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Curiosities of Science, Past and Present

by John Timbs (1801–1875)

  • Free to read
  • 8 hours to read
  • 429 chapters
  • Reading level: 10th to 12th grade

"Curiosities of Science, Past and Present" by John Timbs is a collection of scientific explorations written in the mid-19th century. This work aims to present intriguing aspects of various scientific fields, including astronomy, geology, and physics, that capture the interest of readers both young and old. It serves as an engaging introduction to lesser-known phenomena and discoveries that have shaped our understanding of the natural world. At the start of the volume, the author reflects on the extensive research and reading that informed his work, highlighting a long career of compilation and observation. Timbs sets the tone by addressing the increasing accessibility of scientific knowledge and the author's hope to make these curiosities both sound and popular. He prepares the reader for a journey through exciting scientific topics, such as the historical progress of painting, the principles of the safety lamp, and discusses the impact of famous scientists. Overall, the introduction invites readers into a world of scientific wonders that promises to expand their understanding and curiosity about the world around them.

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  • Science

Read the opening

New Work on Painting

Just ready, in small 8vo, with Frontispiece and Vignette,

PAINTING
POPULARLY EXPLAINED;

The plan of this work is thus sketched in the Introduction:

“There have been in the history of Art, four grand styles of
imitating Nature—Tempera, Encaustic, Fresco, and Oil. These,
together with the minor modes of Painting, we propose arranging
in something like chronological sequence; but our design being
to offer an explanation of the Art derived from practical
acquaintance, rather than attempt to give its history, we shall
confine ourselves for the most part to so much only of the History
of Painting as is necessary to elucidate the origin of the
different practices which have obtained at different periods.”

By this means, the Authors hope to produce a work which may be
valuable to the Amateur, and interesting to the Connoisseur, the
Artist, and the General Reader.

