Ahmad ibn Munim al-Abdari, also known simply as Ibn Munim al-Abdari, was a notable figure in the realm of Islamic scholarship, particularly known for his contributions to the study of hadith (the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad). He belonged to the 13th century and hailed from the region of Al-Andalus, present-day Spain.
Guillaume Amontons (1663–1705) was a French physicist and inventor known for his work in the field of thermodynamics and the study of friction. He is often recognized for formulating some of the earliest principles regarding the behavior of friction and for developing a rudimentary understanding of temperature and heat transfer.
Louis-Sébastien Lenormand (1757–1837) was a French inventor and aeronaut best known for his contributions to early aviation. He is often credited with inventing the first functional parachute. In 1783, he demonstrated a parachute design using a folded cloth canopy, and he is reported to have made successful jumps from a height using his creation.
The 1970s was a pivotal decade in the history of video games, marking the transition from early experiments with computer graphics and simple games to the birth of arcade gaming and home consoles. Here are some key developments and events from that period: ### Early Experiments and Computer Games - **Pong (1972):** Developed by Atari, Pong was one of the first commercially successful arcade video games, simulating table tennis and helping to popularize video gaming as a form of entertainment.
Wilhelm Röntgen was a German physicist best known for his discovery of X-rays, a groundbreaking development in the field of medical imaging. Born on March 27, 1845, Röntgen made his famous discovery in 1895 while experimenting with cathode rays. He observed that a fluorescent screen in his laboratory began to glow even when it was several feet away from the cathode ray tube, leading him to conclude that a new type of ray was being emitted.
Joseph Henry was an American scientist and one of the foremost pioneers in the field of electromagnetism. Born on December 17, 1797, in Albany, New York, he made significant contributions to the understanding of electromagnetic induction, self-induction, and mutual induction. Henry discovered that electric currents could induce magnetic fields and that changing magnetic fields could induce electric currents—principles that would later be fundamental to the development of electrical engineering and technology.
Gaston Planté was a French engineer and inventor, best known for creating the first rechargeable lead-acid battery in 1859. His invention laid the foundation for modern battery technology. The Planté battery featured lead electrodes and sulfuric acid as the electrolyte, which allowed it to be recharged and reused multiple times, unlike the primary (non-rechargeable) batteries that were available at the time.
Heinz Raether is a notable figure in the field of mathematics, specifically known for his work in analysis and topology.
Johann Christian Poggendorff (1796–1877) was a German physicist and an important figure in the field of electrical engineering. He is best known for his work in the study of galvanism and electromagnetism. Poggendorff is also known for editing the "Annalen der Physik und Chemie," a prominent scientific journal, which significantly contributed to the dissemination of scientific knowledge during his time.
Hemendranath Tagore (1859–1915) was a prominent Bengali artist, musician, and painter who belonged to the famous Tagore family of Kolkata. He was the younger brother of the illustrious poet Rabindranath Tagore, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. Hemendranath was known for his contributions to various forms of art.
Karol Olszewski (1846–1915) was a notable Polish chemist, recognized primarily for his contributions to the field of low-temperature physics and for being one of the pioneers of cryogenics. He was a key figure in the liquefaction of oxygen and other gases, which laid the groundwork for advancements in both scientific research and various industrial applications.
Giuseppe Zamboni was an Italian physicist and inventor, best known for his work in electrochemistry, particularly the development of the Zamboni pile—a type of voltaic cell or battery. He is credited with creating a simple and efficient way to generate electrical energy using layers of metal and electrolyte solutions. The Zamboni pile operates by utilizing chemical reactions to produce electric currents, and it is notable for its ease of construction and use.
Alan Tower Waterman (1925–2015) was an influential figure in the field of science and technology policy. He served as the director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) from 1970 to 1972. Waterman was known for his efforts to promote scientific research and education in the United States and for advocating policies that strengthened the national commitment to scientific advancement. In recognition of his contributions, the Alan T. Waterman Award was established by the NSF in 1975.
Majority rule is a governance principle or decision-making process whereby the option or choice that receives more than half (more than 50%) of the votes or support is selected as the outcome. This concept is often used in democratic systems, elections, and various collective decision-making scenarios. The idea is that the preferences of the majority of voters or group members should determine the decisions or policies that are implemented.
Cherry A. Murray is a prominent American physicist and engineer known for her contributions to materials science and nanotechnology. She has held significant academic and leadership positions, including serving as the Dean of the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University. Additionally, she has been involved in various research initiatives and has published extensively in her field. Murray's work has encompassed a range of topics, including the physical properties of materials and their applications in technology.
Claire F. Gmachl is a notable physicist and a professor who is recognized for her contributions to the field of electrical engineering and applied physics, particularly in the area of photonics and laser technology. She has conducted significant research on quantum cascade lasers and terahertz devices. Gmachl is also known for her work in advocating for women in science and engineering.
George Bekefi was a prominent figure in the field of plasma physics and electrical engineering. He is known for his contributions to the understanding of high-temperature plasma and its applications. Bekefi's work often included research on electromagnetic waves in plasmas, and he authored influential textbooks and papers in the field. Bekefi served as a professor at various institutions and was involved in various scientific projects and research initiatives. His contributions helped in the advancement of both theoretical and experimental plasma physics.
Harley Rutledge (1928 - 2019) was an American physicist, notable for his work in UFO research and as a professor at Southeast Missouri State University. He gained some recognition in the late 20th century for his book, "UFOs: A Scientific Debate," in which he presented analyses of UFO sightings and attempted to apply scientific principles to the study of unidentified flying objects.
Hattie Carwell is a notable historical figure known for her contributions to the field of education. She was a prominent African American educator and civil rights activist during the early to mid-20th century. Carwell was particularly influential in advocating for the education of African American children in the southern United States during a time of racial segregation and discrimination.
Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project
Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
Intro to OurBigBook
. Source. We have two killer features:
- topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculusArticles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
- a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
- a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.Figure 1. Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page. View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivativeVideo 2. OurBigBook Web topics demo. Source. - local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
- to OurBigBook.com to get awesome multi-user features like topics and likes
- as HTML files to a static website, which you can host yourself for free on many external providers like GitHub Pages, and remain in full control
Figure 2. You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either OurBigBook.com or as a static website.Figure 3. Visual Studio Code extension installation.Figure 5. . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally. Video 3. Edit locally and publish demo. Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension. - Infinitely deep tables of contents:
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact