I would also suggest looking at electromagnetism - I believe
demonstrations about that were popular around that time period. Things
like making objects move/float with static electricity or magnetism,
and of course everyone loves sparks and van-der-graff generators and
so on. Things like that can be quite an eye-catcher, although some of
the more spectacular demos might involve later technology.....
Emma
On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 4:07 PM, Richard Ellam
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> HI Patricia
> THE Seventeenth Century Public Science Demonstration par excellence is the
> Magdeburg Hemispheres experiment, staged by Von Geurike (spelling may be
> wrong). This was a demonstration of the force that could be obtained from
> air pressure acting on the outside of an evacuated sphere and was originally
> done about the year 1660 in public in a field outside the German town of
> Magdeburg with an air pump, two copper hemispheres about 750 mm dia, and two
> teams of eight horses harnessed to pull the two hemispheres apart.
> When the hemispheres were evacuated with the air pump the two teams of
> horses couldn't pull them apart against atmospheric pressure, but opening a
> tap to let air in and break the vacuum caused the hemispheres to fall apart.
> It is though that Von Geurike cheated as two teams of eight carthorses used
> to pulling in unison would have been able to separate the evacuated
> hemishpheres against atmospheric pressure. But as the the commander of the
> local cavalry militia he could easily get hold of riding horses, which
> weren't trained to pull in collars. Using two teams of these, weaker, horses
> made for a more spectacular demonstration.
> And they say that media distortion of science is a new thing...
> The experiment has been recreated several times, and a Google search for
> 'Magdeburg Hemispheres' should produce lots of details.
> Good luck - and whatever you choose to do, please let us all know how it
> goes - any chance of posting a video on YouTube?
> Cheers
>
> Richard
>
>
> Richard Ellam
> L M Interactive
> Science Shows and Hands-On Stuff
> tel/fax 01761 412 797
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
> On 16 Sep 2009, at 14:11, Patricia Osseweijer - TNW wrote:
>
> Dear all,
>
> I was given the honour to be appointed on the first chair in Science
> Communication at the Delft University of Technology earlier this year. In
> November my inaugural lecture is planned in which I would very much like to
> engage people with theatre, music and film (I am trying to convice the
> protocol staff that this would be great!). I was wondering whether it might
> be possible to include an early public science demonstration as was done in
> the 17th century. The topic is not so important, and video recording and
> display is available, but the more spectacular the better (stage is in
> middle of theatre style auditorium with 1000 places around it).
> Would anybody have any ideas, or can anyone advice me on where I can find
> examples?
>
> Thanks so much!
>
> Patricia Osseweijer
>
> Professor Patricia Osseweijer
>
> Managing Director
> Programme Leader "Genomics and Society"
> Kluyver Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation
>
> Professor in Science Communication
> Biotechnology and Society
> Department of Biotechnology
> Delft University of Technology
>
> Julianalaan 67
> 2628 BC Delft, The Netherlands
> +31-152785140; +31-651033916
>
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