Light Science for Leisure Hours : A series of familiar essays on scientific subjects, natural phenomena, &c.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Proctor, Richard A. (Richard Anthony), 1837-1888.

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Light Science for Leisure Hours" by Richard A. Proctor is a collection of familiar essays on scientific subjects and natural phenomena written in the late 19th century. This work aims to make complex scientific ideas accessible and engaging to a general readership, reflecting Proctor's commitment to conveying scientific truths in a clear and enjoyable manner. The opening of the book introduces the captivating phenomenon of the aurora, describing its vivid and dynamic beauty as well as its mysterious connection to terrestrial magnetism. The author details how early observations of the magnetic needle's variations led to the discovery that these disturbances are often synchronized with auroras occurring far away. Proctor then elaborates on the implications of this connection, suggesting a deeper relationship between auroras, magnetic activity, and solar phenomena, inviting readers to explore the broader scientific implications of such natural displays. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

Strange discoveries respecting the aurora

The earth a magnet

Our chief time-piece losing time

Encke the astronomer

Venus on the sun's face

Britain's coal cellars

The secret of the North pole

Is the Gulf Stream a myth?

Floods in Switzerland

A great tidal wave

Deep-sea dredgings

The tunnel through Mont Cenis

Tornadoes

Vesuvius

The earthquake in Peru

The greatest sea-wave ever known

The usefulness of earthquakes

The forcing power of rain

A shower of snow-crystals

Long shots

Influence of marriage on the death-rate

The topographical survey of India

A ship attacked by a sword-fish

The safety-lamp

The dust we have to breathe

Photographic ghosts

The Oxford and Cambridge rowing styles

Betting on horse races; or, The state of the odds

Squaring the circle

A new theory of Achilles' shield.

Credits:

Produced by Chris Curnow, Les Galloway and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 62.1 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.

Release date is 2017-03-28