TODAY IN SCIENCE HISTORY
NEWSLETTER • 4 NOVEMBER
On 4 Nov 1917, William Du Bois Duddell died, an English electrical engineer who devised what may be regarded as the first electric musical instrument, the Singing Arc (1899). Yes, it actually made musical sounds from the electric carbon arc lamps of the time. How he accomplished this is explained in the Obituary of William Du Bois Duddell published by the Royal Society (1918)
On 4 Nov 2007, Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. ended at 2 am, the duration of DST during the year having been extended by Congress under The Energy Policy Act of 2005. Today's book pick is: Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time, by David Prerau. The history of DST is an intriguing and sometimes bizarre amalgam of colorful personalities and serious technical issues, purported costs and perceived benefits, conflicts between interest groups and government policy makers. DST impacts diverse and unexpected areas, including agricultural practices, street crime, the reporting of sports scores, traffic accidents, the inheritance rights of twins, and voter turnout.
It is available from Amazon, typically about New from $36.17. Used from $6.08. (As of earlier time of writing - subject to change.)
 | If the militarily most powerful—and least threatened—states need nuclear weapons for their security, how can one deny such security to countries that are truly insecure? The present nuclear policy is a recipe for proliferation. It is a policy for disaster. — Sir Joseph Rotblat, Polish-British physicist (born 4 Nov 1908).  |
 | To excavate is to open a book written in the language that the centuries have spoken into the earth. — Spyridon Marinatos, Greek archaeologist (born 4 Nov 1901). |
 | Every little girl needed a doll through which to project herself into her dream of her future. If she was going to do role playing of what she would be like when she was 16 or 17, it was a little stupid to play with a doll that had a flat chest. So I gave it beautiful breasts. — Ruth Handler, American inventor (born 4 Nov 1916). |
| 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 | |
 | James Douglas, born 4 Nov 1837, was U.S. metallurgist and mining engineer, industrialist, and philanthropist who contributed to the industrial growth of the U.S. Southwest. He co-invented the Hunt-Douglas process for extraction of a certain metal from its ore. He examined such ore deposits in Arizona during 1881, and established mines at Bisbee, Ariz. The town of Douglas, Ariz., where he founded a huge smelting centre, is named for him. For extracting which metal is he known? |
| | On 4 Nov 1916, Ruth Handler was born, who created a popular children's toy teenage girl fashion doll (1959), and two years afterwards introduced a male doll counterpart. Under what names were these two dolls marketed? |
| Deaths | |
 | Erasmus Bartholin (1625-1698) was a Danish physician, mathematician, and physicist. He discovered an unusual optical phenomenon when he observed images seen through Icelandic feldspar (calcite). What is this optical phenomenon? |
 | Norman Ramsey (1915-2011) ahared the 1989 Nobel Prize in Physics for his invention of the separated oscillatory fields method and its use to make a certain device that was applied to making atomic clocks. What was the basic device for which Ramsey received his award? |
| Events | |
 | On 4 Nov of a certain year, the entrance to King Tutankhamen's tomb was discovered in Egypt in the Valley of the Kings where the English archaeologist Howard Carter had been making extended excavations. One of Carter's labourers stumbled upon a stone step, the first step in a sunken stairway that ran down into the rock. In what decade was King Tut's tomb discovered? |
 | On 4 Nov 1939, the first automobile with a certain feature was exhibited by its manufacturer, Packard Motor Co. of Detroit Michigan at the 40th Automobile Show in Chicago. At the time, it reduced the space for luggage in the trunk, but since this feature has been improved, it is now a very popular option in modern cars. What is this optional equipment? |
Fast answers for the previous newsletter for November 3: nitrogen (mostly) • decade containing the year 1975 • peas.
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