Flashcards from Lecture Notes on Huxley, Thermodynamics, and Industrialization

These flashcards cover key concepts from the lecture notes related to Thomas Huxley, thermodynamics, the evolution of industrial technology, and the interdependence of science and industry.

Thomas Henry Huxley

Known as 'Darwin’s Bulldog,' he was a strong supporter of Darwin’s theory of Evolution and a professional biologist.

Huxley-Owen Feud

A dispute between Thomas Huxley and Richard Owen over the anatomical similarities and differences between human and ape brains.

First Law of Thermodynamics

States that energy can be transformed but cannot be created or destroyed.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

States that the amount of energy available for useful work is always decreasing, leading to increased entropy.

Entropy

A measure of unusable energy or disorder in a system.

Natural Theology

The idea that evidence of God can be found in nature.

William Thomson (Lord Kelvin)

A key figure in thermodynamics, aimed to explain the efficiency of steam engines and established Britain's first physics laboratory.

James Prescott Joule

A brewer and self-taught natural philosopher known for quantifying the mechanical equivalent of heat.

Rudolf Clausius

Expanded on Thomson’s ideas, establishing the mathematical foundations of thermodynamics.

Telegraph

A 19th-century technology that allowed messages to be transmitted instantly over long distances using electric signals.

Retardation

A major obstacle in long-distance undersea telegraphy referring to the delay in signal transmission.

Marine Galvanometer

An instrument invented to detect and read weak telegraph signals.

Fredrich Wohler

Synthetized urea in 1828, proving that organic compounds could be made in a laboratory.

Organic Chemistry

A branch of chemistry focused on the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and materials.

Synthetic Dyes

Artificial dyes created in laboratories which revolutionized the dye industry in the 19th century.

Technoscience

The fusion of scientific theory and industrial technology which characterized the 2nd Industrial Revolution.

Imperialism in Science

The relationship between science and empire building, where scientific innovation supported industrialization and territorial expansion.