Τετάρτη 31 Οκτωβρίου 2012

Newsletter for Wednesday 31 October

 

Newsletter - October 31 - Today in Science History  

TODAY IN SCIENCE HISTORY
 NEWSLETTER - OCTOBER 31
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.
The Carving Of Mount RushmoreOn 31 Oct 1941, work at Mount Rushmore finally ended on the four monumental heads of U.S. presidents. Today's Science Store pick is The Carving of Mount Rushmore, by Rex Alan Smith, who draws the total picture of the dynamics that went into the creating of Mount Rushmore, beyond just the unbelievable effort of the eccentric sculptor, Gutzon Borglum. The author's inclusion of personal interviews with some of the people associated with the project provides glimpses of their experiences now rapidly fading into history. It is amazing that Mount Rushmore ever was carved. The narrative is compelling, and you will want to visit the monument, or go back to view it again to see what you missed before from lack of knowledge! New $22.50, Price $16.88. or Used from $3.90 (as of time of writing).
Yesterday's pick: Thomas Bouch: The Builder of the Tay Bridge. For picks from earlier newsletters, see the Today in Science Science Store home page.
Browse the new Science Store pages of Science Titles in Bargain Books.
Quotations for Today
"I think a future flight should include a poet, a priest and a philosopher we might get a much better idea of what we saw." - Michael Collins, American astronaut, Apollo 11 Command Module Pilot (born 31 Oct 1930)

"Our assigned mission as psychologists is to analyze all facets of human and animal behavior into their component variables. So far as love or affection is concerned, psychologists have failed in their mission. The little we know about love does not transcend simple observation and the little we write about it has been written better by poets and novelists." (1958) - Harry Harlow, American psychologist who studied the social behaviour of monkeys (born 31 Oct 1910)

"It is true that a mathematician who is not also something of a poet will never be a perfect mathematician." - Karl Weierstrass, German mathematician (born 31 Oct 1815)

QUIZ
Births
Sir Joseph Wilson Swan was an English scientist, chemist, physicist and inventor, born 31 Oct 1828. He began experiments in the 1840's and obtained a UK patent in 1860 for his invention before Thomas Edison. 
What was this invention?
Deaths
Lord Rosse (1800-1867) William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse was an Irish astronomer who built the largest reflecting telescope of the 19th century. He learned to polish metal mirrors (1827) and spent the next few years building a 36-inch telescope. He later completed a giant 72-inch telescope (1845) which he named "Leviathan," 
What stellar objects was he then the first to be able to resolve?
Events
On 31 Oct of a certain year, the Vatican admitted erring in formally condemning Galileo Galilei for entertaining scientific truths such as the Earth revolves around the sun it, which the  Roman Catholic Church long denounced as anti-scriptural heresy. After 13 years of inquiry, the Pope's commission of historic, scientific and theological scholars brought the pope a "not guilty" finding for Galileo. 
In what decade was the record set straight on Galileo?
On 31 Oct 1815, English chemist, Sir Humphrey Davy of London patented the miner's safety lamp. Miners at work constantly met firedamp, an explosive mix of methane gas and air, during the working of coal. This was an almost insurmountable obstacle to the working of many of the collieries until the discovery of the safety lamp 
How did this invention work to prevent its flame from causing an explosion?
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 October 31 web page of Today in Science History.

Or, try this link first for just the brief answers.
 


Fast answers for the previous newsletter for October 30:  Domagk was intimidated from accepting the 1939 prize by Hitler, who had been enraged with the committee's award of the Peace Prize to a German in a concentration camp; power weaving loom; decade containing the year 1925; time clock.
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