"Nanos gigantium humeris insidentes" |
James Larkin (Physics, Caltech, 1996) - Co-director of UC Infrared Laboratory - near-infrared astronomical instrumentalist and adaptive optics specialist - near-infrared extragalactic science (thesis title: "Near Infrared Spectroscopy of LINER Galaxies") |
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Tom Soifer (Physics, Cornell, 1972) - Director of SIRTF - infrared telescope experiments for sub-orbital Aerobee rockets (Jim Houck and Martin Harwitt) - As an undergrad worked with G. Neugebauer with conducting first infared sky survey (Two micron Survey) |
Jim Houck (Physics, Cornell, 1967) - near infrared instrumentalist (PI: Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) on Spitzer) - became interested in astronomy from Martin Harwitt and Peter Goldreich - early infrared liquid-helium cryogenically cooled telescopes borne aloft on Aerobee rockets |
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Raymond Bowers (Physics, Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford, 1951) - thermal conductivity of helium II - investigated other thermal electric materials - died in a tragic accident falling in a gorge in a national park near Ithaca |
Kurt Mendelssohn (Physics/Chemistry, Berlin University, 1930) - first person in U.K. to liquify helium - In 1960, he founded and was the first editor of Cryogenics. This journal was designed from the beginning to include large scale cryogenic engineering topics |
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Sir Francis Simon (a.k.a., Franz Eugene Simon, Physics, University of Berlin, 1936) - devised the method of separating the isotope Uranium-235 by gaseous division which was later transferred to the Manhattan Project - professor at Oxford |
Walther Nernst (Physics, University of Wuerzberg, 1887) - invented an electric lamp using an incandescent ceramic rod - established the third law of thermodynamics - won Nobel Prize in 1920 in chemistry - avid critic of Hitler and Nazi movement which ended his career (I think his last graduate student was Sir Francis Simon before WWII) |
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Friedrich Kohlrausch (Physics/Chemistry, University of Gotttingen, 1864) - investigated the conductive properties of electrolytes, early work extended Gauss and Weber's work on EM measuring units |
Wilhelm Eduart Weber (Physics/Natural Philosophy, University of Gottengen, 1828) - inventor of the first electormagnetic telegraph - developed the Atlas des Erdmagnetismus ("atlas of geomagnetism"), a series of magnetic maps, and it was chiefly through his efforts that magnetic observatories were instituted |
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Johann Salomo Christoph Schweigger (Philosophy/Physics, University of Erlangen Nuremberg, 1804) - proposed the name "Chlorine" for the element that had been discovered - his official advisor was Franz Wolf, but George Hildenbrandt and Karl Landsdorff persuaded him to further study science and mathematics |
Franz August Wolf (Philosopher, Heyne at Gottingen, 1784?) - Published Prolegomena ad Homerum (1795), which maintained that Homeric epcis were of unified and single authorship, but was work of many authors |
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