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Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695) left an indelible mark on the fields of mathematics, physics, astronomy, and geophysics. Despite his groundbreaking contributions, history has often overlooked his pivotal role. While two of the most famous achievements in physics are Newton’s theory of gravity and Einstein’s general theory of relativity, less well-known is that Huygens provided central elements to these theories. This book stands to correct that deficit. For example, we show how Huygens used symmetry arguments to derive conservation laws for momentum and for energy, and what Einstein later called the principle of equivalence to derive the formula for centrifugal force. In 1689, Huygens visited Newton. Together, they walked the streets of London. Newton had recently finished his masterpiece, Principia, expounding his laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation. Huygens had essentially completed his life’s work by then, building on Archimedes, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Descartes, Fermat, Pascal and his own ingenuity. He had established fame as an instrument maker (telescope, pendulum clock, planetarium). He had invented the 31 tone system. He had pioneered the first principles of remote sensing. He had discovered the rings of Saturn. He had formulated the wave theory of light. What would walking with Christiaan reveal? This book gives the result in nine chapters, namely: spontaneous order, the speed of light, Huygens’ principle, the telescope, the pendulum clock, Huygens-Fresnel principle, special relativity, centrifugal force, and curvature. In addition, there is a chapter titled What Huygens could have written on diffraction, and a chapter titled Huygens and Geophysics. Mentally walking with Christiaan, browsing his collected works — a true treasure trove for puzzle enthusiasts — and rethinking his ideas creates a vivid impression of scientific life in the 17th century, an appreciation that it is remarkably similar to ours, and an understanding of Huygens' significant and lasting contributions to science.

Physics --- Physicists --- Astronomers --- Science --- Physics. --- Astronomy. --- Mathematics. --- History of Physics and Astronomy. --- Biographies of Physicists and Astronomers. --- History of Science. --- Physics and Astronomy. --- Applications of Mathematics. --- History. --- Biography.

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Unbeknownst to many, our modern language contains countless words that were inspired by human observations of the cosmos. We now use words like “zenith”, “Monday”, “disaster”, “dog days”, “starfish”, “lunatic”, flu, and so many others, without a second thought for their celestial roots. Famous French astrophysicist Daniel Kunth invites you on a linguistic and scientific journey through space and time to explore these forgotten origins. You will be astonished to rediscover cosmic language hidden in plain sight through this wonderful collection of historical and cultural stories, famous idioms and delightful puns, along with the real science behind each one. Elena Terlevich is a well known professional astronomer working at INAOE in Mexico, an honorary Professor at La Plata University in Argentina and a regular visitor at the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge (UK). Requiring no prior knowledge in astronomy or linguistics, this book’s universal contents invite the reader to ponder how our observations of the night sky have shaped our modern tongue and customs.

Physics --- Sociolinguistics. --- Language and languages. --- History of Physics and Astronomy. --- Language History. --- History.

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This catalog is the first in-depth investigation of comets that were reported since the 17th century, but not confirmed and subsequently lost. Volume I of this two-volume work covers objects observed between 1600 and 1899, a period that was dominated by visual observations and was experiencing a rapid evolution in science. The book uniquely combines the history and culture of comet hunting and discovery with modern tools of orbital mechanics to present a wholesome catalog of unconfirmed and suspected comets. Each case includes a presentation of the observations, a discussion about the observer (when possible), consideration of the historic context, and a conclusion as to the nature of the object. In most cases, the book presents material from original sources, including some never before published that were acquired from observatories, libraries, and historical societies around the world. Although some of these unconfirmed comets turned out to be misidentifications of planets or star clusters, fabrications, or poor observations of comets that were already being observed, the Authors did identify many objects that were likely real comets. In some cases, the Authors were even able to derive orbits for the first time. These observations may be valuable in the future, as they could prove to be observations of periodic comets still to be discovered. .

Comets --- History --- Near-Earth objects --- Physics—History. --- Astronomy—Observations. --- History of Physics and Astronomy. --- Astronomy, Observations and Techniques. --- Astronomy --- Science

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Athanasius Kircher, the eminent 17th-century German Jesuit professor of mathematics at the Roman College emerges as a captivating figure within the pages of this monograph by Agustín Udías. Aptly deemed 'the man who knew everything,' Kircher's thirty-two comprehensive works, spanning an array of subjects, provide a unique lens into his visionary perspectives. This book delves into three selected works where Kircher unveils his conceptualization of the Earth, termed the 'Geocosmos,' treated magnetism as a cosmic and spiritual force, and embarks on a cosmic exploration from Earth to the stars. From his groundbreaking speculations on the Earth's interior, attributing earthquakes and volcanoes to intricate channels of air, water, and fire, to his cosmic journey accompanied by the ethereal spirit Cosmiel, Kircher's enduring allure persists. Despite variance from contemporary knowledge, situated at the beginning of modern science, Kircher's proposals of the structure of the Earth’s interior, cosmic magnetic theories, and space journey to the stars offer a compelling glimpse into the intellectual landscape of a bygone era, making this book an essential exploration for scholars seeking a nuanced understanding of Kircher's profound influence.

Science --- Mathematics. --- History. --- Physics --- History of Science. --- History of Mathematical Sciences. --- History of Physics and Astronomy. --- Scientists --- Kircher, Athanasius,

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The present essential contains a number of tips for the successful completion of physics studies. What makes it special is the inspiring style of the author, who studied physics himself and knows what he is talking about. Whether it's keeping lecture notes, working on exercise problems or effectively preparing for exams - this book motivates physics students even in difficult phases of their studies and encourages potential first-year students to dare to study natural sciences. This Springer essential is a translation of the original German 1st edition essentials, Wie man effektiv und nachhaltig Physik studiert by Dimitrij Tschodu, published by Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature in 2018. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content, so that the book will read stylistically differently from a conventional translation. Springer Nature works continuously to further the development of tools for the production of books and on the related technologies to support the authors. The contents Three hours of reading instead of five years of stress How to make your studies easier How you recognize connections and keep them in mind How to prepare for exams effectively The target groups Students of physics and related sciences All those who want to prepare themselves effectively for university The ator Dimitrij Tschodu studied physics and philosophy and is writing his master thesis on machine learning in statistical physics at the University of Leipzig. He is blogger of the site physiphi.com. .

Physics --- Study and teaching (Higher) --- Natural philosophy --- Philosophy, Natural --- Physical sciences --- Dynamics --- Physics. --- Astronomy. --- Science --- Physics and Astronomy. --- Science Education. --- Study and teaching. --- Science education --- Scientific education