Keep reading Curiosities of Science, Past and Present →

Contents

Show all 429 chapters
  1. New Work on Painting
  2. Gentle Reader
  3. Sir Humphry Davy’s Own Model of His Safety-Lamp
  4. Science of the Ancient World
  5. Science at Oxford and Cambridge
  6. Plato’s Survey of the Sciences
  7. Folly of Atheism
  8. The Art of Observation
  9. Mutual Relations of Phenomena
  10. Practical Results of Theoretical Science
  11. Perpetuity of Improvement
  12. The Earliest English Scientific Treatise
  13. Philosophers’ False Estimates of Their Own Labours
  14. Relics of Genius
  15. The Royal Society: The Natural and Supernatural
  16. The Philosopher Boyle
  17. Descartes’ Labours in Physics
  18. Conic Sections
  19. Power of Computation
  20. All the World in Motion
  21. The Axis of Rotation
  22. The Earth’s Annual Motion
  23. Stability of the Ocean
  24. Compression of Bodies
  25. The World in a Nutshell
  26. The World of Atoms
  27. Minute Atoms of the Elements: Divisibility of Matter
  28. Weight of Air
  29. Inertia Illustrated
  30. Early Presentiments of Centrifugal Forces
  31. Height of Falls
  32. Rate of the Fall of Bodies
  33. Varieties of Speed
  34. Lifting Heavy Persons
  35. Nothing Lost in the Material World
  36. Time an Element of Force
  37. Calculation of Heights and Distances
  38. Sand in the Hour-Glass
  39. Figure of the Earth
  40. How to Ascertain the Earth’s Magnitude
  41. Mass and Density of the Earth
  42. The Earth and Man Compared
  43. Mean Temperature of the Earth’s Surface
  44. Temperature of the Earth Stationary
  45. Theory of Crystallisation
  46. Immense Crystals
  47. Visible Crystallisation
  48. Union of Mineralogy and Geometry
  49. Reproductive Crystallisation
  50. Glass Broken by Sand
  51. Sounding Sand
  52. Intensity of Sound in Rarefied Air
  53. Distance at Which the Human Voice May Be Heard
  54. The Roar of Niagara
  55. Figures Produced by Sound
  56. The Tuning-Fork a Flute-Player
  57. Theory of the Jew’s Harp
  58. Solar and Artificial Light Compared
  59. Source of Light
  60. The Undulatory Scale of Light
  61. Visibility of Objects
  62. The Smallest Bright Bodies
  63. Velocity of Light
  64. Apparatus for the Measurement of Light
  65. How Fizeau Measured the Velocity of Light
  66. What Is Done by Polarisation of Light
  67. Minuteness of Light
  68. The Importance of Light
  69. Action of Light on Muscular Fibres
  70. Light Nights
  71. Phosphorescence of Plants
  72. Phosphorescence of the Sea
  73. Light from Fungus
  74. Light from Buttons
  75. Colours of Scratches
  76. Magic Bust
  77. Colours Hit Most Frequently During Battle
  78. Transmutation of Topaz
  79. Colours and Tints
  80. Objects Really of No Colour
  81. The Diorama — Why So Perfect an Illusion
  82. Curious Optical Effects at the Cape
  83. The Telescope and the Microscope
  84. Invention of the Microscope
  85. How to Make the Fish-Eye Microscope
  86. Leuwenhoeck’s Microscopes
  87. Diamond Lenses for Microscopes
  88. Microscopical Examination of the Hair
  89. The Microscope and the Sea
  90. Use of the Microscope to Mineralogists
  91. Fine Down of Quartz
  92. Microscopic Writing
  93. How to Make a Magic Mirror
  94. Sir David Brewster’s Kaleidoscope
  95. The Kaleidoscope Thought to Be Anticipated
  96. Magic of Photography
  97. The Best Sky for Photography
  98. Photographic Effects of Lightning
  99. Photographic Surveying
  100. The Stereoscope and the Photograph
  101. The Stereoscope Simplified
  102. Photo-Galvanic Engraving
  103. Science of the Soap-Bubble
  104. Light from Quartz
  105. Can the Cat See in the Dark?
  106. The Great Truths of Astronomy
  107. Astronomy and Dates on Monuments
  108. Music of the Spheres
  109. Worlds to Come — Abodes of the Blest
  110. Velocity of the Solar System
  111. Nature of the Sun
  112. Structure of the Luminous Disc of the Sun
  113. Great Size of the Sun on the Horizon Explained
