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Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand Von Helmholtz Classic Reprint John Gray McKendrick Books

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Excerpt from Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand Von Helmholtz

The proofs have been read by Mr J. L. Galbraith, of the Library of the University of Glasgow, to whom I owe my thanks; and I have gratefully to acknowledge much valu able assistance and friendly criticism from Dr Cargill G. Knott, Lecturer on Mathematical Physics in the University of Edinburgh.

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Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand Von Helmholtz Classic Reprint John Gray McKendrick Books

Some interesting dates surround this book which was first published in 1899. Hermann Helmholtz died five years before the book was first published. The author knew him personally and was also familiar with William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, who died eight years after the book came out. In at least a dozen places in the book the author, John McKendrick, talks with confidence about the "ether" and the work of Helmholtz, Thomson and others who use the ether as a fundamental assumption in their mathematical formulations. McKendrick, like many others, did not see the significance of the Michelson-Morley experiment in 1887. So much solid work had been done with the ether assumption that no other alternative made sense at that point. Yet, six years after the book was published, Einstein showed conclusively that the "ether" did not exist. Similarly, using the work of Thomas Young, Helmholtz and others, McKendrick also states categorically that the particle theory of light is absolutely disproven.

Why would a biography of Hermann Helmholtz published in 1899 with dated scientific references in it be worth reading? Two reasons. One is that the more recent biography of Helmholtz by Michel Meulders, translated by Laurence Garey, is virtually unreadable. I worked my way through about 60% of the book but finally had to give up. Meandering, disorganized - the one star review of that book says it all. This book was the only alternative and it is much better written. The book has a tendency toward 19th century wordiness at times but that does not hurt its organizational style or readability. McKendrick, who was a well-established Scottish physiologist in the last half of the 19th and first half of the 20th century, divides the book by the universities where Helmholtz worked. After an introductory chapter on his early life and a good chapter on the state of science in Germany in the 19th century, chapters are "Helmholtz in Berlin," "Helmholtz in Konigsberg," "Helmholtz in Bonn," etc. This is a useful way of following the flow of Helmholtz's life work. McKendrick does a fine job, far better than many contemporary biographers, of clearly describing the life and work of one of the major figures in modern physics and physiology. Many 19th century biographies are hagiographies of the subject. That is not the case here though the author obviously admires Helmholtz. One of the most refreshing things in this book is the way that the author puts the discoveries of Helmholtz into full context, regardless of the nationalities involved. For example, he cites the work done by others on the conservation of energy and, like Helmholtz himself, gives credit where credit is due for that major formulation. The same is true for Helmholtz's work on vision and his invention of the ophthalmoscope, a device we experience almost every time we go the "eye doctor" and an instrument that has saved millions of people unnecessary suffering. The only chapter I had trouble following was the one that dealt with Helmholtz's work in audiology but anyone who knows more physiology that I do would have no problem. This is a valuable book for anyone tracing the work in physics and physiology that has led to the modern world.

The second reason this book is interesting is because, being written when it was, the book itself is a reading in history. McKendrick is such an effective writer that the reader gets a strong sense of what science looked like in 1899. The references to concepts no longer accurate like the ether, instead of making the book irrelevant, for me made it like reading a letter from 1899 in which the world is described as known then, errors and all. The book shows what differences and similarities we have in science today and what a leader in his field like McKendrick thought about the future of science and its impact on human life. We know what came afterward and the contrast is interesting in itself; the relatively few references to out-of-date concepts do not detract from the biography itself.

Helmholtz was a truly remarkable figure who tied together physiology and physics. He was a mathematical genius who originally wanted to be a physicist but his father's influence and practical issues led him to physiology. I doubt anyone else could have combined the two as well as Helmholtz did. Like Kelvin, he had no desire to do pure math but insisted on using math in practical areas where experiments could be done and explanations could be given to students. He was a gifted teacher who always kept his own achievements in perspective. (He was incredibly proud of his most gifted student, Heinrich Hertz.) Teaching to Helmholtz was essential to keep his mind active and up-to-date on the latest developments in science. Mixed in with his ground-breaking discoveries are some statements that foresee later physics. For example, he talks about what geometry would be if you lived on a two-dimensional surface, what it would be on a sphere, what it would be on an egg-shaped space, and what it might be on an infinitely curved space. Euclid becomes irrelevant. He also talked about higher dimensions which humans, like those living on a two-dimensional world trying to picture three dimensions, could not visualize. A fascinating man who also by all indications was a fine human being.

So some provisos are definitely in order for recommending this book. At least some knowledge of basic physics (not beyond Physics 101) is useful as is some knowledge of physiology. Expect the language in the book to be a bit more Victorian than we are used to and there is always the "ether." This is a reprint by Forgotten Books. 99% is fine but one page was blurred out and the image of Helmholtz at the beginning did not copy at all. But, given those provisos, this is a worthwhile reprint of a classic and useful both as a solid biography of a ground-breaking genius and as a bit of history in itself.

