You can do a gorgeous demo with a Wimshurst machine and some bubbles,
but I think that's probably late 19th century, so a bit too modern for
what you are after.
2009/9/16 Emma J King, Ph.D. <[log in to unmask]>:
> 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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