Holmes suggests at the end of the book that his biographical approach to the great figures of science would make a good way to teach Science in schools and I'm inclined to agree. It would also be more than a little useful in Literature lessons. I felt my understanding of what was firing the English Romantic poets deepening with each chapter. And Davy was quite a talented poet in his own right, by the way.
Monday, March 21, 2011
More Than A Little Wonderful
Finished Richard Holmes's The Age of Wonder the other day. A bit sorry to get to the end, but very happy to have made the acquaintance of the likes of Joseph Banks, William Herschel and Humphry Davy at the hands of such a sympathetic and understanding guide. Davy particularly came across as a startlingly diverse, fascinating character. The risks he ran inhaling various noxious substances in a form of daring empiricism were extraordinary, and the segment on the development of his safety lamp for miners made me want to stand and cheer. The story would make a great film.
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Here I'd like to put up my usual advertisement for a certain Johannes Diderik van der Waals, the scientist who first asserted that there was no such thing as an ideal gas. Previous scientists had assumed their equipment was faulty but the gas being studied was perfect. Not so our intrepid van der Waals.
[Link here]
Just followed the link. Nice one. Thanks.
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