Product details Paperback 332 pages Publisher Forgotten Books (May 5, 2017) Language English ISBN-10 9781330147610 ISBN-13 978-1330147610 ASIN 1330147618

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Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand Von Helmholtz Classic Reprint John Gray McKendrick Books Reviews

Some interesting dates surround this book which was first published in 1899. Hermann Helmholtz died five years before the book was first published. The author knew him personally and was also familiar with William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, who died eight years after the book came out. In at least a dozen places in the book the author, John McKendrick, talks with confidence about the "ether" and the work of Helmholtz, Thomson and others who use the ether as a fundamental assumption in their mathematical formulations. McKendrick, like many others, did not see the significance of the Michelson-Morley experiment in 1887. So much solid work had been done with the ether assumption that no other alternative made sense at that point. Yet, six years after the book was published, Einstein showed conclusively that the "ether" did not exist. Similarly, using the work of Thomas Young, Helmholtz and others, McKendrick also states categorically that the particle theory of light is absolutely disproven.

Why would a biography of Hermann Helmholtz published in 1899 with dated scientific references in it be worth reading? Two reasons. One is that the more recent biography of Helmholtz by Michel Meulders, translated by Laurence Garey, is virtually unreadable. I worked my way through about 60% of the book but finally had to give up. Meandering, disorganized - the one star review of that book says it all. This book was the only alternative and it is much better written. The book has a tendency toward 19th century wordiness at times but that does not hurt its organizational style or readability. McKendrick, who was a well-established Scottish physiologist in the last half of the 19th and first half of the 20th century, divides the book by the universities where Helmholtz worked. After an introductory chapter on his early life and a good chapter on the state of science in Germany in the 19th century, chapters are "Helmholtz in Berlin," "Helmholtz in Konigsberg," "Helmholtz in Bonn," etc. This is a useful way of following the flow of Helmholtz's life work. McKendrick does a fine job, far better than many contemporary biographers, of clearly describing the life and work of one of the major figures in modern physics and physiology. Many 19th century biographies are hagiographies of the subject. That is not the case here though the author obviously admires Helmholtz. One of the most refreshing things in this book is the way that the author puts the discoveries of Helmholtz into full context, regardless of the nationalities involved. For example, he cites the work done by others on the conservation of energy and, like Helmholtz himself, gives credit where credit is due for that major formulation. The same is true for Helmholtz's work on vision and his invention of the ophthalmoscope, a device we experience almost every time we go the "eye doctor" and an instrument that has saved millions of people unnecessary suffering. The only chapter I had trouble following was the one that dealt with Helmholtz's work in audiology but anyone who knows more physiology that I do would have no problem. This is a valuable book for anyone tracing the work in physics and physiology that has led to the modern world.

The second reason this book is interesting is because, being written when it was, the book itself is a reading in history. McKendrick is such an effective writer that the reader gets a strong sense of what science looked like in 1899. The references to concepts no longer accurate like the ether, instead of making the book irrelevant, for me made it like reading a letter from 1899 in which the world is described as known then, errors and all. The book shows what differences and similarities we have in science today and what a leader in his field like McKendrick thought about the future of science and its impact on human life. We know what came afterward and the contrast is interesting in itself; the relatively few references to out-of-date concepts do not detract from the biography itself.

Helmholtz was a truly remarkable figure who tied together physiology and physics. He was a mathematical genius who originally wanted to be a physicist but his father's influence and practical issues led him to physiology. I doubt anyone else could have combined the two as well as Helmholtz did. Like Kelvin, he had no desire to do pure math but insisted on using math in practical areas where experiments could be done and explanations could be given to students. He was a gifted teacher who always kept his own achievements in perspective. (He was incredibly proud of his most gifted student, Heinrich Hertz.) Teaching to Helmholtz was essential to keep his mind active and up-to-date on the latest developments in science. Mixed in with his ground-breaking discoveries are some statements that foresee later physics. For example, he talks about what geometry would be if you lived on a two-dimensional surface, what it would be on a sphere, what it would be on an egg-shaped space, and what it might be on an infinitely curved space. Euclid becomes irrelevant. He also talked about higher dimensions which humans, like those living on a two-dimensional world trying to picture three dimensions, could not visualize. A fascinating man who also by all indications was a fine human being.

So some provisos are definitely in order for recommending this book. At least some knowledge of basic physics (not beyond Physics 101) is useful as is some knowledge of physiology. Expect the language in the book to be a bit more Victorian than we are used to and there is always the "ether." This is a reprint by Forgotten Books. 99% is fine but one page was blurred out and the image of Helmholtz at the beginning did not copy at all. But, given those provisos, this is a worthwhile reprint of a classic and useful both as a solid biography of a ground-breaking genius and as a bit of history in itself.