The life and science of Léon Foucault

The man who proved the earth rotates

William Tobin

352 pages, parution le 21/10/2003

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Résumé

Léon Foucault's name is synonymous with his famous pendulum experiment, which proved for the first time that the Earth rotated. However, his contributions to science went well beyond his pendulum - the gyroscope; laboratory measurements of the speed of light; the invention of methods to make perfect optical surfaces which have led to today's enormous reflecting telescopes.

He also worked as an early photographer and a newspaper journalist; with electricity; and attempted to devise (unsuccessfully) a universal mechanical governor. This blend of the pure and the applied in Foucault's work makes him a fascinating case study of one of the last amateur scientists.

This abundantly-illustrated biography will prove to be a fascinating read for anyone interested in Foucault as a pioneer of science. Some knowledge of elementary scientific terms is required, but no detailed knowledge of physics is assumed.

Introduction
Early years
The metallic eye: photography
The 'delicious pastime' applied to science
The beautiful science of optics
Order, precision and clarity: reporter for the Journal des Débats
Mixed luck
The speed of light I: disproof of the corpuscular theory
The rotation of the earth: pendulum and gyroscope
Biding time
The observatory physicist
Perfecting the telescope
The speed of light II: the size of the solar system
Recognition
Control: the quest for fortune
Unfinished projects
Commentary
Colour plates
Appendices
Notes
References
Index

Caractéristiques techniques

	PAPIER
Éditeur(s)	Cambridge University Press
Auteur(s)	William Tobin
Parution	21/10/2003
Nb. de pages	352
Format	19,5 x 25,3
Couverture	Relié
Poids	935g
Intérieur	Noir et Blanc
EAN13	9780521808552
ISBN13	978-0-521-80855-2