800-Year-Old Tomb Discovered in Peru

LIMA, PERU—The remains of eight people estimated to be 800 years old were discovered by workers laying gas pipes near Lima, according to an ...

Monday

Newsletter for Monday 11 May.

Click to open this Newsletter in your browser


Feature for Today
Thumbnail of

On 11 May 1825, the New York Gas Company began laying cast iron pipes in Broadway, New York, from Canal Street to the Battery. The city streets had been previously lit with whale-oil lamps.

New York became the third U.S. city with gas street lights, after Baltimore (1817) and Boston (1822).

In this extract, Gas Lighting in New York, from Cradle Days of New York (1909), compared to candles in house windows or oil lamps, the decision was stated as “the cleanliness, the beauty and the convenience of the gas over any other light is the principal cause of its being preferred, without reference to expense.”

[Image: street gas light in Baltimore, c.1920-30.]


Book of the Day
Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman

On 11 May 1918, Richard Feynman was born. Chances are, you have already read one or more of his books, and have one or more on your bookshelf. Whether it was his humor, or his way of making physics seem simpler to the layman, his books have been very popular. Today's book pick is: Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman, by James Gleick, a very readable biography by a best-selling writer.

Feynman was a very imaginative thinker with new, creative ideas. His work with quantum electrodynamics won him a Nobel Prize. The book presents Feynman on a very personal, human level. He had a charismatic personality, an exciting life, and made great contributions to the field of science.

It is available from Amazon, typically about New from $5.75. Used from $1.99. (As of earlier time of writing - subject to change.)


Quotations for Today
Thumbnail of Richard P. Feynman
For those who want some proof that physicists are human, the proof is in the idiocy of all the different units which they use for measuring energy.
— Richard P. Feynman, American theoretical physicist (born 11 May 1918). quote icon
Thumbnail of Sir John Herschel
Every student who enters upon a scientific pursuit, especially if at a somewhat advanced period of life, will find not only that he has much to learn, but much also to unlearn.
— Sir John Herschel, English astronomer, chemist and chemist (died 11 May 1871). quote icon
Thumbnail of Theodore von Kármán
I came to realize that exaggerated concern about what others are doing can be foolish. It can paralyze effort, and stifle a good idea. One finds that in the history of science almost every problem has been worked out by someone else. This should not discourage anyone from pursuing his own path.
— Theodore von Kármán, Hungarian-American physicist and aeronautical engineer (born 11 May 1881). quote icon

Quiz
Before you look at today's web page, see if you can answer some of these questions about the events that happened on this day. Some of the names are very familiar. Others will likely stump you. Tickle your curiosity with these questions, then check your answers on today's web page.
Births
Thumbnail of  Ottmar Mergenthaler,
Ottmar Mergenthaler, a German-American inventor (1954-1899), made what is regarded as the greatest advance in printing since the development of moveable type 400 years earlier. His invention was first used in 1886 by the New York Tribune.
What was Mergenthaler’s revolutionary invention?
Thumbnail of Harriet Quimby
On 11 May 1875, is the birth date of the first female pilot to fly across the English channel. She was the first American woman to become a licensed pilot, but her career as a pilot lasted a mere 11 months. She died when she lost control of her plane at a flying exhibition near Quincy, Mass.
What is the name of this female aviator?
Deaths
Thumbnail of Thomas Andrew Knight
Thomas Andrew Knight (1759-1838) was a British botanist who experimented with the adaptive responses of plants and the changes in the direction of stem and root growth. These studies later became the basis of work on tropisms. He invented a device, named after him, to test the behavior of germinating seeds subjected to forces other than gravity.
Can you describe his device?
Thumbnail of Otto von Guericke
Otto von Guericke (1602-1686) was a German physicist who studied the phenomenon of vacuum and the role of air in combustion and respiration. But to so this, he had to invent something first which was the first of its kind.
What was his first-of-a-kind invention?
Events
Thumbnail of
In 1811, the famous twins Chang and Eng emigrated from their birth country to the U.S., where they adopted the surname Bunker.
From which country did they come?

Answers
When you have your answers ready to all the questions above, you'll find all the information to check them, and more, on the May 11 web page of Today in Science History. Or, try this link first for just the brief answers.

Fast answers for the previous newsletter for May 10: molecular weight • Augustin Jean Fresnel • Thomas Young • fuchsia • the decade including the year 1949 • blue • Sir Edward Frankland • 321.5 million volts, or 3.215 x 108 volts.
Feedback
write icon If you enjoy this newsletter, the website, or wish to offer encouragement or ideas, please send feedback by using your mail reader Reply button.

Your click on a Facebook, StumbleUpon, or other social button on the site webpages is also a welcome sign of appreciation. Thank you for using them.
Copyright
To find citations for quotations go to the corresponding webpage by clicking on the “quotes” balloon icon. Sources for the thumbnails appear on today’s webpage with the corresponding item.

© This newsletter is copyright 2020 by todayinsci.com. Please respect the Webmaster's wishes and do not put copies online of the Newsletter — or any Today in Science History webpage. (If you already have done so, please remove them. Thank you.) Offline use in education is encouraged such as a printout on a bulletin board, or projected for classroom viewing. Online, descriptive links to our pages are welcomed, as these will provide a reader with the most recent revisions, additions and/or corrections of a webpage. For any other copyright questions, please contact the Webmaster by using your mail reader Reply button.

--
If you do not want to receive any more newsletters, Unsubscribe

To update your preferences and to unsubscribe visit this link

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Executive Real Estate Business Class