Categories: Inventors

Famous Inventors Born in August!

Charles Kettering

Date of Birth: August 29, 1876

American inventor who invented the auto self-starter ignition.

Electric Cash Register (1906): Invented to simplify sales transactions.
Credit Approval System: Developed a precursor to modern credit cards.
Electrical Starting Motor (1911): Revolutionized the automotive industry by developing the first electric starter motor, eliminating the need for hand cranking.
Leaded Gasoline (1921): Co-developed leaded gasoline to improve engine performance and reduce engine knocking.

Freon Refrigerant (1928): In collaboration with DuPont, invented Freon, a safer and more efficient refrigerant for air conditioning and refrigeration systems.
Duco Lacquers and Enamels: Developed the first practical colored paints for mass-produced automobiles, enhancing durability and aesthetic appeal.

“Bug” Aerial Torpedo: Developed the world’s first aerial missile, contributing to advancements in military technology.

Two-Stroke Diesel Engines: Pioneered the development of practical, lightweight two-stroke diesel engines, transforming the locomotive and heavy equipment industries.

Head of Research at General Motors (1920-1947)
Co-founded Delco (Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co.), furthering advancements in automotive electrical systems.

Guillaume Amontons

Date of Birth: August 31, 1663

Famous French physicist.

Barometer and Thermometer Improvements (1695): Enhanced these instruments for maritime use.
Hygrometer (1687): Developed a more accurate tool for measuring humidity.
Optical Telegraph: Demonstrated an early version of optical communication.
Clepsydra (Water Clock): Proposed its use for timekeeping on ships.

Thermodynamics

Pressure-Temperature Relationship: Investigated how gas pressure increases with temperature, leading towards the concept of absolute zero, though his estimate (-240°C) was not accurate.
Hot Air Engine (1699): Invented the “fire mill,” a precursor to the Stirling engine, utilizing the expansion of heated air to generate power.

Friction

Laws of Friction (1699): Rediscovered and formulated the laws of friction originally noted by Leonardo da Vinci, which were later verified by Charles-Augustin de Coulomb. His laws are:
The force of friction is directly proportional to the applied load.
The force of friction is independent of the apparent area of contact.
Kinetic friction is independent of the sliding velocity (added by Coulomb).

Thermodynamics and Absolute Zero

Gas Law Development: Established that gas pressure increases with temperature, contributing to the foundation of gas laws and the concept of absolute zero.

Early Life and Education

Self-Education: Despite being mostly deaf and not attending university, he studied mathematics, physical sciences, and celestial mechanics.

Hermann von Helmholtz

Date of Birth: August 31, 1821

Famous German physicist.

Conservation of Energy (1847): Published “Über die Erhaltung der Kraft” (On the Conservation of Force), demonstrating that energy is conserved in muscle movement, challenging the dominant vitalism paradigm.
Heat Death of the Universe: Alongside William Thomson and William Rankine, popularized the idea that the universe would eventually reach a state of no thermodynamic free energy.

Fluid Dynamics

Helmholtz’s Theorems: Made significant contributions to vortex dynamics in inviscid fluids, important in fluid dynamics studies.

Sensory Physiology and Psychology

Human Vision and Audition: Pioneered the scientific study of how physical stimuli correspond to human perceptions, laying the groundwork for psychophysics.
Empirical Theories: Developed theories on depth perception, color vision, and motion perception, fundamental to sensory physiology.
Nerve Signal Speed (1849): Measured the speed of nerve signals, challenging the belief that they were immeasurably fast.

Ophthalmology

Ophthalmoscope (1851): Invented the ophthalmoscope, revolutionizing the examination of the inner eye.
Handbuch der Physiologischen Optik: His comprehensive work on the physiology of optics became a fundamental reference in the field.

Acoustics

Sensations of Tone (1863): Studied the physics of sound perception, influencing musicology and acoustics.
Helmholtz Resonator: Invented to identify the various frequencies in complex sounds, significant in the study of acoustics.

Electromagnetism

Electrical Oscillations (1869-1871): Investigated electrical oscillations and contributed to the understanding of electromagnetism.
Helmholtz Equation: Developed an important equation in electromagnetism, though his student Heinrich Hertz became more famous for demonstrating electromagnetic radiation.

Philosophy of Science

Philosophy of Perception: Explored the relationship between the laws of perception and the laws of nature, contributing to the philosophy of science and aesthetics.

Hydrodynamic Stability

Research Contributions: Made significant contributions to the study of hydrodynamic stability, impacting fluid mechanics.

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1 year ago

Angelina Kushnarova

Angelina Kushnarova (Sverediuk) was born in Ukraine. She graduated from Ternopil Medical University with a specialization in Medicine and completed an internship in Radiology at Lviv University. She worked as a Radiologist, while also working as a web developer.