Degrees Kelvin: a Tale of Genius, Invention, and Tragedy.DEGREES KELVIN: A Tale of Genius, Invention, and Tragedy DAVID LINDLEY Young William Thomson was a prodigy. At the age of 16, he published his first technical paper on heat flow--a subject that he would revolutionize. This young man would become best known as Lord Kelvin; today the name Kelvin describes a temperature scale. In fact, Kelvin's fame came quickly during his early years, as he made major findings in thermodynamics thermodynamics, branch of science concerned with the nature of heat and its conversion to mechanical, electric, and chemical energy. Historically, it grew out of efforts to construct more efficient heat engines—devices for extracting useful work from expanding and electromagnetism electromagnetism Branch of physics that deals with the relationship between electricity and magnetism. Their merger into one concept is tied to three historical events. Hans C. . In this biography, Lindley explains how Kelvin turned his scientific aptitude into a lucrative career Among his accomplishments are the perfecting of transatlantic telegraphy and the invention of a compass that operated even on the new steel-sided ships of the Royal Haw haw, common name for several plants, e.g., the hawthorn and the black haw (see honeysuckle). . By the time Kelvin was elevated to the British peerage peerage Body of peers or titled nobility in Britain. The five ranks, in descending order, are duke, marquess, earl (see count), viscount, and baron. Until 1999, peers were entitled to sit in the House of Lords and exempted from jury duty. in 1892--the first scientist so honored--he was known throughout the world. Yet readers today are likely to know little or nothing about this man. Lindley attributes this to Kelvin's actions in his later years, when his demeanor became cantankerous can·tan·ker·ous adj. 1. Ill-tempered and quarrelsome; disagreeable: disliked her cantankerous landlord. 2. and he began to espouse some unpopular and embarrassing views. For instance, he expressed reservations about the existence of atoms and opposed the doctrines of evolution. Lindley, a former associate editor at Science News, looks to revive some of Kelvin's legacy and eloquently does so while explaining the scientific principles that Kelvin discovered. Joseph Henry, 2004, 366 p., b&w photos/illus., hardcover, $27.95. |
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