Ben Franklin Stilled the Waves

Ben Franklin Stilled the Waves PDF Author: Charles Tanford
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0192804944
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 284

Get Book Here

Book Description
When Benjamin Franklin, the 18th-century American statesman and scientist, watched the calming effect of a drop of oil on the waves and ripples of a London pond, he was observing what Pliny the Elder and generations of seafarers had done before him. Franklin, though, was the first to wonder exactly what was happening to the oil, and to investigate this strange phenomenon.Following Franklin's lead, a motley crowd of scientists over the next two centuries and more chose to investigate the nature of atoms and molecules through the interaction of fluid membranes. They included Lord Rayleigh, an altruistic English Lord, Agnes Pockels, who conducted experiments in her kitchen and became one of the earliest women to make lasting contributions to science, the renowned Dutch pediatrician Evert Gorter, and Irving Langmuir, one of America's greatest industrialscientists. Building on Franklin's original experiments, their work has culminated in the discovery of the structure of cell membranes, research that continues to bear fruit today.Ben Franklin Stilled the Waves is far more than the story of oil on water; it is a voyage into the very nature of science and its place in our history.

Ben Franklin Stilled the Waves

Ben Franklin Stilled the Waves PDF Author: Charles Tanford
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0192804944
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 284

Get Book Here

Book Description
When Benjamin Franklin, the 18th-century American statesman and scientist, watched the calming effect of a drop of oil on the waves and ripples of a London pond, he was observing what Pliny the Elder and generations of seafarers had done before him. Franklin, though, was the first to wonder exactly what was happening to the oil, and to investigate this strange phenomenon.Following Franklin's lead, a motley crowd of scientists over the next two centuries and more chose to investigate the nature of atoms and molecules through the interaction of fluid membranes. They included Lord Rayleigh, an altruistic English Lord, Agnes Pockels, who conducted experiments in her kitchen and became one of the earliest women to make lasting contributions to science, the renowned Dutch pediatrician Evert Gorter, and Irving Langmuir, one of America's greatest industrialscientists. Building on Franklin's original experiments, their work has culminated in the discovery of the structure of cell membranes, research that continues to bear fruit today.Ben Franklin Stilled the Waves is far more than the story of oil on water; it is a voyage into the very nature of science and its place in our history.

Ben Franklin Stilled the Waves

Ben Franklin Stilled the Waves PDF Author: Charles Tanford
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 9780191513039
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 286

Get Book Here

Book Description
When Benjamin Franklin, the 18th-century American statesman and scientist, watched the calming effect of a drop of oil on the waves and ripples of a London pond, he was observing what Pliny the Elder and generations of seafarers had done before him. Franklin, though, was the first to wonder exactly what was happening to the oil, and to investigate this strange phenomenon. Following Franklin's lead, a motley crowd of scientists over the next two centuries and more chose to investigate the nature of atoms and molecules through the interaction of fluid membranes. They included Lord Rayleigh, an altruistic English Lord, Agnes Pockels, who conducted experiments in her kitchen and became one of the earliest women to make lasting contributions to science, the renowned Dutch pediatrician Evert Gorter, and Irving Langmuir, one of America's greatest industrial scientists. Building on Franklin's original experiments, their work has culminated in the discovery of the structure of cell membranes, research that continues to bear fruit today. Ben Franklin Stilled the Waves is far more than the story of oil on water; it is a voyage into the very nature of science and its place in our history.

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin PDF Author: Walter Isaacson
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 9780743258074
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 628

Get Book Here

Book Description
Benjamin Franklin is the founding father who winks at us, the one who seems made of flesh rather than marble. In this authoritative and engrossing full-scale biography, Walter Isaacson shows how the most fascinating of America's founders helped define our national character. In a sweeping narrative that follows Franklin's life from Boston to Philadelphia to London and Paris and back, Isaacson chronicles the adventures of the spunky runaway apprentice who became, during his 84-year life, America's best writer, inventor, media baron, scientist, diplomat, and business strategist, as well as one of its most practical and ingenious political leaders. He explores the wit behind Poor Richard's Almanac and the wisdom behind the Declaration of Independence, the new nation's alliance with France, the treaty that ended the Revolution, and the compromises that created a near-perfect Constitution. Above all, Isaacson shows how Franklin's unwavering faith in the wisdom of the common citizen and his instinctive appreciation for the possibilities of democracy helped to forge an American national identity based on the virtues and values of its middle class.

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin PDF Author: Kathleen Krull
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 110159408X
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 104

Get Book Here

Book Description
Sure, almost all kids know Benjamin Franklin as one of America’s Founding Fathers, a man with a hand in both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. And they may even have some vague idea that he once flew a kite during a lightning storm. What Kathleen Krull sets out to do in this very different biography is show Ben Franklin the “natural philosopher” (the term for scientists back in the 1700s), whose experiments led to important discoveries about the nature of electricity—including his famous demonstration that electricity and lightning were one and the same. As always, this much-lauded series presents a true Giant of Science in a juicily anecdotal way. This is social history at its best. . . . who knew that Franklin became such a megastar that Paris shops sold Ben dolls, Ben ashtrays, even Ben wallpaper? Witty and engaging, this is a worthy addition to the Giants of Science series.

