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Sci*lebrity of the Day

Posted by Thomas Cadolino on

Sci*lebrity of the Day

William David Coolidge (Born on October 23, 1873) was an American physicist, engineer and physical chemist whose improvement of tungsten filaments (U.S. patent No.1,082,933, issued 30 Dec 1913) was essential in the development of the modern incandescent lamp bulb and the X-ray tube. Coolidge's X-ray tube (1916, U.S. patent No. 1,203,495) completely revolutionized the generation of X-rays and remains to this day the model upon which all X-ray tubes for medical applications are patterned. He worked on many other devices such as high-quality magnetic steel, improved ventilating fans, and the electric blanket. During World War II he contributed research to projects involving radar and radar countermeasures. He was awarded 83...

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Sci*lebrity Event of the Day

Posted by Thomas Cadolino on

Sci*lebrity Event of the Day

On October 22, 1938, xerography was demonstrated by Chester F. Carlson. With his assistant, Otto Kornei, Carlson used a sulphur coating on a zinc plate, vigorously rubbed with a handkerchief to apply an electrostatic charge. A glass slide was prepared using India ink to write "10-22-38 ASTORIA," then laid on the sulphur surface in a darkened room. After illuminating them with a bright incandescent lamp for a few seconds, the slide was removed. When lycopodium powder was sprinkled on the sulphur surface and blown off, there remained a near-perfect image of the writing. Permanent copies were made by transferring the powder images to wax paper...

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Sci*lebrity of the Day

Posted by Thomas Cadolino on

Sci*lebrity of the Day

Ronald E. McNair (Born on October 21, 1950) was an American physicist and astronaut who was the second African American to fly in space.  He had been fascinated by space since childhood, when as early as in elementary school he talked about the Sputnik satellite. McNair was nationally recognized for his work in the field of laser physics, including chemical and high-pressure lasers. In 1978, he was one of 35 applicants selected from a pool of 10,000 for NASA's space shuttle program. He was assigned as a mission specialist on the Feb 1984 flight of the shuttle Challenger, during which he orbited the earth...

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Sci*lebrity of the Day

Posted by Thomas Cadolino on

Sci*lebrity of the Day

Sir Isaac Newton

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