Faraday as a Discoverer
by John Tyndall
- Pages
- about 142
- Category
- History
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 2.6 h at 250 wpm
From the opening
Chapter 8.
Researches on frictional electricity: induction: conduction:
specific inductive capacity: theory of contiguous particles.
Chapter 14.
Unity and convertibility of natural forces: theory of the
electric current.
Daily and weekly, from all parts of the world, I receive publications
bearing upon the practical applications of electricity. This great
movement, the ultimate outcome of which is not to be foreseen, had its
origin in the discoveries made by Michael Faraday, sixty-two years ago.
From these discoveries have sprung applications of the telephone order,
together with various forms of the electric telegraph. From them have
sprung the extraordinary advances made in electrical illumination.
Faraday could have had but an imperfect notion of the expansions of
which his discoveries were capable. Still he had a vivid and strong
imagination, and I do not doubt that he saw possibilities which did not
disclose themselves to the general scientific mind. He knew that his
discoveries had their practical side, but he steadfastly resisted
the seductions of this side, applying himself to the development of
principles; being well aware that the practical question would receive
due development hereafter.
During my sojourn in Switzerland this year, I read through the proofs of
this new edition, and by my reading was confirmed in the conviction that
the book ought not to be suffered to go out of print. The memoir was
written under great pressure, but I am not ashamed of it as it stands.
Glimpses of Faraday's character and gleams of his discoveries are there
to be found which will be of interest to humanity to the end of time.
[Note.--It was, I believe, my husband's intention to substitute
this Preface, written a few days before his death, for all former
Prefaces. As, however, he had not the opportunity of revising the old
prefatory pages himself, they have been allowed to remain just as they
stood in the last edition.
A short sample. Read the whole book
More to read
- A Belated Guest (from Literary Friends and Acquaintance)William Dean HowellsHistory19 pages
- A Bit of Old ChinaCharles Warren StoddardHistory17 pages
- A Book of Remarkable CriminalsH. B. IrvingHistory341 pages
- A Book of ScoundrelsCharles WhibleyHistory202 pages
- A Brief History of the Internet The Bright Side: The Dark SideMichael HartHistory59 pages
Public-domain text from Project Gutenberg, Standard Ebooks or a similar open source. Copyright differs between countries. Rights holder? See our takedown process.