  114. Translatory Motion of the Sun
  115. The Sun’s Light Compared with Terrestrial Lights
  116. Actinic Power of the Sun
  117. Heating Power of the Sun
  118. Cause of Dark Colour of the Skin
  119. Extreme Solar Heat
  120. The Sun and Terrestrial Magnetism
  121. Is the Heat of the Sun Decreasing?
  122. Universal Sun-Dial
  123. Length of Days at the Poles
  124. How the Tides Are Produced by the Sun and Moon
  125. Spots on the Sun
  126. Has the Moon an Atmosphere?
  127. Light of the Moon
  128. Heat of Moonlight
  129. Scenery of the Moon
  130. Life in the Moon
  131. The Moon Seen Through Lord Rosse’s Telescope
  132. Mountains in the Moon
  133. The Moon and the Weather
  134. The Moon’s Attraction
  135. Measuring the Earth by the Moon
  136. Cause of Eclipses
  137. Vast Numbers in the Universe
  138. For What Purpose Were the Stars Created?
  139. Number of Stars
  140. Stars That Have Disappeared
  141. The Pole-Star Four Thousand Years Ago
  142. The Pleiades
  143. Change of Colour in the Stars
  144. Distance of the Nearest Fixed Star from the Earth
  145. Light of a Star Sixteenfold That of the Sun
  146. Diversities of the Planets
  147. Grand Results of the Discovery of Jupiter’s Satellites
  148. Was Saturn’s Ring Known to the Ancients?
  149. Temperature of the Planet Mercury
  150. Speculations on Vesta and Pallas
  151. Is the Planet Mars Inhabited?
  152. Discovery of the Planet Neptune
  153. Magnitude of Comets
  154. Comets Visible in Sunshine — The Great Comet of 1843
  155. The Milky Way Unfathomable
  156. Infinite Space
  157. Origin of Heat in Our System
  158. An Astronomer’s Dream Verified
  159. Fire-Balls and Shooting Stars
  160. Theory and Experience
  161. Meteorites from the Moon
  162. Vast Shower of Meteors
  163. Immense Meteorite
  164. No Fossil Meteoric Stones
  165. The End of Our System
  166. Benefits of Glass to Man
  167. The Galilean Telescope
  168. What Galileo First Saw with His Telescope
  169. Antiquity of Telescopes
  170. Newton’s First Reflecting Telescope
  171. Sir William Herschel’s Great Telescope at Slough
  172. The Earl of Rosse’s Great Reflecting Telescope
  173. Gigantic Telescopes Proposed
  174. Late Invention of Optical Instruments
  175. A Triad of Contemporary Astronomers
  176. A Peasant Astronomer
  177. Shirburn-Castle Observatory
  178. Lacaille’s Observatory
  179. Nicety Required in Astronomical Calculations
  180. Can Stars Be Seen by Daylight?
  181. Lost Heat of the Sun
  182. The London Monument Used As an Observatory
  183. Identity of Astronomy and Geology
  184. The Geology of England
  185. Probable Origin of the English Channel
  186. How Boulders Are Transported to Great Heights
  187. Why Sea-Shells Are Found at Great Heights
  188. Sand of the Sea and Desert
  189. Pebbles
  190. Elevation of Mountain-Chains
  191. Wear of Building-Stones
  192. Phenomena of Glaciers Illustrated
  193. Antiquity of Glaciers
  194. Flow of the Mer De Glace
  195. The Alluvial Land of Egypt: Ancient Pottery
  196. Successive Changes of the Temple of Serapis
  197. The Grotto Del Cane
  198. The Waters of the Globe Gradually Decreasing
  199. The Salt Lake of Utah
  200. Force of Running Water
  201. The Artesian Well of Grenelle at Paris
  202. How the Gulf-Stream Regulates the Temperature of London
  203. Solvent Action of Common Salt at High Temperatures
  204. Freezing Cavern in Russia
  205. Interior Temperature of the Earth: Central Heat
  206. Disappearance of Volcanic Islands
  207. Perpetual Fire
  208. Artesian Fire-Springs in China
  209. Volcanic Action the Great Agent of Geological Change
  210. The Snow-Capped Volcano
  211. Travels of Volcanic Dust
  212. Great Eruptions of Vesuvius
  213. Earth-Waves
  214. Rumblings of Earthquakes
  215. How to Measure an Earthquake-Shock
  216. Earthquakes and the Moon
  217. The Great Earthquake of Lisbon
