Newsletter for Friday 9 May

TODAY IN SCIENCE HISTORY NEWSLETTER - 9 MAY

Feature for Today

On 9 May 1914, Paul-Louis-Toussaint H�roult 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.

Book of the Day

On 9 May 1873, the British archaeologist (in the quiz below) whose work, funded by the Earl of Carnarvon, led to making one of the richest and most celebrated contributions to Egyptology: the discovery of the the tomb of King Tutankhamen.To day's Science Store pick is The Discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamen, by this archaeologist. 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. New $12.95, Save 15% Price $11.01. Also available Used from $0.01 (as of time of writing). You can choose from other books on the topic from this  Booklist for the Tomb of Tutankhamen. Yesterday's pick: Animals in Motion, by Eadweard Muybridge. For picks from earlier newsletters, see the Today in Science Science Store home page.

Quotations for Today
	"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, (born 9 May 1785)
	"It occurred to me that if I could invent a machine - a gun - which could by its rapidity of fire, enable one man to do as much battle duty as a hundred, that it would, to a large extent supersede the necessity of large armies, and consequently, exposure to battle and disease [would] be greatly diminished." - Richard Jordan Gatling, (born 12 Sep 1818). A patent for his Gatling gun was issued 9 May 1865.
	"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 (born 9 May 1927)

QUIZ
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. The Earl of Carnarvon funded the excavation work. Can you name the archaeologist?
	A second question about the same archaeologist. He first worked in Egypt in 1891, at age 17, when he was hired by the Egypt Exploration Fund in London. He was not yet an archaeologist, but had some useful talent for which he was hired. What was his talent which first took him to Egypt?
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 did he measure?
	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. Can you state his Law?
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 medical instrument, used extensively by doctors ever since, especially for check-ups involving the heart and lungs. What was this instrument?

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 May 9 web page of Today in Science History. Or, try this link first for just the brief answers. Fast answers for the previous newsletter for May 8: barbed wire fencing on the U.S. western plains; new ways to culture yeast; Eadweard Muybridge; Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier; blooms of reddish algae; Coca-Cola; metre.

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