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Pendulum: Leon Foucault and the Triumph of Science, by Amir D. Aczel
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He was neither a mathematician nor a trained physicist and yet Léon Foucault always knew that a mysterious force of nature was among us. Like Newton, Galileo, Copernicus, and others before him, Foucault sensed a dramatic relationship between the rotating skies above and the seemingly motionless ground beneath our feet. But it wasn't until 1851 -- in Paris, inside the Panthéon, and in the company of fellow amateur scientist Napoleon III -- that Foucault swung a pendulum and demonstrated an extraordinary truth about the world: that it turns on its axis.
Pendulum is a fascinating journey through the mind and findings of one of the most important and lesser-known characters in the history of science. Through careful research and lively anecdotes, world-renowned author Amir D. Aczel reveals the astonishing range and breadth of Foucault's discoveries. For, in addition to offering the first unequivocal proof of Earth's rotation, Foucault gave us the modern electric compass and microscope, was a pioneer in photographic technology, and made remarkable deductions about color theory, heat waves, and the speed of light.
At its heart, Pendulum is a story about the illustrious period in France during the Second Empire; the crucial triumph of science over religion; and, most compelling, the life of a struggling, self-made man whose pursuit of knowledge continues to inform our notions about the universe today.
- Sales Rank: #289447 in Books
- Brand: Brand: Atria Books
- Published on: 2004-09-14
- Released on: 2004-09-14
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.25" h x .80" w x 5.31" l, .68 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 288 pages
- Used Book in Good Condition
Amazon.com Review
How would you prove to someone that the Earth is turning? This problem vexed scientists until 1851, when Leon Foucault devised one of the cleverest experiments in scientific history. Though he knew his pendulum experiment would work, Foucault didn't have the support or backing of the respected scientists of the day--his education and background excluded him from their ranks. But he knew he was onto something big, as he wrote out invitation cards: "You are invited to come to see the Earth turn, tomorrow, from three to five, at Meridian Hall of the Paris Observatory."
Amir Aczel tells Foucault's story in an easy, anecdotal style, with lots of digressions to give background and flavor to the tale. Most importantly, Aczel offers context for the discovery, reminding readers that great thinkers like Aristotle and Plato had the wrong idea about planetary motion, that Copernicus was lucky to die before the Inquisition could kill him for his radical notions, and that Galileo was severely persecuted by a Church that refused to accept astronomical reality. It took the sponsorship of Napoleon III to set Foucault's brilliant plan in motion, perhaps proving that science and politics can occasionally work together for the greater good. Pendulum is a delightful read, full of tidbits about the major astronomers and mathematicians of the 18th and 19th centuries. --Therese Littleton
From Publishers Weekly
Aczel, one of our best science popularizers (Fermat's Last Theorem; The Mystery of the Aleph; etc.), now recounts the triumphs and struggles of the French physicist Leon Foucault (1819-1868), whose eponymous pendulum presented the first tangible proof of the earth's rotation. Aczel follows Foucault from his beginnings as a medical student and a science journalist covering the meetings of the august French Academy of Sciences to his installation as the official physicist attached to the Imperial Observatory in Paris and his belated election to the Academy of Sciences, finally overcoming the resistance of those who saw as an outsider this genius with no formal academic training. Foucault is portrayed as a wide-ranging thinker, fascinated with questions from the speed of light to the construction of the first gyroscope, but at the center of this account is his 1851 invention and demonstration of his famed pendulum. The author's transitions from narrative to scientific exposition can be a bit rough, but every time the pace begins to drag, he veers off in a new direction, drawing connections between Foucault's work and broader scientific, political and philosophical trends and themes. Aczel's material is so intriguing that one is inclined to forgive his habit of pursuing tangents. The reader is left with a choppy yet fascinating survey of Parisian science during the Second Empire and Leon Foucault's grudgingly rewarded place in it. Illus.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
The Foucault pendulum is a stalwart exhibit in many science museums because it tangibly demonstrates the Earth's rotation. Until Leon Foucault thought of the setup in 1851, as veteran science and mathematics author Aczel informs us, no one had been able to prove, through measurement, that terra firma turned. That a layman did so with a glorified plumb bob was a source of chagrin for France's science establishment, which long resisted Foucault's application to join their clubs until Napoleon III exerted his influence on Foucault's behalf. Aczel stresses the practical reasons for Foucault's success: he possessed native mechanical ability and over his lifetime invented numerous devices; plus, he had a journalistic knack for clearly presenting scientific developments to the public. So does Aczel, who traces why Foucault's predecessors failed to detect rotation, explains the forces acting on the pendulum, and readably captures the look of Foucault's haunts in Paris during the Second Empire. Aczel will keep science buffs thoroughly entertained. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Foucault's Triumph of Science, Indeed!