  218. Geological Age of the Diamond
  219. What Was Adamant?
  220. What Is Coal?
  221. Torbane-Hill Coal
  222. How Malachite Is Formed
  223. Lumps of Gold in Siberia
  224. Sir Isaac Newton Upon Burnet’s Theory of the Earth
  225. Succession of Life in Time
  226. England in the Eocene Period
  227. Food of the Iguanodon
  228. The Pterodactyl — The Flying Dragon
  229. Mammalia in Secondary Rocks
  230. Fossil Human Bones
  231. The Most Ancient Fishes
  232. Extinct Carnivorous Animals of Britain
  233. The Great Cave Tiger or Lion of Britain
  234. The Mammoths of the British Isles
  235. The Rhinoceros and Hippopotamus of England
  236. The Elephant and Tortoise
  237. Coexistence of Man and the Mastodon
  238. Habits of the Megatherium
  239. The Dinotherium, or Terrible Beast
  240. The Glyptodon
  241. Inmates of an Australian Cavern
  242. The Pouch-Lion of Australia
  243. The Coney of Scripture
  244. A Three-Hoofed Horse
  245. Two Monster Carnivores of France
  246. Geology of the Sheep
  247. The Trilobite
  248. Profitable Science
  249. Extinct Gigantic Birds of New Zealand
  250. No Fossil Rose
  251. Changes on the Earth’s Surface
  252. Geological Time
  253. Curious Cause of Change of Level
  254. The Outlines of Continents Not Fixed
  255. The Atmosphere
  256. Universality of the Atmosphere
  257. The Height of the Atmosphere
  258. Colours of the Atmosphere
  259. Beauty of Twilight
  260. How Pascal Weighed the Atmosphere
  261. Variations of Climate
  262. Average Climates
  263. The Finest Climate in the World
  264. The Purest Atmospheres
  265. Sea-Breezes and Land-Breezes Illustrated
  266. Superior Salubrity of the West
  267. Fertilisation of Clouds
  268. Barometric Measurement
  269. Gigantic Barometer
  270. The Atmosphere Compared to a Steam-Engine
  271. The Philosophy of Rain
  272. Inordinate Rainy Climate
  273. How Does the North Wind Drive Away Rain?
  274. Size of Rain-Drops
  275. Rainless Districts
  276. All the Rain in the World
  277. An Inch of Rain on the Atlantic
  278. The Equatorial Cloud-Ring
  279. Beauty of the Dew-Drop
  280. Fall of Dew in One Year
  281. Graduated Supply of Dew to Vegetation
  282. Warmth of Snow in Arctic Latitudes
  283. Impurity of Snow
  284. Snow Phenomenon
  285. Accuracy of the Chinese As Observers
  286. Protection Against Hail and Storms
  287. Terrific Hailstorm
  288. How Waterspouts Are Formed in the Java Sea
  289. Cold in Hudson’s Bay
  290. Purity of Wenham-Lake Ice
  291. Arctic Temperatures
  292. Dr. Rae’s Arctic Explorations
  293. Phenomena of the Arctic Climate
  294. Intense Heat and Cold of the Desert
  295. Transporting Power of Winds
  296. Exhilaration in Ascending Mountains
  297. To Tell the Approach of Storms
  298. Revolving Storms
  299. Impetus of a Storm
  300. How to Make a Storm-Glass
  301. Splendour of the Aurora Borealis
  302. Varieties of Lightning
  303. What Is Sheet-Lightning?
  304. Production of Lightning by Rain
  305. Service of Lightning-Conductors
  306. Ancient Lightning-Conductor
  307. The Temple of Jerusalem Protected from Lightning
  308. How St. Paul’s Cathedral Is Protected from Lightning
  309. Various Effects of Lightning
  310. A Thunderstorm Seen from a Balloon
  311. Remarkable Aeronautic Voyage
  312. Climates of the Sea
  313. The Circulation of the Sea
  314. Temperature of the Sea
  315. Transparency of the Ocean
  316. The Basin of the Atlantic
  317. Gales of the Atlantic
  318. Solitude at Sea
  319. Bottles and Currents at Sea
  320. Invention of the Log
  321. Life of the Sea-Deeps
  322. Depths of Ocean and Air Unknown
  323. Greatest Ascertained Depth of the Sea
  324. Relative Levels of the Red Sea and Mediterranean
  325. The Depth of the Mediterranean
  326. Colour of the Red Sea
  327. What Is Sea-Milk?
  328. The Bottom of the Sea a Burial-Place
  329. Why Is the Sea Salt?
  330. How to Ascertain the Saltness of the Sea
