history
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Reading Clausius – no easy feat
“The establishment of thermodynamics during the middle years of the nineteenth century – one of the great creative epochs of science – was so rapid and extensive that a whole new branch of knowledge was suddenly created, where previously there had been the old science of heat plus the substantially empirical technology of heat-engines.” –… Continue reading
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Deciphering the physical meaning of Gibbs’s maximum work equation
I am very pleased that Foundations of Chemistry supported publication of my paper (link below followed by abstract) that concluded with a question rather than a conclusion! As I am in search of the answer, please let me know if you know someone, likely a physical chemist, who has it. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10698-024-09503-3 Abstract J. Willard Gibbs… Continue reading
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Richard Trevithick: pressurized steam required courage of conviction
In his early years, James Watt had considered ways to use pressurized (“strong”) steam, as opposed to vacuum-inducing, condensing steam, to develop power. But the mechanical difficulties of constructing a boiler to withstand the pressures could not be overcome. This obstacle tainted Watt’s thinking, resulting in his outright rejection of any steam-engine involving steam-pressures greater… Continue reading
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From Ancient Forests to Industrial Power: Unearthing Britain’s Coal Legacy
The financial incentive to develop the steam engine in Britain was to remove water from coal mines so that miners could dig deeper. I discussed this in a previous post (click here), but what I didn’t discuss was why there was so much coal there to begin with. Where did all that coal come from?… Continue reading
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Why did the steam engine rise solely in Britain?
The Industrial Revolution began in Britain As the dominate player in global trade in the 1700s, Britain embraced technologies that increased product quality and decreased manufacturing costs. The drive to effect both led to the replacement of hands with machines and so launched the Industrial Revolution. The incentive to invent the steam engine appeared in… Continue reading
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History only reflects the fossils we find
How much of our history is uncharted? I’m guessing over 99%, right? Countless events have occurred in the past that we know nothing about today. I first explored this idea in a previous post (here) and now find myself revisiting it as we consider the history of one of mankind’s earliest inventions – the lever.… Continue reading
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About Me
![](https://robertthanlon.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/blockbyblock.png?w=150)
Hi! I’m Bob Hanlon. After earning my Sc.D. in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and enjoying a long career in both industry and academia, I’ve returned to school, my own self-guided school, seeking to better understand the world of thermodynamics. Please join me on my journey.