By Bugs
This is an excellent treatment on the life and science of Leon Focault, the self-taught man who changed the mind of the Catholic Church rather than be persecuted like so many other scientist were for exposing scientific evidence that ran afoul of the repressive dogma of church doctrine and in that alone, it was a monumental achievement.
Using his pendulum, Foucault conclusively proved that the earth rotated on it's axis and around the sun- NOT the Catholic Church. In October of 1992, Pope John Paul II made a public apology to Galileo and in this, [the apology] "...owes everything to the work of Leon Focault almost a century and a half earlier."- p 239.
Of course, the apology should have been given directly to Galileo, but hey, better late than never and another feather in the cap of the recently passed John Paul II.
Aczel writes with a flowing narrative- "like a novelist", as one reviewer states, and invites people from all backgrounds to understand the life and accomplishments of Focault and to give due recognition and honor to such a dedicated scientist. Well researched with easy to understand science, including illustrations, photos and drawings, one will come to know the man and his genius.
Chief amongst Foucault's many discoveries were the modern electric compass, an electric microscope, photographic technology, insights into color theory, heat waves, and the speed of light. And there was so much more!
Before the Preface is a quote from Focault that wisely sums up the import of his pendulum and it's proof of the earth's rotation:
"The phenomenon develops calmly, but it is invisible, unstoppable. One feels, one sees it born and grow steadily; and it is not in one's power to either hasten or slow it down. Any person, brought into the presence of this fact, stops for a few moments and remains pensive and silent; and then generally leaves, carrying with him forever a sharper, keener sense of our incessant motion through space."- Leon Foucault, 1851.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Wonderfully Written Story
By W. Watson
I really liked the book. It covered a lot of interesting historical material as well as the main topic. Two items stand out in my mind, but there are many others: 1. the Foucault pendulum discovery severed the ties between science and church. It overturned the Aristolean view the church held that the earth did not move. This is a very important historic event. 2. The event that happened on Dec. 2, 1851. Louis-Napoleon, the elected president of France, overthrew the government and declared himself ruler as Napoleon III. It may seem a stretch, but this may have parallels in our political future of this country. Napoleon III had a strong desire to make France over in the manner he desired. Can we think of someone in our country (U.S.) who might want a make over? Hmmm. Although my background is in mathematics, I liked the historic interplay between the physcists and mathematicians who were essentially insulted and embarrassed by the Foucault discovery.
Another reviewer above was not happy with the book and remarked that the science was wrong. It would have been good if he gave some references or other details why he felt that way. If one is bent on a scientific treatise about this, perhaps a book like Waves, Vol. 3, of the Berkeley series on physics would fill the needs the reviewer and others. It might be a worthwhile to pass his claims by a newsgroup such as sci.physics.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
An interesting tale lacking detail.
By Danni Akers
The book is well written in its telling of the trials and tribulations of this often historically over-looked, self-taught physicist. However, the work lacks in conveying what I considered to be significant detail that left me wanting. Specifically, the work refers often to the rotating anchorages of Foucault's pendulums, yet not one detailed description or illustration is offered of this key component; this, the very innovative aspect that set Foucault's pendulums apart from all that preceeded it! Another mention of a electromagnetic device developed by Foucault to maintain his pendulums in motion; again, no details!!! To sum it up; the book lacks in technical detail.
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