  331. All the Salt in the Sea
  332. Properties of Sea-Water
  333. Scenery and Life of the Arctic Regions
  334. Iceberg of the Polar Seas
  335. Immensity of Polar Ice
  336. Open Sea at the Pole
  337. River-Water on the Ocean
  338. The Thames and Its Salt-Water Bed
  339. Fresh Springs in the Middle of the Ocean
  340. Great Cataract in India
  341. Cause of Waves
  342. Rate at Which Waves Travel
  343. Ocean-Highways: How Sea-Routes Have Been Shortened
  344. Error Upon Error
  345. The Length of the Day and the Heat of the Earth
  346. Nice Measurement of Heat
  347. Expenditure of Heat by the Sun
  348. Distinctions of Heat
  349. Latent Heat
  350. Heat and Evaporation
  351. Heat and Mechanical Power
  352. Heat of Mines
  353. Vibration of Heated Metals
  354. Expansion of Spirits
  355. Heat Passing Through Glass
  356. Heat from Gas-Lighting
  357. Heat by Friction
  358. Heat by Friction from Ice
  359. Warming with Ice
  360. Repulsion by Heat
  361. Protection from Intense Heat
  362. Magnetic Hypotheses
  363. The Chinese and the Magnetic Needle
  364. Minute Measurement of Time
  365. Power of a Magnet
  366. How Artificial Magnets Are Made
  367. Colour of a Body and Its Magnetic Properties
  368. The Onion and Magnetism
  369. Declination of the Needle — The Earth a Magnet
  370. The Aurora Borealis
  371. Effect of Light on the Magnet
  372. Magneto-Electricity
  373. Electro-Magnets of the Horse-Shoe Form
  374. Rotation-Magnetism
  375. Influence of Pendulums on Each Other
  376. Weight of the Earth Ascertained by the Pendulum
  377. Origin of Terrestrial Magnetism
  378. The North and South Magnetic Poles
  379. Magnetic Storms
  380. Familiar Galvanic Effects
  381. The Siamese Twins Galvanised
  382. Minute and Vast Batteries
  383. Electric Incandescence of Charcoal Points
  384. Voltaic Electricity
  385. The Voltaic Battery and the Gymnotus
  386. Voltaic Currents in Mines
  387. Germs of Electric Knowledge
  388. Temperature and Electricity
  389. Vast Arrangement of Electricity
  390. Decomposition of Water by Electricity
  391. Electricity in Brewing
  392. Electric Paper
  393. Duration of the Electric Spark
  394. Velocity of Electric Light
  395. Identity of Electric and Magnetic Attraction
  396. Theory of the Electro-Magnetic Engine
  397. Magnetic Clock and Watch
  398. Wheatstone’s Electro-Magnetic Clock
  399. How to Make a Common Clock Electric
  400. Dr. Franklin’s Electrical Kite
  401. Fatal Experiment with Lightning
  402. Faraday’s Electrical Illustrations
  403. Origin of the Leyden Jar
  404. Danger to Gunpowder Magazines
  405. Anticipations of the Electric Telegraph
  406. Electric Girdle for the Earth
  407. Consumption of the Electric Telegraph
  408. Time Lost in Electric Messages
  409. Non-Interference of Galvanic Waves on the Same Wire
  410. Effect of Lightning Upon the Electric Telegraph
  411. Electro-Telegraphic Message to the Stars
  412. The Atlantic Telegraph
  413. Geometry of Shells
  414. Hydraulic Theory of Shells
  415. Services of Sea-Shells and Animalcules
  416. Depth of the Primeval Seas
  417. Natural Water-Purifiers
  418. How to Imitate Sea-Water
  419. Velocity of Impressions Transmitted to the Brain
  420. Photographs on the Retina
  421. Direct Exploration of the Interior of the Eye
  422. Nature of the Candle-Flame
  423. How Soon a Corpse Decays
  424. Musket-Balls Found in Ivory
  425. Nature of the Sun
  426. Planetoids
  427. The Comet of Donati
  428. Footnotes
  429. General Index

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About this edition

This free edition of Curiosities of Science, Past and Present by John Timbs comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #48516, released 2015-03-17. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Science - Physics, Science - Earth/Agricultural/Farming.

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