Samuel Tolver Preston

Samuel Tolver Preston

Samuel Tolver Preston (July 8, 1844 — 1917) was an English Engineer and physicist.

His parents were Daniel Bloom Preston (* 1807) and Mary Susannah Tolver. Preston was educated as a Telegraph-engineer. He went to Munich where he attained his Ph.D in 1894 with Ludwig Boltzmann. After that, he worked as a teacher.

He is known for his works (1875-1894) on the kinetic theory of gases and his attempts to combine this theory with Le Sage's theory of gravitation. [see Le Sage's theory of gravitation#Kinetic theory] In his book "Physics of the Ether" (1875) he claimed that if matter is subdivided into ether particles, they would travel at the speed of light and represent an enormous amount of energy. In this way, one grain of matter would contain energy equal to 1000 millions of foot-tons (whereby one foot-ton=2240 foot-pounds). [Non-mainstream: Auffray: "Samuel Tolver and E=mc²". arxiv|physics|0611300] [Non-mainstream: Bjerknes: [http://itis.volta.alessandria.it/episteme/ep6/ep6-bjerk1.htm S. Tolver Preston's Explosive Idea: E = mc² and the Huyghens-Leibnitz Mass/Energy Identity as a Heuristic Principle in the Nineteenth Century] ] However, Preston's thoughts were entirely based on classical, non-relativistic physics and cannot be compared with Albert Einstein's Mass–energy equivalence, which is a consequence of special relativity.

Preston also seemed to be the first (1885) to recognize the redundancy of Michael Faraday's explanation of electromagnetic induction. [Citation | author=Miller, A.I. | year=1981 | title= Albert Einstein’s special theory of relativity. Emergence (1905) and early interpretation (1905–1911) | place= Reading |publisher=Addison–Wesley |isbn=0-201-04679-2|pages=156] Einstein recognized a similar problem in his paper "On the electrodynamics of moving bodies" (1905, i.e. special relativity).

In 1876 he corresponded with James Clerk Maxwell and alluded to the work of John James Waterston. In 1880 he corresponded with Charles Robert Darwin

References

Publications

*"Physics of the ether"; 1875
*" [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/On_some_Dynamical_Conditions On some dynamical conditions applicable to LeSage’s theory of gravitation] " (1877); Phil. Mag., fifth ser. 4: 206-213 (pt. 1) and 364-375 (pt. 2)
*"Mode of the Propagation of Sound, and the Physical Condition Determining its Velocity on the Basis of the Kinetic Theory of Gases"; (1877)
*"Temperature Equilibrium in the Universe in Relation to the Kinetic Theory"; Nature 20, 1879, p. 28
*"On the Possibility of accounting for the Continuance of Recurring Changes in the Universe, consistently with the Tendency to Temperature-Equilibrium"; Philosophical Magazine 8, 1879, p.152/163.
*"On the possibility of explaining the continuance of life in the Universe consistent with the tendency to temperature-equilibrium"; Nature 19, 1879, p. 460/462
*"On method in causal research"; in: "Philosophical magazine", ix (1880), S. 356–367
*"A Question regarding one of the Physical Premises upon which the Finality of Universal Change is based"; Philosophical Magazine 10, 1880, p. 338/342.
*"Science and sectarian religion"; in: "S. T. Preston, Original essays"; London, 1884, S. 19–51.
*"Ueber das gegenseitige Verhältniss einiger zur dynamischen Erklärung der Gravitation aufgestellten Hypothesen"; Inauguraldissertation von 1894, München, Phil. Fak.
*"Comparative Review of some Dynamical Theories of Gravitation"; Philosophical Magazine 1895, Vol. 35, p. 145ff.
*"On Certain Questions connected with Astronomical Physics"; Philosophical Magazine 1906, Vol. 12, p. 560ff.
*"On Certain Questions connected with Astronomical Physics, Part II"; Philosophical Magazine 1907, Vol. 14, p. 265ff.
*"On some Physical Relations affecting Matter in Diverse Stages of Subdivision"; Philosophical Magazine 1908, Vol. 16, p. 345ff.

External links

*Bettini: "A Cosmic Archipelago: Multiverse Scenarios in the History of Modern Cosmology". arxiv|physics|0510111
*http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/andp.18782400703


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Samuel Tolver Preston — (* 8. Juli 1844; † 1917) war ein englischer Ingenieur und Physiker. Seine Eltern waren Daniel Bloom Preston (* 1807) und Mary Susannah Tolver aus Norwich. Preston wurde zum Telegraphen Ingenieur ausgebildet. Er ging nach München, wo er 1894… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Preston (disambiguation) — Preston is a city in Lancashire. It may also refer to Preston (UK Parliament constituency) Places Australia*Preston, Victoria *Preston, TasmaniaCanada*Preston, Nova Scotia *Preston, Ontario: now part of the city of Cambridge, OntarioOther places… …   Wikipedia

  • Preston (Familienname) — Preston ist ein Familienname. Bekannte Namensträger Inhaltsverzeichnis A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Liste der Biografien/Pr — Biografien: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Druckgravitation — Die Le Sage Gravitation ist eine einfache mechanische Gravitationserklärung, die das Gravitationsgesetz von Newton begründen sollte. Sie wurde von Nicolas Fatio de Duillier (1690) und Georges Louis Le Sage (1748) entworfen. Da Fatios Arbeit… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Drucktheorie — Die Le Sage Gravitation ist eine einfache mechanische Gravitationserklärung, die das Gravitationsgesetz von Newton begründen sollte. Sie wurde von Nicolas Fatio de Duillier (1690) und Georges Louis Le Sage (1748) entworfen. Da Fatios Arbeit… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Le-Sage-Gravitation — Die Le Sage Gravitation ist eine einfache mechanische Gravitationserklärung, die das Gravitationsgesetz von Newton begründen sollte. Sie wurde von Nicolas Fatio de Duillier (1690) und Georges Louis Le Sage (1748) entworfen. Da Fatios Arbeit… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • LeSage-Gravitation — Die Le Sage Gravitation ist eine einfache mechanische Gravitationserklärung, die das Gravitationsgesetz von Newton begründen sollte. Sie wurde von Nicolas Fatio de Duillier (1690) und Georges Louis Le Sage (1748) entworfen. Da Fatios Arbeit… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Le Sage-Gravitation — Die Le Sage Gravitation ist eine einfache mechanische Gravitationserklärung, die das Gravitationsgesetz von Newton begründen sollte. Sie wurde von Nicolas Fatio de Duillier (1690) und Georges Louis Le Sage (1748) entworfen. Da Fatios Arbeit… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Le Sage's theory of gravitation — is the most common name for the kinetic theory of gravity originally proposed by Nicolas Fatio de Duillier in 1690 and later by Georges Louis Le Sage in 1748. The theory proposed a mechanical explanation for Newton s gravitational force in terms… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”