Science and the Written Word

Science and the Written Word PDF Author: Lou Massa
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199831777
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 191

Get Book Here

Book Description
In order to meet the growing scientific requirements of an increasingly complex society, it is essential for us to have an appreciation of the power and breadth of science. Science and the Written Word is a collection of interviews featuring some of the world's greatest scientists and Nobel Prize winners. The interviews examine topics related to the nature of science and technology, making them more accessible to the general reader, and emphasize the relationship of various scientific disciplines to one another. Through this book, readers learn from the "inside" how science is done, what motivates it, and why it is of importance to society as a whole. The book offers insights into scientific personalities and dispels common misconceptions regarding the popular image of scientists. The interviews in this book examine standards of behavior and ethics and demonstrate the relationships between science and social values. They delve into topics such as the utility of science in application to war, the importance of science in the educational curriculum, cost benefits of fundamental research in consideration of the national budget, and the public controversy of evolution versus intelligent design. Cumulatively, the discussions in this book give rise to an awareness of both the reality of science and technology and its profound impact upon the well being of society.

Benjamin Franklin, Genius of Kites, Flights and Voting Rights

Benjamin Franklin, Genius of Kites, Flights and Voting Rights PDF Author: Seymour Stanton Block
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786480246
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 277

Get Book Here

Book Description
This unconventional biography of Benjamin Franklin, the great American Renaissance man, explores examples of Franklin's diverse genius and accomplishments in different fields. Among the topics explored are Franklin's views on women's issues, such as disapproving of impractical hoopskirts, supporting their education, and suggesting insurance for widows and spinsters. It describes his love of a good hoax, contributions to ballooning while an ambassador in France, experiments with the famous kite, and advances in heating houses. His work with money is also covered, including methods of printing money to confuse counterfeiters, a revolutionary way of making a print of a real leaf, and his updated portrait on the present $100 bill. Franklin's role as head of a commission to examine (and debunk) mesmerism is addressed. No stranger to controversy, Franklin headed the first successful attempt to unify the colonies to create a country. This work shows that Franklin is more responsible than any other for the founding of the United States--and also that he was a leading cause of the French Revolution, providing the French with an example of a successful rebellion, lessons on how to shift power from the king, and ideas about erecting a constitutional government (in addition, he weakened the French royal treasury by extracting loans and gifts to support America).

New Methods and Sensors for Membrane and Cell Volume Research

New Methods and Sensors for Membrane and Cell Volume Research PDF Author:
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0323911153
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 428

Get Book Here

Book Description
New Methods and Sensors for Membrane and Cell Volume Research, Volume 88 provides an overview of novel experimental approaches to study both the cell membrane and the under-membrane space – the cytosol, which have lately began drawing renewed attention. The book's overall emphasis is on fluorescent and FRET-based sensors, however, other optical (such as variants of transmission microscopy) and non-optical methods (neutron scattering and mass spectrometry) also have dedicated chapters. This volume provides a rare review of experimental approaches to study intracellular phase transitions, as well as anion channels, membrane tension and dynamics, and other topics of intense current interest. - Describes novel FRET-based membrane sensors - Reviews selected non-optical approaches to membrane structure and dynamics - Describes traditional and modern aspects of cell volume research, such as phase transitions and macromolecular crowding

Science and Sensibility

Science and Sensibility PDF Author: Keith J. Laidler
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1615927034
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 233

Get Book Here

Book Description
This volume reviews the major contributions of the different branches of science and shows how they all lead to a unified conception of humans' place in the universe.

Curious

Curious PDF Author: Ian Leslie
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0465056946
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 250

Get Book Here

Book Description
A fun yet provocative look at the importance of staying curious in an increasingly indifferent world Everyone is born curious. But only some retain the habits of exploring, learning, and discovering as they grow older. Those who do so tend to be smarter, more creative, and more successful. But at the very moment when the rewards of curiosity have never been higher, it is misunderstood and undervalued, and increasingly monopolized by the cognitive elite. A "curiosity divide" is opening up. In Curious, Ian Leslie makes a passionate case for the cultivation of our "desire to know." Drawing on fascinating research from psychology, economics, education, and business, Leslie looks at what feeds curiosity and what starves it, and finds surprising answers. Curiosity is a mental muscle that atrophies without regular exercise and a habit that parents, schools, and workplaces need to nurture. Filled with inspiring stories, case studies, and practical advice, Curious will change the way you think about your own mental life, and that of those around you.

Selected Topics in the History of Biochemistry

Selected Topics in the History of Biochemistry PDF Author: G. Semenza
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 008048994X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 679

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book is the latest volume in a highly successful series within Comprehensive Biochemistry and provides a historical and autobiographical perspective of the development of the field through the contributions of leading individuals who reflect on their careers and their impact on biochemistry. The book is essential reading for everybody, from graduate student to professor, placing in context major advances not only in biochemical terms but in relation to historical and social developments. Readers will be delighted by the lively style and the insight into the lives and careers of leading scientists of their time.