Archive for the 'Magnes' Category

Descartes: Again, a magnet in a small boat (magnes exiguae cymbae impositus)

Saturday, October 15th, 2011

René Descartes  (1596-1650), Principia Philosophia (Amsterdam: Ludovicus Elzevirius, 1650), Zentralbibliothek Zürich, Alte Drucke und Rara, FF 91, p. 272-73

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Descartes: RVS: Field of force (sphaera virtutis)

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

René Descartes  (1596-1650), Principia Philosophia (Amsterdam: Ludovicus Elzevirius, 1650), Zentralbibliothek Zürich, Alte Drucke und Rara, FF 91, p. 283 (more…)

Descartes: Striated particles (particulae striatae) pass veins inside the earth in two senses.

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

René Descartes  (1596-1650), Principia Philosophia (Amsterdam: Ludovicus Elzevirius, 1650), Zentralbibliothek Zürich, Alte Drucke und Rara, FF 91, p. 266

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Descartes: A celestial body, defg is a spot covering this body

Sunday, October 9th, 2011

René Descartes  ( 1596-1650), Principia Philosophia ( Amsterdam: Ludovicus Elzevirius, 1650), Zentralbibliothek Zürich, Alte Drucke und Rara, FF 91, p. 137

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Descartes: Like balls in a slingshot particles are spread out from the sun

Friday, October 7th, 2011

René Descartes  (1596-1650), Principia Philosophia ( Amsterdam: Ludovicus Elzevirius, 1650), Zentralbibliothek Zürich, Alte Drucke und Rara, FF 91, p. 93

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There is no empty space in the universe. Between four spherical bodies small particles are situated and shaped. They are principal for understanding magnetism

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

René Descartes  ( 1596-1650), Principia Philosophia ( Amsterdam: Ludovicus Elzevirius, 1650), Zentralbibliothek Zürich, Alte Drucke und Rara, FF 91, p. 129

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Athanasius Kircher: A magnetic bird (Archytas pigeon)

Saturday, October 1st, 2011

[ZB Magnet 3] Athanasius Kircher (1601-1680), Magnes sive De arte magnetica tripartium ( Köln: Iodocus Kalcoven, 1643), Zentralbibliothek Zürich, Alte Drucke und Rara, Z 113, fol. 315

„Somewhere around the year 400 B.C., Archytas mystified and amused the citizens of Tarentum by flying a pigeon made of wood“, informs us Nasa’s „Brief history of rockets“. Kirchers adoption of Archytas’ pigeon  used magnetism as a  force for artificial movements in the air.

Athanasius Kircher: Shadows under water (Special sun dial) – Magnetically animated figure in a boat

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

[ZB Magnet 3] Athanasius Kircher (1601-1680), Magnes sive De arte magnetica tripartium ( Köln: Iodocus Kalcoven, 1643), Zentralbibliothek Zürich, Alte Drucke und Rara, Z 113, fol. 318 (upper part)

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Athanasius Kircher: Walking statue of Daedalus in the labyrinth. The paper figure contains a steel plate that responds to a hidden magnet (marked B) *

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

[ZB Magnet 3] Athanasius Kircher (1601-1680), Magnes sive De arte magnetica tripartium ( Köln: Iodocus Kalcoven, 1643), Zentralbibliothek Zürich, Alte Drucke und Rara, Z 113, fol. 318 (lower part).

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Athanasius Kircher: Magnetic wind indicator. A complicated form of weathervane. The eagle moved by the wind, turns a cogwheel, whose movement is transferred to a pointer on a dial. A the same time a hidden magnet floating in water turns a figure of Aeolus, whose sceptre points in the same direction.*

Friday, September 16th, 2011

[ZB Magnet 3] Athanasius Kircher (1601-1680), Magnes sive De arte magnetica tripartium ( Köln: Iodocus Kalcoven, 1643), Zentralbibliothek Zürich, Alte Drucke und Rara, Z 113, fol. 322.

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