TODAY IN SCIENCE HISTORY
NEWSLETTER • 16 DECEMBER
On 16 Dec 1857, Edward Emerson Barnard was born. His name is well-known from Barnard’s star that was named after him. Although not the first to observe it, his measurements of its proper motion showed in 1916 that at 10.3 arcseconds per year relative to the Sun, Barnard’s star had the highest known proper motion for any star.
Despite growing up in an impoverished family, and had little formal education, by becoming a photographer’s assistant at age 9, he developed his interest in celestial photography early in life. This is one of the sidelights included in a memoir on the work of Edward Emerson Barnard published shortly after his death in the Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. You can also read about his discovery of a notable number of comets.
His prowess led to an offer to take charge of the Vanderbilt University observatory, while he trained there in mathematics and science. After graduation he began a professional career with several years at to the newly organized Lick Observatory. From there, he advanced to Yerkes Observatory. The productivity of his career is given in the aforenamed article, together with a few personal anecdotes. An interesting read about an astronomer likely unknown to many, but who made lasting contributions in his field.
On 16 Dec 1901, Margaret Mead was born, an American anthropologist famous for her studies of primitive societies. Today's book pick is: Margaret Mead: A Life, by Jane Howard who provides a definitive biography of the woman who was one of the giants of the 20th century in her field, and covers Mead's groundbreaking professional accomplishments.
It is available from Amazon, typically about New from $19.48. Used from $2.19. (As of earlier time of writing - subject to change.)
 | Compounds formed by chemical attraction, possess new properties different from those of their component parts... chemists have long believed that the contrary took place in their combination. They thought, in fact, that the compounds possessed properties intermediate between those of their component parts; so that two bodies, very coloured, very sapid, or insapid, soluble or insoluble, fusible or infusible, fixed or volatile, assumed in chemical combination, a shade or colour, or taste, solubility or volatility, intermediate between, and in some sort composed of, the same properties which were considered in their principles. This is an illusion or error which modern chemistry is highly interested to overthrow. — Comte de Antoine Francois Fourcroy, French chemist (died 16 Dec 1809).  |
 | Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. — Margaret Mead, American anthropologist (born 16 Dec 1901). |
 | Almost all the world is natural chemicals, so it really makes you re-think everything. A cup of coffee is filled with chemicals. They've identified a thousand chemicals in a cup of coffee. But we only found 22 that have been tested in animal cancer tests out of this thousand. And of those, 17 are carcinogens. There are ten milligrams of known carcinogens in a cup of coffee and thats more carcinogens than youre likely to get from pesticide residues for a year! — Bruce Nathan Ames, American biochemist and molecular biologist (born 16 Dec 1929). |
| 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 | |
| | Margaret Mead, an American anthropologist, born 16 Dec 1901, was best-known for her studies of primitive societies, especially with regard to various aspects of comparative child psychology, oceanic ethnology, cooperation and competition among primitive peoples, and cross-cultural communications. Where did she study the culture that she profiled in her first book (for which she remains famous)? |
 | Johann Wilhelm Ritter, born 16 Dec 1776, was a German physicist who discovered a new region of the electromagnetic spectrum (1801) and thus helped broaden man's view beyond the narrow region of visible light. Which region of the spectrum did he discover? |
| Deaths | |
 | Eugène Dubois (1858-1940) was a Dutch anatomist and geologist who discovered the remains of the first known fossil of Homo erectus. Dubois was the first person to ever deliberately search for fossils of human ancestors. Can you name this fossil man? |
 | Percy Carlyle Gilchrist was an English metallurgist who is known for co-developing the Thomas-Gilchrist process. Calcined dolomite is used as a lining to a Bessemer converter, to reduce a certain impurity during the manufacture of steel. The impurity makes steel brittle. Which impurity did Gilchrist work upon removing? |
| Events | |
 | On 16 Dec of a certain year, the first synthetic diamond was produced at General Electric Research Laboratories by Prof. H. T. Hall. In which decade was this synthetic diamond produced? |
| | On 16 Dec 1811, an earthquake struck in America that was the first of a major series. Further earthquakes occurred until 7 Feb 1812 The first two had an epicenter in Arkansas, were felt for hundreds of miles around, and were among the most powerful recorded in the U.S. Earthquakes in the fault area remain a concern By what name (after a Missouri community struck last) is this series of earthquakes known? |
Fast answers for the previous newsletter for December 15: Esperanto • Pierre and Marie Curie • he designed the framework for the Statue of Liberty • Wolfgang Pauli • decade containing the year 1939 • Andromeda.
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