Richard Clark wrote:


One of the most profound lectures I have ever read, insofar as
teaching science goes, dates back roughly 150 years to one of our own.
"The Chemical History of the Candle" by Michael Faraday is a series of
lectures by the master of inductance given to young students. It is
the classic of its type and sets the standard even to this day.

Thankyew! I'm reading it now. The first thing I am struck by is the
readability of the thing. So much from that era was so hyperliterate.



One point that still astonishes me is when Faraday makes the point
(and I will extrapolate to current capacities) that for every barrel
of oil burned, a barrel of water is produced in the combustion
process. I have to wonder at the plight of science understanding (not
just training) when I see huge flame geysers burning in the desert
(waste gas) of an oil rich country that has to import water:


Most of those places have borrowed the technology to extract the oil in
the first place. It isn't inherent in their lifestyle. They probably
don't know about the water because we didn't tell them. And we were just
worried about the oil.

Excellent point however.

- 73 de Mike N3LI -