TODAY IN SCIENCE HISTORY
NEWSLETTER • 9 MAY
On 9 May 1914, Paul-Louis-Toussaint Héroult died, the French chemist who invented the electric-arc furnace, widely used in making steel; and, independently of the simultaneous work of Charles M. Hall of the United States, devised the electrolytic process for separating aluminium from its ore. The electrolytic process made low-priced aluminium available for the first time.
Aluminium and its alloys are now so widely available, it is worth reflecting on how only relatively recently (in the history of man's use of metals) it was gained from its ore in a cost-efficient way.
In an 1891 article the Scientific American published the text of a Lecture on Aluminum delivered in January 1886. Because this lecture (by J.A. Price) came one month before Charles Hall produced his first beads of aluminium, it gives an interesting insight into the history of the metal, and how it was viewed before the electrolytic process so drastically dropped its cost of production.
On 9 May 1873, Howard Carter was born, the British archaeologist whose work led to making one of the richest and most celebrated contributions to Egyptology: the discovery of the the tomb of King Tutankhamen. Today's book pick is: The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen (Egypt), by Howard Carter, A. C. Mace. This book gives the only published account that he himself wrote of the finding of the tomb and clearing of the Antechamber. It recounts the painstaking, step-by-step process of excavation, and the wonders of the treasure-filled inner chamber.
With 106 on-the-spot photographs that depict the phases of the discovery and the scrupulous cataloging of the treasures, the book is written like a diary, keeping the reader wondering what's in store as the days pass - and all in the words of the archaeologist himself.
It is available from Amazon, typically about New from $1.99. Used from $1.50. (As of earlier time of writing - subject to change.)
| no image | The present knowledge of the biochemical constitution of the cell was achieved largely by the use of destructive methods. Trained in the tradition of the theory of solutions, many a biochemist tends, even today, to regard the cell as a “bag of enzymes”. However, everyone realizes now that the biochemical processes studied in vitro may have only a remote resemblance to the events actually occurring in the living cell. — Boris Ephrussi, Russian-French biochemist and geneticist (born 9 May 1901).  |
 | The astronomer is, in some measure, independent of his fellow astronomer; he can wait in his observatory till the star he wishes to observe comes to his meridian; but the meteorologist has his observations bounded by a very limited horizon, and can do little without the aid of numerous observers furnishing him contemporaneous observations over a wide-extended area. — James Pollard Espy, American meteorologist (born 9 May 1785). |
 | A theory has only the alternative of being right or wrong. A model has a third possibility: it may be right, but irrelevant. — Manfred Eigen, German physicist and biochemist (born 9 May 1927). |
| 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 | |
 | On 9 May 1873, the British archaeologist was born who made one of the richest and most celebrated contributions to Egyptology: the discovery (1922) of the largely intact tomb of King Tutankhamen. Who was the person who provided the funding for the excavation work? |
| Deaths | |
 | A.A. Michelson (1852-1931), a distinguished American physicist won a Nobel Prize “for his optical precision instruments and the spectroscopic and metrological investigations carried out with their aid.” With a highly accurate interferometer he made a notable precise measurement. What notable measurement did Michelson make with new precision? |
 | Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac, a French scientist (1778-1850) who developed techniques of quantitative chemical analysis, confirmed that iodine was an element, discovered cyanogen, improved the process for manufacturing sulphuric acid, prepared potassium and boron (1808). He made two balloon ascents to study the atmosphere. All of which are interesting, but not the reason for which he is most remembered - a significant law in chemistry. State the significant law known by his name. |
| Events | |
 | In 1944, the first U.S. “bank” for a certain part of the human body was established through the efforts of New York City doctors, who established the project at New York Hospital. What did the “bank” collect? |
| | In 1936, the maiden voyage of a new way to cross the Atlantic left Europe and arrived in New Jersey a little over 61 hours later. What form of transport made the voyage? |
| | In 1882, a U.S. patent was issued for what is now a classic design of the medical instrument, used extensively by doctors ever since, especially for check-ups involving the heart and lungs. What was this instrument? |
Fast answers for the previous newsletter for May 8: barbed wire • new ways to culture yeast • Zoo Quest • Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier • blooms of reddish algae • Coca-Cola • metre.
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