TODAY IN SCIENCE HISTORY
NEWSLETTER • 4 APRIL
On 4 April 1821, Linus Yale, Jr., was born. He became a pioneer in the modern design of locks. His father ressurected the ancient Egyptian design of pin tumblers, and Linus, Jr. improved it by combining it with a small revolving cylinder containing the tumblers. The design made possible the use of the short, flat, key—now so familiar on the doors of homes. His entry into invention in the design of locks began after his father’s death, when he produced very secure bank locks Linus Yale, late in life, formed a partnership with Henry Towne to form the The Yale & Towne Manufacturing Co. Towne developed the company into a major industry. From the five-acre, 35-employee factory when the business was formed in 1868, the plant had grown by 1920 to 25 acres with upwards of 5,000 workers. Both of these industrious people are described in a short biographical chapter in Famous Leaders of Industry (1920), which makes interesting reading.
On 4 April 1931, André Michelin died, a French industrialist who, with his younger brother Édouard, founded Michelin Tyre Co. in 1888, expanding the rubber company established (1832) by their grandfather. The Michelins made the first pneumatic tyres that could be easily removed for repair, and other innovations. The company also created a tourist guide organization which placed milestones on French roads and established a standard road map service for most of Europe. André created Michelin guides to promote tourism by car. The first Red Guide, with restaurant ratings, was published in 1900. So—yes, the Michelin star restaurants share the same origin as the Michelin tires. The remarkable story of how these two brothers—Edouard and Andre Michelin—turned the sleepy family rubber firm in the heart of rural France into one of the most innovative and successful tire makers in the world. Andre, trained as an engineer, displayed an artistic genius for advertising and marketing. You can learn more about these remarkably versatile men in Today's book pick is: The Michelin Men: Driving an Empire, by Herbert R. Lottman
It is available from Amazon, typically about New from $17.99. Used from $4.19. (As of earlier time of writing - subject to change.)
On 4 Apr 1938, Ananda M. Chakrabarty was born, an Indian-American biochemist who was the first to patent a genetically engineered life-form. After his application was initially turned down by the U.S. Patent Office, he appealed, and eventually won in the U.S. Supreme Court. It was ruled that a new form of life indeed could be patented when they are the outcome of human ingenuity. The new single cell life form had the potential to clean up toxic spills because of its ability to break down crude oil into simpler substances that could even become food for aquatic life. Today’s book selection is different because it is the scientistś work of fiction. Today's book pick is: Bugging Cancer: Daring to Dream, by Ananda M. Chakrabarty and his colleagues at the Chicago Oncogroup. They have written a compelling dramatic thriller - a fiction book - based on real-life scientific work. It incorporates into the plot, real scientific progress in using bacteria and bacterial proteins to attack malignant tumor cells. Scientific results are extended in a fictional way to describe the cancer-fighting power of an imaginary bacterial protein termed neelazin. The book also mirrors present-day issues, including international competition for scientific talent, issues in patent law, research ethics, and financing. Being written by a team of seasoned scientific and business professionals, this book will appeal to researchers, patent attorneys, physicians, and any anyone else interested in healthcare and scientific innovation.
It is available from Amazon, typically about New from $24.95. Used from $2.55. (As of earlier time of writing - subject to change.)
 | For in disease the most voluntary or most special movements, faculties, etc., suffer first and most, that is in an order the exact opposite of evolution. Therefore I call this the principle of Dissolution. — John Hughlings Jackson, English neurologist (born 4 Apr 1835).  |
 | When rich men are thus brought to regard themselves as trustees, and poor men learn to be industrious, economical, temperate, self-denying, and diligent in the acquisition of knowledge, then the deplorable strife between capital and labor, tending to destroy their fundamental, necessary, and irrefragable harmony will cease, and the world will no longer be afflicted with such unnatural industrial conflicts as we have seen during the past century... — Peter Cooper, American inventor, manufacturer and philanthropist (died 4 Apr 1883). |
 | Die Wissenschaft ist ein Land, welches die Eigenschaft hat, um so mehr Menschen beherbergen zu können, je mehr Bewohner sich darin sammeln; sie ist ein Schatz, der um so grösser wird, je mehr man ihn teilt. Darum kann jeder von uns in seiner Art seine Arbeit tun, und die Gemeinsamkeit bedeutet nicht Gleichförmigkeit. Science is one land, having the ability to accommodate even more people, as more residents gather in it; it is a treasure that is the greater the more it is shared. Because of that, each of us can do his work in his own way, and the common ground does not mean conformity. — Wilhelm Ostwald, Russian-German physical chemist (died 4 Apr 1932). |
| 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 | |
 | Zénobe-Théophile Gramme, born 4 Apr 1826, was a French engineer who invented (1870) the first device of a certain kind that was practical for mass production and distribution. When powered by a steam engine, it was immediately successful and began a new era. What was Gramme's invention? |
 | Sir William Siemens, born 4 Apr 1823, was a German-born English engineer, inventor, and pioneer in undersea cable and telegraph industries. In another industry, he developed the “regenerative system” which used waste gases to preheat fuel gases. In which industry was his regenerative system applied? |
| Deaths | |
 | A Scottish mathematician (1550-1617) originated the concept of logarithms as a mathematical device to aid in calculations. Can you name this mathematician? |
| Events | |
 | On 4 Apr 1983, the space shuttle Challenger roared into orbit on its maiden voyage. Challenger flew nine successful Space Shuttle missions, but was lost shortly after its tenth launch on 28 Jan 1986 when a booster failure resulted in the breakup of the vehicle. From what source was the Challenger's name taken? |
 | On 4 Apr 1932, Professor C. Glen King of the University of Pittsburgh isolated a certain compound, a medical and scientific breakthrough that took five years of effort. He isolated the crystalline substance from untold thousands of lemons. King and his colleagues identified, and later synthesized this compound. What compound did he isolate? |
Fast answers for the previous newsletter for April 3: chimpanzees • Antarctica • vibration of thin plates covered in sand • the decade including the year 1973 • the decade including the year 1934.
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