Humphry Davy: Science and PowerCambridge University Press, 1998 M02 5 - 236 pages In this illuminating and entertaining biography David Knight draws upon Humphry Davy's poetry, notebooks and informal writings to introduce us to one of the first professional scientists. Davy is best remembered for his work on laughing gas, for the arc lamp, for isolating sodium and potassium, for his theory that chemical affinity is electrical and, of course, for his safety lamp. His lectures on science made the fortunes of the Royal Institution in London, and he taught chemistry to the young Faraday. He is also recognized for his poetry and was the friend of Coleridge, Wordsworth and Byron. By investigating Davy's life Knight shows what it was like to be a creative scientist in Regency England, demonstrating the development of science and its institutions during this crucial period in history. |
Contents
Beginning the Meaning of Life | 1 |
Growing Up | 13 |
Clifton | 26 |
The Bright Day | 42 |
Electric Affinity | 57 |
Forces Powers and Chemistry | 73 |
A Chemical Honeymoon in France | 89 |
The Safety Lamp | 105 |
A Son in Science Davy and Faraday | 121 |
President | 139 |
Salmonia | 154 |
Consolations | 168 |
Notes | 185 |
207 | |
211 | |
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appeared atoms Bakerian Lecture Banks became Beddoes believed Berthollet Berzelius biography bodies Bristol Britain British Cambridge chemical chemist chemistry chlorine Coleridge compound Consolations contemporaries Cornwall Cottle Dalton Davy and Faraday Davy wrote Davy's death delighted dialogues discoveries École Polytechnique Edinburgh edition electricity electrochemistry elements eminent experiments explosive Faraday's feeling firedamp fishing flame Fragmentary Remains French friends Gay-Lussac Geological heat hope Humphry Davy hydrogen ibid ideas important intellectual interest J. J. Berzelius Jane John Dalton John Davy Journal laboratory lamp later Lavoisier Lavoisier's letter light living London matter Memoirs metals Michael Faraday mind muriatic acid natural history never Newton nitrogen trichloride nitrous oxide notebook oxygen oxymuriatic acid paper Paris Penzance perhaps Philosophical Transactions pleasure potash President Priestley published Royal Institution Royal Society Salmonia scientific seems Sir Humphry social substances theory things Tobin Wollaston writing young