Rudolf Clausius
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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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James Watt’s “eureka!” moment
“In the fields of observation chance favors only the prepared mind.” – Louis Pasteur (1854) Experiencing a “eureka!” moment of insight into nature is absolutely thrilling. I’ve been very fortunate to have had several such moments and enjoy others’ stories too, including those of Henrietta Leavitt, Robert Mayer, Rudolf Clausius, and Thomas Newcomen, which I… Continue reading
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Truncated lives of science
Antoine Lavoisier Do you want to generate an engaging discussion amongst thermodynamics historians? Play the “what if they had lived?” game, starting with Antoine Lavoisier (1743-1794). Through his meticulous work in the laboratory he discovered the conservation of mass, provided understanding of respiration as the reaction of oxygen and carbon to yield carbon dioxide and… Continue reading
Block by Block – The Historical and Theoretical Foundations of Thermodynamics. “Hanlon has written a masterpiece.” – Mike Pauken, Senior Engineer, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and author of Thermodynamics for Dummies
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About Me
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.
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