Author:
Publisher: American Philosophical Society
ISBN: 9781422371244
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 78

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Author:
Publisher: American Philosophical Society
ISBN: 9781422370438
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 118

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Author:
Publisher: American Philosophical Society
ISBN: 9781422371077
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 90

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Author:
Publisher: American Philosophical Society
ISBN: 9781422371107
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 102

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Author:
Publisher: American Philosophical Society
ISBN: 9781422371022
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 168

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Author:
Publisher: American Philosophical Society
ISBN: 9781422371046
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 106

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Author:
Publisher: American Philosophical Society
ISBN: 9781422370988
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 104

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Author:
Publisher: American Philosophical Society
ISBN: 9781422370575
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 60

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Author:
Publisher: American Philosophical Society
ISBN: 9781422370612
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 110

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Author: Thomas L. Hankins
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 9780691005492
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 358

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Book Description
Thomas Hankins and Robert Silverman investigate an array of instruments from the seventeenth through the nineteenth century that seem at first to be marginal to science--magnetic clocks that were said to operate by the movements of sunflower seeds, magic lanterns, ocular harpsichords (machines that played different colored lights in harmonious mixtures), Aeolian harps (a form of wind chime), and other instruments of "natural magic" designed to produce wondrous effects. By looking at these and the first recording instruments, the stereoscope, and speaking machines, the authors show that "scientific instruments" first made their appearance as devices used to evoke wonder in the beholder, as in works of magic and the theater. The authors also demonstrate that these instruments, even though they were often "tricks," were seen by their inventors as more than trickery. In the view of Athanasius Kircher, for instance, the sunflower clock was not merely a hoax, but an effort to demonstrate, however fraudulently, his truly held belief that the ability of a flower to follow the sun was due to the same cosmic magnetic influence as that which moved the planets and caused the rotation of the earth. The marvels revealed in this work raise and answer questions about the connections between natural science and natural magic, the meaning of demonstration, the role of language and the senses in science, and the connections among art, music, literature, and natural science. Originally published in 1995. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.