Papers of Britain's renaissance man saved for nation
There is a good article in the Guardian today, about Robert Hooke , who some would claim was the 'British Leonardo'. It seems that some of his papers have been bought and will stay in Britain. from the article: -
"Even a non-scientist must be moved to read in Hooke's own handwriting of how he peered at bacteria through a microscope for practically the first time in history, or how he debated with Isaac Newton about the nature of gravity and the movement of the planets."
his achievements include (from Wiki): -
First to refer to cells in living matter.
First to study fossils and hypothesise that they were extinct species.
Fist to report Jupiter's Red Spot and by observing it deduce that the planet rotated.
First to report the rotation of Mars.
Worked out the number of vibrations of each musical note.
Observed Lunar craters.
Published the first book on microscopy, Micrographia.
First to explain the shape of crystal in terms of the packing of their component parts.
One of the first to observe a binary star.
Postulated a wave theory of light, rejected by Newton and not re-established until by Fresnel in about 1820.
Advocated the medicinal use of Indian Hemp.
Proposed the inverse square relationship for gravity.
Proposed to Newton the idea that planetary motion was a combination of linear and circular motion. It is this that is far more important for Newton's work than the inverse square law.
Devised Hooke's law of springs.
His investigations into combustion that came close to discovering oxygen 100 years before Lavoisier.
his Inventions include: -
The first anemometer.
The first recording weather station.
A thermometer.
The universal joint.
The spirit level.
The use of rhumb lines to navigate a great circle route.
The compound microscope.
The first Gregorian telescope.
Developed the air pump for Boyle.
The spring driven clock and spring balance wheel.
The anchor escapement for clocks.
The iris diaphragm used in cameras.
Telescope cross hair sight.
The sash window.
"Even a non-scientist must be moved to read in Hooke's own handwriting of how he peered at bacteria through a microscope for practically the first time in history, or how he debated with Isaac Newton about the nature of gravity and the movement of the planets."
his achievements include (from Wiki): -
First to refer to cells in living matter.
First to study fossils and hypothesise that they were extinct species.
Fist to report Jupiter's Red Spot and by observing it deduce that the planet rotated.
First to report the rotation of Mars.
Worked out the number of vibrations of each musical note.
Observed Lunar craters.
Published the first book on microscopy, Micrographia.
First to explain the shape of crystal in terms of the packing of their component parts.
One of the first to observe a binary star.
Postulated a wave theory of light, rejected by Newton and not re-established until by Fresnel in about 1820.
Advocated the medicinal use of Indian Hemp.
Proposed the inverse square relationship for gravity.
Proposed to Newton the idea that planetary motion was a combination of linear and circular motion. It is this that is far more important for Newton's work than the inverse square law.
Devised Hooke's law of springs.
His investigations into combustion that came close to discovering oxygen 100 years before Lavoisier.
his Inventions include: -
The first anemometer.
The first recording weather station.
A thermometer.
The universal joint.
The spirit level.
The use of rhumb lines to navigate a great circle route.
The compound microscope.
The first Gregorian telescope.
Developed the air pump for Boyle.
The spring driven clock and spring balance wheel.
The anchor escapement for clocks.
The iris diaphragm used in cameras.
Telescope cross hair sight.
The sash window.
Cool website? try http://www.roberthooke.org.uk/
posted by chris at 7:17 pm
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