Kelvins Clouds Speech

On Friday, April 27, 1900, the British physicist Lord Kelvin gave a speech entitled Nineteenth-Century Clouds over the Dynamical Theory of Heat and Light, which began: The beauty and clearness of the dynamical theory, which asserts heat and light to be modes of motion, is at present obscured by two clouds. Kelvin went on to explain that the clouds were two unexplained phenomena, which he portrayed as the final couple of holes that needed to be filled in before having a complete understanding of the thermodynamic and energy properties of the universe, explained in classical terms of the motion of particles. This speech, together with other comments attributed to Kelvin, such as by physicist Albert Michelson in an 1894 speech, indicate that he strongly believed the main role of physics in that day was to just measure known quantities to a great degree of precision, out to many decimal places of accuracy. Meaning of Clouds The clouds to which Kelvin was referring were: The inability to detect the luminous ether, specifically the failure of the Michelson-Morley experimentThe black body radiation effect—known as the ultraviolet catastrophe Importance References to this speech have become somewhat popular for one very simple reason: Lord Kelvin was about as wrong as he could possibly have been. Instead of minor details that had to be worked out, Kelvins two clouds instead represented fundamental limits to a classical approach to understanding the universe. Their resolution introduced whole new and unanticipated realms of physics, known collectively as modern physics. Quantum Physics In fact, Max Planck solved the black body radiation problem in 1900, presumably, after Kelvin gave his speech) In doing so, he had to invoke the concept of limitations on the allowed energy of emitted light. This concept of a light quanta was seen as a simple mathematical trick at the time, necessary to resolve the problem, but it worked. Plancks approach precisely explained the experimental evidence resulting from heated objects in the black-body radiation problem. However, in 1905, Einstein took the idea further and used the concept to also explain the photoelectric effect. Between these two solutions, it became clear that light seemed to exist as little packets, or quanta, of energy—photons, as they would later come to be called. Once it became clear that light existed in packets, physicists began to discover that all kinds of matter and energy existed in these packets, and the age of quantum physics began. Relativity The other cloud that Kelvin mentioned was the failure of the Michelson-Morley experiments to discuss the luminous ether. This was the theoretical substance that physicists of the day believed permeated the universe, so that light could move as a wave. The Michelson-Morley experiments had been a rather ingenious set of experiments, based on the idea that light would move at different speeds through the ether depending on how the Earth was moving through it. They constructed a method to measure this difference... but it hadnt worked. It appeared that the direction of lights motion had no bearing on the speed, which didnt fit with the idea of it moving through a substance like the ether. Again, though, in 1905 Einstein came along and set the ball rolling on this one. He laid out the premise of special relativity, invoking a postulate that light always moved at a constant speed. As he developed the theory of relativity, it became clear that the concept of the luminous ether was no longer particularly helpful, so scientists discarded it. References by Other Physicists Popular physics books have frequently referenced this event because it makes it clear that even very knowledgeable physicists can be overcome by overconfidence at the extent of their fields applicability. In his book The Trouble with Physics, theoretical physicist Lee Smolin says the following about the speech: William Thomson (Lord Kelvin), an influential British physicist, famously proclaimed that physics was over, except for two small clouds on the horizon. These clouds turned out to be the clues that led us to quantum theory and relativity theory. Physicist Brian Greene also references the Kelvin speech in The Fabric of the Cosmos: In 1900, Kelvin himself did note that two clouds were hovering on the horizon, one to do with properties of lights motion and the other with aspects of the radiation objects emit when heated, but there was a general feeling that these were mere details, which, no doubt, would soon be addressed. Within a decade, everything changed. As anticipated, the two problems Kelvin had raised were promptly addressed, but they proved anything but minor. Each ignited a revolution, and each requires a fundamental rewriting of natures laws.

