Pioneers of Science

The punctuation and spelling from the original text have been faithfully preserved. Only obvious typographical errors have been corrected.

There are several mathematical formulas within the text. They are represented as follows: Superscripts: x^3 Subscripts: x_3 Square Root: [square root] Greek Letters: [pi], [theta].

Greek star names are represented as [alpha], [gamma], for example.

PIONEERS OF SCIENCE

[Illustration]

[Illustration: NEWTON

From the picture by Kneller, 1689, now at Cambridge]

PIONEERS OF SCIENCE

BY OLIVER LODGE, F.R.S.

PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS IN VICTORIA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LIVERPOOL

WITH PORTRAITS AND OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS

London MACMILLAN AND CO. AND NEW YORK 1893

RICHARD CLAY AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BUNGAY.

PREFACE

This book takes its origin in a course of lectures on the history and progress of Astronomy arranged for me in the year 1887 by three of my colleagues (A.C.B., J.M., G.H.R.), one of whom gave the course its name.

The lectures having been found interesting, it was natural to write them out in full and publish.

If I may claim for them any merit, I should say it consists in their simple statement and explanation of scientific facts and laws. The biographical details are compiled from all readily available sources, there is no novelty or originality about them; though it is hoped that there may be some vividness. I have simply tried to present a living figure of each Pioneer in turn, and to trace his influence on the progress of thought.

I am indebted to many biographers and writers, among others to Mr. E.J.C. Morton, whose excellent set of lives published by the S.P.C.K. saved me much trouble in the early part of the course.

As we approach recent times the subject grows more complex, and the men more nearly contemporaries; hence the biographical aspect diminishes and the scientific treatment becomes fuller, but in no case has it been allowed to become technical and generally unreadable.

To the friends (C.C.C., F.W.H.M., E.F.R.) who with great kindness have revised the proofs, and have indicated places where the facts could be made more readily intelligible by a clearer statement, I express my genuine gratitude.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LIVERPOOL, November, 1892.

CONTENTS

PART I

LECTURE I

PAGE

COPERNICUS AND THE MOTION OF THE EARTH 2

LECTURE II

TYCHO BRAHÉ AND THE EARLIEST OBSERVATORY 32

LECTURE III

KEPLER AND THE LAWS OF PLANETARY MOTION 56

LECTURE IV

GALILEO AND THE INVENTION OF THE TELESCOPE 80

LECTURE V

GALILEO AND THE INQUISITION 108

LECTURE VI

DESCARTES AND HIS THEORY OF VORTICES 136

LECTURE VII

SIR ISAAC NEWTON 159

LECTURE VIII

NEWTON AND THE LAW OF GRAVITATION 180

LECTURE IX

NEWTON'S "PRINCIPIA" 203

PART II

LECTURE X

ROEMER AND BRADLEY AND THE VELOCITY OF LIGHT 232

LECTURE XI

LAGRANGE AND LAPLACE--THE STABILITY OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM, AND THE NEBULAR HYPOTHESIS 254

LECTURE XII

HERSCHEL AND THE MOTION OF THE FIXED STARS 273

LECTURE XIII

THE DISCOVERY OF THE ASTEROIDS 294

LECTURE XIV

BESSEL--THE DISTANCES OF THE STARS, AND THE DISCOVERY OF STELLAR PLANETS 304

LECTURE XV

THE DISCOVERY OF NEPTUNE 317

LECTURE XVI

COMETS AND METEORS 331

LECTURE XVII

THE TIDES 353

LECTURE XVIII

THE TIDES, AND PLANETARY EVOLUTION 379

ILLUSTRATIONS

FIG. PAGE

1. ARCHIMEDES 8

2. LEONARDO DA VINCI 10

3. COPERNICUS 12

4. HOMERIC COSMOGONY 15

5. EGYPTIAN SYMBOL OF THE UNIVERSE 16

6. HINDOO EARTH 17