)” 26, 27, 125, 128, 137, Al-Biruni (973–1048) 61 152, 158, 174, 277 Al-Fath Muhammad Sultan, Abu (n.d.) 64 BAAS Lunar Committee 125, 172 Al-Sufi, Abd al-Rahman (903–986) 61, 62 Bahram Mirza (1806–1882) 72 Al-Tusi, Nasir al-Din (1202–1274) 61 Baillaud, Édouard Benjamin (1848–1934) 119 Amateur astronomer xv, 26, 50, 51, 56, 60, Ball, Sir Robert (1840–1913) 147 145, 151 Barlow Lens 195, 203 Amir Kabir (1807–1852) 71 Barnard, Edward Emerson (1857–1923) 136 Amir Nezam Garusi (1820–1900) 87 Barnard Davis, Joseph (1801–1881) 180 Analysis of the Moon’s environment 239 Beamish, Richard (1789–1873) 178-81 Andromeda nebula xii, 208, 220-22 Becker, Ernst (1843–1912) 81 Antoniadi, Eugène M. (1870–1944) 269 Beer, Wilhelm Wolff (1797–1850) ix, 54, 56, Apollo Missions NASA 32, 231, 237, 239, 240, 60, 123, 124, 126, 130, 139, 142, 144, 157, 258, 261, 272 190 Apollo 8 xii, 32, 239-41 Bell Laboratories 270 Apollo 11 xii, 59, 237, 240, 244-46, 248-52, Beg, Ulugh (1394–1449) 63, 64 261, 280 Bergedorf 207 Apollo 13 254 Bergedorfer Spektraldurchmusterung 216 Apollo 14 240, 253-55 Biancani, Giuseppe (n.d.) 40, 274 Apollo 15 255 Biot, Jean Baptiste (1774–1862) 1,8, 9, 121 Apollo 16 240, 255-57 Birt, William R.
    [Show full text]
  • What Is Basic Physics Worth? François Roby
    What is basic physics worth? François Roby To cite this version: François Roby. What is basic physics worth?: Orders of magnitude, energy, and overconfidence in technical refinements. 2019. hal-02004696v2 HAL Id: hal-02004696 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02004696v2 Preprint submitted on 10 Feb 2019 (v2), last revised 18 Feb 2019 (v3) HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial - NoDerivatives| 4.0 International License What is basic physics worth? Orders of magnitude, energy, and overconfidence in technical refinements François Roby∗ « Être informé de tout et condamné ainsi à ne rien comprendre, tel est le sort des imbéciles. » Georges Bernanos (18881948), in La France contre les robots “It doesn’t make any difference how beautiful your guess is, it doesn’t make any difference how smart you are, who made the guess, or what his name is. If it disagrees with experiment, it’s wrong. That’s all there is to it.” Richard Phillips Feynman (19181988), in a famous 1964 lecture at Cornell University. Physics is often perceived as a science of tors, the motive and the technical means are complex and precise calculations, making questioned.
    [Show full text]
  • Unbroken Meteorite Rough Draft
    Space Visitors in Kentucky: Meteorites and Asteroid “Ida.” Most meteorites originate from asteroids. Meteorite Impact Sites in Kentucky Meteorite from Clark County, Ky. Mercury Earth Saturn Venus Mars Neptune Jupiter William D. Ehmann Asteroid Belt with contributions by Warren H. Anderson Uranus Pluto www.uky.edu/KGS Special thanks to Collie Rulo for cover design. Earth image was compiled from satellite images from NOAA and NASA. Kentucky Geological Survey James C. Cobb, State Geologist and Director University of Kentucky, Lexington Space Visitors in Kentucky: Meteorites and Meteorite Impact Sites in Kentucky William D. Ehmann Special Publication 1 Series XII, 2000 i UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY Collie Rulo, Graphic Design Technician Charles T. Wethington Jr., President Luanne Davis, Staff Support Associate II Fitzgerald Bramwell, Vice President for Theola L. Evans, Staff Support Associate I Research and Graduate Studies William A. Briscoe III, Publication Sales Jack Supplee, Director, Administrative Supervisor Affairs, Research and Graduate Studies Roger S. Banks, Account Clerk I KENTUCKY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Energy and Minerals Section: James A. Drahovzal, Head ADVISORY BOARD Garland R. Dever Jr., Geologist V Henry M. Morgan, Chair, Utica Cortland F. Eble, Geologist V Ron D. Gilkerson, Vice Chair, Lexington Stephen F. Greb, Geologist V William W. Bowdy, Fort Thomas David A. Williams, Geologist V, Manager, Steven Cawood, Frankfort Henderson office Hugh B. Gabbard, Winchester David C. Harris, Geologist IV Kenneth Gibson, Madisonville Brandon C. Nuttall, Geologist IV Mark E. Gormley, Versailles William M. Andrews Jr., Geologist II Rosanne Kruzich, Louisville John B. Hickman, Geologist II William A. Mossbarger, Lexington Ernest E. Thacker, Geologist I Jacqueline Swigart, Louisville Anna E.
    [Show full text]