He is best known for his discovery of the principle of electromagnetic induction and the laws of electrolysis.In Experimental Researches in Electricity, first published in three volumes between 1839 and 1855, Faraday discusses the inquiries that led to his development of the first dynamo (the precursor of modern dynamos and generators), and his establishment of the foundations of classical field theory. His descriptions contain scarcely a hint of mathematics, and he relates the progress of his experiments in direct, clear language. Using the primitive tools available to him in his time, in conjunction with his great imaginative gifts, Faraday explains how he arrived at his profound conclusions with stunning simplicity. "The writing is interesting and the expositions are impressive." — Florida Scientist.

    The usual explanation has been to assume the one-time existence of land bridges (such as the hypothetical Lemuria) or parallelisms or diffusion with lost intermediary steps.In 1915, however, one of the most influential and most controversial books in the history of science provided a new solution. This was Alfred Wegener's Entstehung der Kontinente, which dispensed with land bridges and parallel evolutions and offered a more economical concept. Wegener proposed that in the remote past the earth's continents were not separate (as now), but formed one supercontinent which later split apart, the fragments gradually drifting away from one another. Wegener created his supercontinent with attractive simplicity by tucking the point of South America into the Gulf of Guinea, coalescing North America, Greenland, and Europe, rotating Australia and Antarctica up through the Indian Ocean, and closing the remaining gaps. Wegener then explained various phenomena in historical geology, geomorphy, paleontology, paleoclimatology, and similar areas of science in terms of this continental drift. To back up his revolutionary theory he drew upon a seemingly inexhaustible find of data. Later editions of his book added new data to refute his opponents or to strengthen his own views in the violent scientific quarrel that arose.Even today this important question remains undecided, and geologists are divided into strongly opposed groups about the Wegener hypothesis. At the moment it seems to be gaining steadily in acceptance. It is one of the two basic theories of earth history, and since it has often been misrepresented in summary, every earth scientist owes it to himself to examine its theories and data.

    Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

    "One of the most valuable and interesting books of travel that has been written on Siberia." Bulletin, 1915 "The name of the author is a guarantee that the book is worth reading." American Geographical Society, 1915 "His power as a graphic writer and unusually equipped observer finds full expression in his remarkably interesting book." The Bookseller, 1914 "One is amazed at the scope of his book and the mass of interesting matter it contains." Geographical Journal, 1915 Nansen's book "Through Siberia" is an exciting account of the author's eventful journey by sea, river and rail from Norway, via the Kara Sea, to eastern Siberia. Published in 1914 as "Gjennem Sibirien," an English translation by Arthur Grosvenor Chater (1866-1951) was published in 1914. In August 1913, the steamer Correct left Norway loaded with goods for Siberia to make an attempt to open up a regular trade connection with the Yenisei River. August 27, the vessel safely reached the mouth of the Yenisei, discharged her cargo into river boats and returned to Norway without at any time being obstructed by the ice. Fridtjof Nansen (1861 –1930), who was a guest of the Siberian Company continued the journey up the Yenisei to Krasnoyarsk, and from there, as a guest of the chief engineer of the Imperial Russian railways, continued the trip over the Siberian Railroad to Vladivostok. From Vladivostok the journey homeward was via the new line of railroad being constructed along the Amur River, using steamboat and motor car where the railroad is in construction, and railway hand car over the completed sections, to the main Siberian line and thence to Europe. We are fortunate in having his account of that journey by water and land from Norway to Vladivostok. In wealth of information "Through Siberia" is premier among works on Siberia, while it possesses all the charm of description of those earlier books, "First Crossing of Greenland" and "Farthest North". As a lifelong student of out-of-door Nature Nansen sees what he looks at and makes scientific inferences from what he sees; his inferences reach into deep waters and beneath tundra and mountain; they connect the present with a prehistoric past. Needless to say, there is not a dull page or superfluous paragraph in the volume, and Nansen has lost none of his descriptive power. The author sees and describes the native Samoyedes, the Russian traders, political exiles, and the Siberian peasant, as well as ethnological and geological questions, industrial, social and political conditions, and the China-Russian problems created by the Japanese war. Regarding the Chinese, Nansen writes: "When it comes to fleecing natives, no European is a match for the Chinese. They poison them with their pernicious Chinese spirit, khanshin, and they also give them opium; they coax their sables and other valuable furs out of them at a ridiculous price, and charge heavily for their own goods which they supply in return; they contrive to get the natives so deeply into their debt that they can never be free, but must always procure them furs. They use their power over the natives to make them fear the Russians as their enemies and see in the Chinese their friends and saviours." Nansen notes that "Russia is unwilling to have her territory populated by Chinese and she has passed severe legislation against their immigration; but she is utterly unable without their labor to develop the resources of her eastern country. One of the results of her attitude is the growth of a strong feeling of hostility on the part of the Chinese.

    'What Vesalius was to Galen, what Copernicus was to Ptolemy, that was Lobachevski to Euclid.' An unabridged printing, to include all figures, from the translation by Halsted.

    These last do not appear in the text, but are given on a separate page in the back part of the volume. In spite of these omissions, it is hoped that this compilation may have some value as a concise reference book for the general reader or for schools. With a View toward simplicity, the writer has given no exact figures such as would be necessary in an advanced textbook, but has stated all numerical values in the closest approximate terms.There has been added - what the compiler has never happened to see before - a tabulated chronology of the main events in the history of Astronomy, and also a chapter very briefly de scribing the various instruments now used in the great observatories.In the bibliography at the end of the volume, are listed the titles of all the books used for reference in checking the descriptions, figures, and statements given. To the authors of all of these books, the writer is much indebted. Following each title is a short note, endeavoring to present an idea of the scope of that volume. If, upon reaching this bibliography, the reader is enough interested in the greatest and most ancient of sciences to turn to some of these real books upon the subject, the main purpose of these pages will have been accomplished.This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

    I believe that the time has now arrived when this unsatisfactory state of affairs can be brought to an end' - Bertrand Russell So begins Our Knowledge of the Eternal World, Bertrand Russell's classic attempt to show by means of examples, the nature, capacity and limitations of the logico-analytical method in philosophy.