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Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and futurist best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system.
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Cabinets of curiosities were collections of notable objects. The term cabinet originally described a room rather than a piece of furniture. Modern terminology would categorize the objects included as belonging to natural history, geology, ethnography, archaeology, religious or historical relics, works of art, and antiquities. The classic cabinet of curiosities emerged in the sixteenth century, although more rudimentary collections had existed earlier. In addition to the most famous and best documented cabinets of rulers and aristocrats, members of the merchant class and early practitioners of science in Europe formed collections that were precursors to museums.
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Animal magnetism, also known as mesmerism, was the name given by German doctor Franz Mesmer in the 18th century to what he believed to be an invisible natural force (Lebensmagnetismus) possessed by all living things, including humans, animals, and vegetables. He believed that the force could have physical effects, including healing, and he tried persistently but without success to achieve scientific recognition of his ideas.
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Experiments and Observations on Electricity is a mid-eighteenth century book consisting of letters from Benjamin Franklin. These letters concerned Franklin's discoveries about the behavior of electricity based on experimentation and scientific studies. The book came in pamphlet form for the first three English editions. The last two editions were in a book volume with hard covers and a book spine. There were eleven European editions of the book: five English editions, three French editions, and a German, Italian and Latin edition. The publication was well received worldwide. It was considered America's most important scientific book of the eighteenth century.
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Archibald Spencer was a businessman, scientist, doctor, clergyman, and lecturer. He did seminars on science and for a while made a living at this. His lecture demonstrations were on medicine, light, and electricity. He is noted for introducing the phenomenon of electricity to Benjamin Franklin. As a businessman, he made investments in and helped form Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
The electric fire engine is a fire engine with a water pump, used to distribute water to put out a fire, operated by an electric motor. Electric fire engines were first proposed in the 19th century to replace the steam pumpers used for firefighting. The electric motor was claimed to be simpler, cleaner, and faster in operation, would save money, and require less maintenance than the steam fire engine. Contemporary battery-operated models also exist.
Thomas Hall was an American mechanic, physicist, inventor and manufacturer. He worked with the inventor Daniel Davis for many years co-inventing electric and telegraph equipment. He later ran his own business, manufacturing and selling electric components, electromagnetic devices and telegraph apparatus. He received many gold and silver awards for his innovations. One of his electricity experiments was a toy model-size electric locomotive that got its power directly off the tracks it was running on, which was a new concept and technology at the time. He was mostly associated with Boston and the area.
References
- 1 2 Delbourgo, James, 1972- (2006). A most amazing scene of wonders : electricity and enlightenment in early America. Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-02299-8. OCLC 64208386.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Kinnersley, Ebenezer (1752). Notice is hereby given to the curious : that at the Court-House, in the Council-Chamber, is now to be exhibited, and continued from day to day, for a week or two ; a course of experiments, on the newly discovered electrical fire ... James Franklin. OCLC 25461550.
- ↑ Schaffer, Simon (March 1983). "Natural Philosophy and Public Spectacle in the Eighteenth Century". History of Science. 21 (1): 1–43. doi:10.1177/007327538302100101. ISSN 0073-2753. PMID 11611179. S2CID 38140290.
- ↑ Lemay, J. A. Leo (Joseph A. Leo), 1935-2008. (1964). Ebenezer Kinnersley, Franklin's friend. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-1-5128-1757-7. OCLC 600290864.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Daston, Lorraine (2001). Wonders and the order of nature 1150-1750. Zone Books. ISBN 0-942299-91-4. OCLC 248541422.
- 1 2 3 4 Gooday, Graeme (2011), "Electricity and the Sociable Circulation of Fear and Fearlessness", Geographies of Nineteenth-Century Science, University of Chicago Press, pp. 203–228, doi:10.7208/chicago/9780226487298.003.0009, ISBN 978-0-226-48726-7
- ↑ "The international exhibition–view of the sout-eastern transept". doi:10.17658/issn.2058-5462/issue-05/arobinson/figure6.
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