Kathy Joseph's Blog, page 4
October 25, 2022
How Alessandro Volta Invented The First Battery
How did Allesandro Volta invent the first battery? Learn a story of scientific rivalries, reanimating corpses, tingly metals and Napoleonic politics! I also show you how the frog moved, how to make your own battery out of pennies and vinegar that lights up an LED light bulb and how to make Hydrogen and Oxygen gas out of water! I will also tell you why we can’t use pennies to charge our cell phones.
This is a fascinating tale behind one of our most used devices in modern life: the battery.
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How Thomas Edison Created a Light Bulb Empire
How did Thomas Edison go from poverty to creating an electric empire as well as the first research institute? Well, I’ll tell you and along the way I’ll talk about relentless drive, a strange philosophy on sleep, the invention of the phonograph, telegraph humor, lighting beards on fire, and a long-legged generator.
Table of ContentsThomas Alva Edison’s Early LifeThe PhonautographHumphrey Davy and The Arc LampThe Long-Legged Mary-AnnHow Edison Invented The Li...How Benjamin Franklin Discovered Electricity
How did Benjamin Franklin discover about electricity? And what did Franklin discover about electricity once he heard about it? Well, I’ll tell you and along the way I will talk about how we got positive and negative charges, the longest-standing rule of Physics, a terrifying experiment with lightning and a simple mistake that still plagues us today.
Table of ContentsPeter Collinson and Benjamin FranklinThe True Nature of ElectricityBenjamin Franklin’s Sentry Box E...How a Leyden Jar Works
Wait? How did a jar of water shock anyone? And why? Well, I’ll tell you and along the way, I will talk about: shocking people for the king’s pleasure, breaking the rules, and masochistic adrenalin junkies with some really difficult names to pronounce.
Table of ContentsThe Electrifying ExperimentHow the Leyden Jar WorksAndreas Cunaeus Jean-Antoine NolletHow Popular was Leyden JarThe Electrifying ExperimentThis story began on October 11, 1745. O...
October 23, 2022
The True Father of Electricity: Stephen Gray
On May 1, 1729 a retired clothing dyer noticed a single feather moving in a strange way which changed the course of history. How did a single feather change the course of history? Well, I’ll tell you and along the way, I will talk about class prejudice, the true father of electricity, electrifying hot pokers, live chickens, and “flying” children!
Table of ContentsThe First Real Study of Electricity: Stephen GrayThe Discovery of Electric CommunicationThe Discovery ...How Static Electricity Works
How did gold lead to the first rules of electricity? And, why is it ½ correct? What is correct and what was incorrect? Well, I’ll tell you and along the way, I’ll talk about how static electricity works, why it doesn’t work on humid days, and why it often flows away and confuses us.
Table of ContentsGray’s ArticleDu Fay’s DiscoveryExperimenting with Gold Why Electrical Experiments only work on Dry DaysWhy Du Fay was only 1/2 CorrectGray’s Article...October 21, 2022
Nikola Tesla Facts and Fiction
What have you heard about Tesla? That he invented Alternating Current (AC)? That he and Edison fought the “War of the Currents” over AC vs. DC? That Edison hounded him? That he wanted to give everyone free electricity? That he was a Physics genius? That’s what I heard on YouTube and on websites and even on television shows! But I researched it by reading primary materials and, ready to have your mind blown, these are all wrong. All of them.
What are the “facts” commonly told about Tesla?
...October 16, 2022
George Westinghouse: The Unsung Hero of Electricity
This video is my attempt to correct what I think is an injustice.
The erasure and villainization of a man named George Westinghouse Jr. who I think w...
Protected: George Westinghouse: The Unsung Hero of Electricity
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September 27, 2022
Maxwell’s Equations Explained: Supplement to the History of Maxwell’s Equation
In this video I am going to explain the dot product, the cross product, the divergence, the curl and how it all works for Maxwell’s equations AND what Maxwell’s equations mean about magnets and light and a tiny bit about why that is important. But before I do that, I want to take a moment to say why I am making this video.
See, as many of you know, I am a science historian who makes videos and writes books where I use the personal stories of the scientists to teach the science...