My Unexpected Experience - 1008 Words

My unexpected experience Last month was horrible. My Dad had gotten sick. My family and I thought it was nothing but the flu because when he gets it, it always hits him harder than us kids; he is usually laid up in bed for about a week. When the week passed and he was still severely sick, we knew something was really wrong. That same day we noticed he was spitting up blood, his fever wasn t breaking, and he could barely move. My sister Brittany and I tried to get him to go to the hospital but instead he just laid there and said, I m tired; I ll go in the morning. We made him promise he would go. But now I wish I would ve dragged him out of bed that night. The next morning my cousin and my little brother were getting†¦show more content†¦The second day he showed a little improvement: he went from a thirty percent to a thirty-five percent chance of living, which only got better every day. By the fourth day they couldn t put a percentage on it because he was doing way better, but he was still hooked to all the machines. By the sixth day they took him off life support and he could finally talk to us. That night we went home to sleep in our own beds. My dad stayed up there for another week and finally came home. God really watched out for us. Since that experience my way of thinking changed. Life can be taken from you in the matter of minutes. So I live life to the fullest every day. I try not to sweat the small things and ignore the drama. Before my dad was hospitalized I never went to church. Since he s been out I go every Sunday faithfully. Because I really believe God helped my family through this I know, I can really say this experience changed my life thank you to all friends and family who came to the hospital to help us through this event and thanks to god for letting himShow MoreRelatedEssay To My One Love1256 Words   |  6 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚   Facing death at any age is difficult, but for Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and John Sullivan, it came early, resulting in two essays r etelling their experience.   In their accounts of these situations, the author can see they both want to emphasise that death can come in very unexpected situations.   To My One Love, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, begins on page 17 of 50 Essays by Samuel Cohen.   In her essay, set in present day, she has flashbacks to her relationship with a boy â€Å"from the wrong side ofRead MoreAnalysis OfTuft Of Flowers, And Home Burial970 Words   |  4 PagesDiscoveries can be sudden and unexpected inevitably leading to new perceptions of the world, new values and understandings of ourselves and others. 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Definition of Quality free essay sample

There is an old maxim in management that says, If you ant measure it, you cant manage it, and so it is with quality. If strategic management systems and the competitive advantage are to be based on quality, every member of the organization should be clear about this concept, definition, and measurement as it applies to his or her Job. Harvard professor David Carving summarized five principal approaches to defining quality. First of it is transcendental view of quality. Those who hold transcendental view would say, l cant define it, but I know when I see It. Advertisers are fond of promoting products in these terms.Where shopping Is a pleasure for supermarket, We love to fly and it shows for airline, and It means beautiful eyes for cosmetics are example. Next Is the product- based view. Product based definitions are different. Quality Is viewed as quantifiable and measurable characteristics or attributes. We will write a custom essay sample on Definition of Quality or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For example durability or reliability can be measured, and the engineer can design to that benchmark. Quality is determined objectively. Although this approach has many benefits, it has limitations as well. Where quality is based on individual taste or preference, the benchmark for assortment may be misleading.Then, the next principal Is the user-based view. User based definitions are based on the idea that quality is an individual matter, and products that best satisfy their preferences are those with the highest quality. This is a rational approach but leads to two problems. First, consumer preferences vary widely, and It is difficult to aggregate these preferences Into products with wide appeal. This leads to the choice between a niche strategy and a market aggregation approach which tries to Identify those product attributes that meet the needs of the arrest number of consumers.Moreover, the next principal Is manufacturing-based View. Manufacturing-based definitions are concerned primarily with engineering and manufacturing practices and use the universal definition of conformance to requirements. Requirements, or specifications, are established design, and any deviation implies a reduction in quality. The concept applies to services as well as products. Excellence in quality is not necessarily in the eye of the beholder but rather in the standards set by the organization. This approach has serious weaknesses.The consumers perception of quality is equated with conformance and hence is internally focused. Emphasis on reliability in design and manufacturing tends to address cost reduction as the objective, and cost reduction is perceived In a limited way-invest In design and manufacturing Improvement until these incremental costs equal the costs of non-quality such as rework or scrap. The last principal Is value- based view. Value-based quality Is defined In terms of costs and prices as well as a number of other attributes.