Bull. Hist. Chem. 2 (1998) 1
1995 DEXTER AWARD ADDRESS THE CHEMICAL ORIGINS OF PRACTICAL PHYSICS
W ll . r , Un v r t f t r
I h ld l t th n th xt r C rp r t n ll In f t, n h l r h v p nt d t d r n th Ch r nd b r f th xt r A rd C th l t d d r , th d pl n f ph tt , b th pr nt nd b nt, f r th h n r. I f l n t t d nl r d t l t n th n n t nth pr d t j n th r t r f l n l n f d t n h d nt r , r fl t d b th f t th t b th th r t h nd h t r n t rt n th lph O p r n 6 nd t p ll r n t j n th l t f n UK h ld r f th h n r th t b n th hn d nd h n l d d h ll tr n l M K , J. . rt n t n, ph dh , nd r r ntl h fr nd r v r W ll , M. . Cr l nd, b rt And r n, nd C l n ll. h l t r d d t d t th r f th l t S dn Ed l t n. Ap rt fr rt nd , h t d t n h n , d n , nd n n r n fr ll th r f r f v t n l tr n n th l b r t r r h p l t n n h h t t pl . In th p p r I l t th r l t n b t n n n t nth nt r ph nd h tr nd n d r th d v l p nt f pr t l ph t h n n th UK nd USA. I h v t n tt r r ttr b t d t n n b S r nr : "E n Ch r d r n h r t, t r n ht " — h t h n t l ph t n h t ( . Alth h d rn ph t ht ll n tr th nf r t n th t h tr r l p rt f ph , h t ll pt t n th p r t th t n n nt nd d, n l th t h t h ld b n t r l ph l ph r th br d r p r William H. Brock p t v nd nd th n th t f r n l t h t xpl n ph l ll h l pr p rt , r n h h l S t r f nd d n th 8 0 nd t d th t th t n d r p nd th pr n (2 . f r th n, ph ( r, tr tl p n , pr t pl f th t nd ph . l ph pp d t th t l ph h h 2 ll. t. Ch . 2 ( 8
d d h v t n t n v r h p rt f h r n f th ph l b r t r — f r undergradu- tr , rl n n t nth nt r t xtb nf r . ates and certificated students pp d t l b r h l t 86 , th x t n nt nt f hn C r ll t r p l h n n Gl nd M x ll r h h rt l v d Laboratory r f r l l t h t C br d n h h dv n d (p t r d t t d nt l p , n t ph l n . r n r d t h lp pr f r th r r h t n th r , th p nd r bl b d f h t, pr bl (6 . h p n r h r r nd bt dl t l ht nd l tr t r n d p rt f h tr nt l b f r r h t , G r C r t r nd r d r d th n th n pt f n r nd l tr n G thr , th n t Un v r t C ll nd n, th th r t n th 8 0 nd 860 . It n t rpr n , th r t th l S h l f M n ( r r l S h l f S f r , th t n n n t nth nt r h t h n t b n S th K n n t n. nd h pl tl f ll d n n l t r ph r n th r r d d th t n t rn d fr pr n r r n r h t v t , h n n fr r l t r d pl n r r n h tr f r n rt n n n ph t h p r p t v f ph , r l ph t th n n ? t x n h n n t rn nd l f r n h t . r d th t bv , nd th r n thr d. l André M r A p r , nr n lt, G t v M n , nd h Andr l pr n t nd. GEO GE CA EY OS E ( 8 ( ll n n r th f h t h x pl t d th r pr t l l b r t r ll t r t t h A h , n rv n nd n f n h r l n pr r n ph t th v r t h n th b pr nt r, t r nd bt dl d d bt f r h r r j t r n n t n d pl n n th t th r t th r t l h t f th 840 nd 8 0 , 8 0 . A G r C r t r r n d n 4, "th Al x nd r W ll W ll n, th h t r t d tr n f r t n ..., fr h t nt ph t d h tr b f r br fl t n h p r n l f rl n ph n n n...( " h pr n t nt fr 8 t 8 8. In 8 8 W ll n p d p ll b t t f th h t t rn d ph t . t r ff t th nt n nt t t d th K lé t Gh nt, th 60 nd 0 , th 860 nd 8 0 r l n n r ( n f ntl r f r f xp r ld n f r n l b r t r nd d b ld nt l ph t th S rb nn h h nt r n n Gr t r t n (4 . In 866 C r t r b n t t d n l tr l pr bl , nd th n r v td z nt, t h pr t l ph t Un v r t C ll — t b f l G r Q n , t d lb r — p p l f n n h l d thr r l t r b W. G. Ad t r v l K n t p nd l f t d v t d t r n nd l C ll . t n 8 nd 8 4 th C v nd h ph l t n d t n th pr p rt nd n t nt f t r l l l b r t r p n d t th Un v r t f C (8 . br d , th f tt n d n d b Cl r M x ll r th xp r n t r r t rn d t r t n b d p n th xp r n f th Cl r nd n l b r t r n 860 n t nl au fait th K lé tr t r l th r , t Oxf rd nd f W ll h n l b r t r t b t th d ft h nd n r n h nd G r n xp r n Gl . In 8 4 l b r t r r p n d t th n t l ph . t n 8 nd 86 f nd t r l v l C ll t Gr n h, nd n ll ddr n th r t h A t n n r n n n r p n d t r t l nd d . In 8 8 Alfr d l t r ( . .,h r nd d th t r l t n W t rh th Un v r t C ll p n d n d t d ff r n f H2 n rb n r , n th n l v rp l, th t xtr rd n r t r d h l l b f G rh rdt homologous f r d ff r n f C 2 , r t r d n d b C pb ll r n Sh ff ld nd n "r nt pr r n r n h tr ." l r p nd d th rth C ll n 8 nd th d d r t p h Gh nt r th K lé n h pp r nd nd d n 880 th th p n n f M n C ll n p p r d . On h r t rn W ll n h d f nd r n h nd th b nn n f th n C t & G ld p t n f r t r n th pr v t nd n l b r t r f f nd n In t t t b t b ld n pr r f r A t M tth n ( n th r p p l f n n h t hn l d t n — pl t d n 884 n b r r t d t r t n n 8 h r t r pr d d hn l C ll n th t f nd n nd n 88 , t t hn ll x ll nt r n th n t t t n f th l S th K n n t n, th W t rh l nt Q n l d n r t n . Ann t l C ntr l In t t t n ( . M n h l , n 862, n d t W ll n nd A pl d, lth h th b l f th b ld n t h S tt h nt t , t r pp nt d t h r t v t d v t d t p n n l r r nd b tt r f l t And r n C ll n Gl , n t h v r n h t t d h tr l b r t r , th d d l th tr , b t n n t r l ph l ph . rf r , th r f r , t r bl t d t l t r n th p t f ph