Katherine Ford, in the History of Science Centre’s blog, writes about the history and advantages of science laboratories: I came across an unnamed manuscript dated c.1859, discussing the various effects of certain solutions on worms and other small things. What caught my eye, though, was the reference to a worm, post-dunking in a chemical solution, […]
Tag: history
Gutenberg’s desired output (toilet paper, of a sort)
The man who invented the printing press planned to make good, practical use of it, according to Michael Lewis (writing in Vanity Fair): The first thing Gutenberg [pictured here] sought to publish, after the Bible, was a laxative timetable he called a “Purgation-Calendar.” Here is a fragment of that Purgation-Calendar (reprinted in An introduction to […]
History of the universe, in brief: Twice
A group of engineering students at Purdue University built a Rube Goldberg machine that depicts a history of the universe, in about a minute. (Thanks to Scott Langill for bringing it to our attention.) See it in the videos below. It’s an alternative universe history to Eric Schulman’s classic “A History of the Universe in […]
Mutiny, research about
A University of Washington press release heralds Steve Pfaff‘s research on mutinies: Risking one’s neck for better grog: Mutinies reveal tipping points for collective unrest …Another seemingly odd reason for rebellion occurred in 1793 aboard the Minerva as it returned from the East Indies. Captain Whitby insisted the men exercise by fiddle-dancing, be quiet when […]