Science from Pages For Sages

The World is currently recovering from an active pandemic that had the world's political and medical leaders searching for solutions. The concerns of detecting, treating and curing the victims of this pandemic bring to mind the similar concerns that faced populations in earlier times when unexpected plagues, or pestilences, that decimated the population fell upon them. In 1665-1666, for example,… Read more about this item

Benjamin Franklin, who was a Fellow of the Royal Society, apparently sent the paper, Cogitata de Cometis. Communicated by Benjamin Franklin, LL. D. F. R. S. , to the Royal Society for their consideration. The paper, which was read before the Society on March 19, 1767, was written in Latin by Johannes (John) Winthrop. The paper's title, translated to English,… Read more about this item

The treatise by Abbe Nollet, Lettres sur Electricite, contained 284 pages, exclusive of the preface and four tables, and exhibiting fourteen figures, and dealt with the hypothesis that the effects of electricity depend upon the simultaneous affluence and effluence of the electric matter. This paper is intended to summarize the work described in the treatise in order to support and… Read more about this item

This item consists of two related papers. The first was written by Benjamin Wilson and transmits the second letter to the Secretary of the Royal Society. The second letter was written by Edward Delaval to describe his experiments, and their results, to investigate the electrical resistance of certain materials. The full title of this two-letter item is A Letter… Read more about this item

This paper, A Letter to Mr. Benjamin Wilson, F.R.S. concerning Electricity; from Mr. Thorbern Bergman is written in Latin and was first read before the Royal Society on November 20, 1760. The paper seems to discuss a correlation between electricity and the aurora borealis, although someone competent in Latin may find other meanings in the text. As an example, the… Read more about this item

Several studies of the effect of temperature on the electrical properties of materials were performed by Edward Delaval and are described in this paper. The item, first read before the Royal Society on December 17, 1761, is a First Edition, extracted and disbound from The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Vol. 52, For the Years 1761 & 1762, pages 353-356.… Read more about this item

This letter discusses experiments that studied the positively and negatively charged aspects of electricity. The item, first read before the Royal Society on November 14, 1754, is a First Edition, extracted and disbound from The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Vol. 48, For the Year 1753, pages 780-785, plus two extended plates showing figures supporting the text. This volume… Read more about this item

This paper describes the observations made using a large outdoor apparatus, in varying weather conditions, to determine the properties of electricity. The apparatus "which consisted of an iron wire 370 feet long, raised to 90 feet above the horizon. It came down from a very high room in the castle, where it was fastened to a silken cord six feet… Read more about this item

The paper describes further experiments that the author has performed to obtain more characteristics of electricity, including resistance of materials, positive and negative charge, and the like. The item, first read before the Royal Society on November 13, 1760, is a First Edition, extracted and disbound from The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Vol. 51, For the Years 1759 &… Read more about this item

Mr. Eeles volunteers, in this letter, his theory of what causes thunder and what effect the thunder has on the clouds and atmosphere. During his era the nature of lightning and thunder were not understood. However, Eeles was confident that electricity was the cause of thunder and lightning. In order to prove this Eeles undertook a number of experiments in… Read more about this item

The letter basically suggests that the use of wire "lightning rods", affixed to the masts, would collect the energy of the lightning strike and carry it away without causing damage to the masts. The item is a First Edition, extracted and disbound from The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Vol. 52, For the Years 1761 & 1762, pages 629-635. This… Read more about this item

One area of difference in those studying lightning rods was whether they should terminate in a sharp point or be blunt. The Royal Society's special committee, consisting of H. Cavendish, William Watson, Benjamin Franklin and J. Robertson was appointed to study this issue and report back to the Royal Society. They recommended pointed rods. An attachment to that report, by… Read more about this item

As in most engineering programs, improvements in the design occur on an almost regular basis. This paper, read before the Royal Society on April 16, 1752, describes the improvements that Mr. Smeaton has made to his design of an Air-Pump. The item is a First Edition, extracted and disbound from The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Vol. 47, For the… Read more about this item

Read before the Royal Society on May 22, 1760, A Description of a metalline Thermometer; by Keane Fitzgerald, Esq; F.R.S. Communicated by the Right Hon. George Earl of Macclesfield, President of the Royal Society describes the analysis, experiments and design of a thermometer that is based on the thermal expansion of a metal, rather than water, alcohol or mercury, to… Read more about this item

Read before the Royal Society on May 7, 1761, A Description of a new Thermometer and Barometer: In a Letter to the Right Honourable George Earl of Macclesfield, President of the Royal Society, from Keane Fitzgerald, Esq; F.R.S. describes the improvements in the thermometer and barometer design, presented to the Royal Society a year earlier, that will increase the accuracy… Read more about this item

Read before the Royal Society on February 18 & 25, 1773, A Letter to the Rev. Nevil Maskelyne, F. R. S. Astronomer Royal, from Mr. Bailly, of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris: Containing a Proposal of some new Methods of improving the Theory of Jupiter's Satellites. Translated from the French, with the Original underneath presents some new approaches… Read more about this item

Safety is a common denominator in all laboratory work, and this scientific paper clearly states the problem to be solved in the first paragraph. The author states "In the common matter of distillation there escapes a great quantity of fumes, which cannot be condensed; and in several operations these fumes are very hurtful to the lungs. By the following method… Read more about this item

This paper, An Attempt to point out, in a concise manner, the Advantages which will accrue from a periodic Review of the Variation of the magnetic Needle, throughout the known World; addressed to this Royal Society by William Mountaine and James Dodson, Fellows of said Society, and requesting their Contribution thereto, by communicating such Observations concerning it, as they have… Read more about this item

This paper, The Supposed Effect of boiling upon Water, in disposing it to freeze more rapidly, ascertained by Experiments, By Joseph Black, M. D. Professor of Chemistry at Edinburgh, in a Letter to Sir John Pribgle, Bart. P. R. S. describes experiments and results of the time it took for water to freeze when it had been pre-boiled as… Read more about this item

This copy of Letters of Henry Eeles, Esq; concerning the Cause of the Ascent of Vapour and Exhalation, and those of Winds; and of the general Phenomena of the Weather and Barometer consists of three letters that Henry Eeles wrote to the Royal Society relating to the forces that cause the movement of air and vapors, their relationship to weather,… Read more about this item