Human Intelligence Revels In Well Deserved
Recognition Of Discovery

Part 16 - Part 15

Major Discovery

Human intelligence is reveling in the euphoria induced by discoveries in the new field of Electricity.

Danish Physicist and Chemist, Hans Christian Oersted (1777-1851) was a prolific contributor to Science. He possessed a keen interest in educating the lay person.

The Electrical Unit of Magnetic Reluctance, is named the Oersted in recognition of his many contributions to Humanities general comprehension of the fabric of the Universe.

A Danish Space Mission, studying Earth's Magnetic Field from outside our atmosphere, furthering Hans Oersted's work, also carries his name.

Science is beginning to comprehend the essential role Earth's Magnetic Field plays in the healthy functioning of our Planet. And the implications that role carries to Humanities well-being as travelers on this magnificent galactic ship that we call home.

At a bare minimum, this tireless invisible field is protecting us, and all living creatures on this ship, from harmful Cosmic Rays.

Were William Gilbert to pay us a visit, today, he would likely ask, with some justification, why have we been so tardy in our quest to better understand his favorite subject.

Fundamental Forces

When Oersted found a flowing Electric Current creates a Magnetic Field, this observation led him to the discovery of one the four Fundamental Forces of Nature.

That fundamental force being Electro-Magnetism.

The other three known Forces of Nature are referred to as:

Strong Nuclear Force
Weak Nuclear Force
Gravity

This major contribution to Humanities knowledge opened new avenues of Thought in other Intelligent Minds

That is an understatement!!

Truth Matters

Where-ever one's interests may lay, whether that interest is passive or active, nailing and comprehending Truth in the form of new knowledge is pivotal to Human Progress. Truth is all that matters.

Human Intelligence Honored

Hans Oersted's discovery furnished the sound foundation necessary to build on, in Great Minds like three guys whose names you may be familiar with. Names used every day by folk dealing with Electricity, in the course of their activities. From a physicist in a lab to your local auto electrician.

These three men, André Marie Ampère, (1775-1836) A French born Mathematician and Physicist.

German born Mathematician and Physicist Georg Simon Ohm (1789-1854) .

And the before noted Italian Physicist Alessandro Volta, will be remembered, while ever we use Electricity.

That, in all likelihood, will be as long as we survive as a Species.

Accompanied with many other not so well known Good Humans, these three men were honored, not just for a life time, but for perpetuity. With their names lucidly representing a Unit, Measurement, or Quantity in the burgeoning field of Electro-Magnetism.

Honors

André is remembered for the Ampere, the amount of Current being drawn within a given Circuit. Under certain conditions one Ampere is more than sufficient to kill an adult Human.

The Ampere one of the seven Base Units of the universally recognized International System of Units, commonly known as SI, from the French Système international d'unités. An honor indeed.

Alessandro Volta gave his name to the measurement of Potential Difference, in any Electrical Circuit. Indicated in volts.

Georg Simon Ohm lent his name to the measurement of Resistance in a given part, or all, of an Electrical Circuit.

Ohm applied Mathematics to these three Electrical values when he formulated Ohm's Law. By which, if you know two of these values you can accurately calculate the unknown third value under normal ambient conditions.

Less Well Known

A couple of the less well known but regularly used Electrical terms within Industry, are the Farad and the Henry. The Farad is a measure of Capacitance named after Michael Faraday. Capacitors are Electronic Components that hold an Electric Charge. The modern day version of a Leyden Jar. The Henry is the measure of Inductance, designated so in remembrance of Joseph Henry (1797-1878).

American born Physicist, Henry was a founding figure of the National Institute for the Promotion of Science in 1840. Akin to all truly Great Minds, he contributed much to our modern understanding of Electro-Magnetism.

The National Institute for the Promotion of Science is now part of the Smithsonian Institute. The Smithsonian was originally bequeathed to the Nation of America by British Scientist James Smithson.

Today, the Smithsonian Institution is possibly the largest Museum Complex on our Planet.

Joseph Henry was Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute from 1846 until 1878, the year of his death. It must have been a marvelous venue to meet his fellow practitioners of Human intelligence of his time.

Another Major Discovery

English born Michael Faraday (1791-1867), a truly outstanding figure in Science. During his time, and now, was, like Hans Christian Oersted, prolific in Chemistry. And he too, made great effort to popularize the Discipline, particularly amongst the General Public.

This industrious man was also prolific in his work with Magnetism and Electricity. It is his efforts in this field that Michael Faraday is most fondly remembered for.

Much Criticism is directed at Faraday's lack of formal education and mathematical prowess.

Yet, it should be remembered that most Fundamental Discoveries are made via one's Intuition. Genuine Knowledge is Truth, which in turn, is itself fundamental to understanding. Knowledge comes from a variety of sources, and Formal Education is merely one of those sources.

We should also be vitally aware that Discoveries come courtesy of applied Thought, in conjunction with state of the art Knowledge. In a virtuous cycle, Knowledge provides stepping stones to Truth. This fact is patently demonstrated by Michael Faraday.

Faraday, in common with many other Great Discoverers, was an Autodidact. As such, one's Education - read mind expansion - is not limited to, nor dependent on, the classroom and teachers.

This fact in no way diminishes the fundamental and clearly most important role teachers play in Humanities progress.

Law Of Induction - Ten Years Of Applied Effort

Following numerous attempts by his employer, Humphrey Davy, and his influential older colleague William Hyde Wollaston, to apply Oersted's Discovery to achieve Rotary Motion did not work, and they moved on to other things, Faraday, stimulated by Oersted's feat, went on to produce what Davy and Wollaston failed to do.

Faraday proved that a an Electrically Charged wire would rotate around a fixed Magnet, and a Magnet would in like manner, rotate around a fixed Electrically Charged wire.

This proof encouraged Faraday to pursue his belief that Electricity could be produced by Magnetism alone.

A decade of concentrated, diligently applied, Human intelligence, finally established this belief when Michael Faraday nailed the Law of Induction.

The discovery of the Law of Induction would inspire astonishing activity in the Minds of inventive Humans. Beginning immediately, and extending infinitely into the future, the field of Electricity was determining forever, the Technological Direction Humanity would follow.

The Law of Induction was to become a mainstay Principle, in the toolbox of Thomas Edison, and many other Master Conductors of Human intelligence. Including the Great Minds at the cutting edge of Technology today.

Human Intelligence Rocks!

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