内容简介
One day in 1882, Thomas Edison flipped a switch that lit up lower Manhattan with incandescent light and changed the way people live ever after. The electric light bulb was only one of thousands of Edison's inventions, which include the phonograph and the kinetoscope, an early precursor to the movie camera. As a boy, observing a robin catch a worm and then take flight, he fed a playmate a mixture of worms and water to see if she could fly! Here's an accessible, appealing biography with 100 black-and-white illustrations.
作者简介
Born 1943.
TRAINED
1959-60 Bolton College of Art.
1960-62 Liverpool College of Art. (Intermediate in Arts & Craft.)
1962-64 Stoke-on-Trent College of Art. (Art Teachers Diploma. A.T.D. A.T.C.Manc..)
ASSOCIATIONS
Full member C.P.A..Elected as C.P.A. Council Member 1997.Guest Demonstrator at the International Potters Festival, Aberystwyth 1997.
WORKING PRACTICE AND APPROACH.
As a young art student at Bolton College of Art I was eager to work with clay. The enthusiasm and dedication of the pottery lecturer there, L.F. Matthews, gave me an insight into 'the craft of the potter' and set me on a course of learning, research and experiment from which I have never wanted to deviate.
Stoke-on-Trent School of Art under Derek Emms introduced me to working with reduction fired stoneware of the Eastern tradition. At this time I met David and together we started to lay the foundation for the establishment of our workshop which we have had now for thirty five years.
The early years of domestic production throwing were invaluable as a foundation for the work that I do now and I look back with great respect to the struggles that we overcame and the insight that was gained into the nature of clays, glazes and form. As our two boys Daniel and Gregor grew up I was able to develop my own personal work more and explored my deep attachment to reduction porcelain.
Over the last few years much effort and experimentation has gone into the development of my own porcelain body with glazes to fit this low expansion body. The qualities of translucency and lightness sought, demand that it is potted quite finely and it takes time, care and patience. It fractures easily and needs skill in handling.
The smoothness of the porcelain body makes it ideal for carving, which I do particularly on open bowls and jars. These designs are mainly floral- I draw beforehand- but I like to work directly onto the clay without copying as I achieve a greater spontaneity and flow. Every imperfection shows on a pale blue celadon carved piece and the losses can be frustratingly high.Some of my work is heavily decorative achieved with the use of coloured glazes and pigments applied over a white base glaze. I may use wax to paint the initial design or mask out areas for overglazing with poured, painted or trailed glaze. Lately I have been experimenting with copper red glazes with their elusive appeal. They require careful control during the reduction firing as they tend to burn out easily. I am using them in combination with other heavy iron glazes achieving deep shades of purples, oranges and reds all intermingled.
A piece of soft maleable clay (specialist though it may be) nurtured through all its processes, then carefully placed in the fire and coached to orange heat never ceases to amaze at the opening of the kiln. A wonderful transformation into a structure which can last for thousands of years, this is the force, which drives me on!
前言/序言
探索伟大心灵的征途:世界著名科学家的非凡一生 本书带领读者深入探索人类历史长河中那些以非凡智慧和不懈努力推动世界进步的伟大科学家的传奇故事。这是一部集传记、科普与励志于一体的作品,旨在向年轻一代揭示科学探索的魅力,以及科学精神的核心价值。 一、超越时代的先驱者:从古希腊的哲思到文艺复兴的萌芽 本卷聚焦于奠定现代科学基石的早期探索者。我们将追溯阿基米德在西西里岛上关于浮力、杠杆原理的深刻洞察,以及他那句响彻千年的“给我一个支点,我就能撬动地球”所蕴含的工程学智慧。读者将跟随他的脚步,理解几何学和物理学最初是如何被系统化和应用于实际问题的。 随后,叙事转向中世纪晚期,重点描绘尼古拉·哥白尼在波兰宁静的修道院中,如何冒着巨大的压力,凭借严密的数学推导,提出了“日心说”。这一“哥白尼式的革命”不仅是一次天文学的修正,更是人类认识自身在宇宙中地位的根本性转变。我们将详述他那部划时代的著作《天体运行论》是如何挑战了根深蒂固的宇宙观,并为后来的伽利略和开普勒铺平了道路。 文艺复兴时期,莱昂纳多·达·芬奇的形象将以一个跨学科天才的面貌出现。我们不会仅仅停留在他的艺术成就上,而是深入挖掘他作为解剖学家、工程师和飞行器设计者的身份。通过翻阅他那些充满神秘符号的笔记本,读者将得以一窥他如何将艺术观察与精确的科学记录相结合,探究人体的奥秘与自然界的机械原理。 二、理性之光的崛起:科学革命的决定性篇章 本部分是全书的高潮之一,集中讲述了十七世纪科学革命的巨匠们。 伽利略·伽利莱的故事将围绕着他那台简陋却威力无穷的望远镜展开。我们将重现他首次将望远镜指向夜空时所目睹的震撼景象——木星的卫星、月球表面的环形山。这不仅仅是视觉上的发现,更是对权威学说的公开挑战。书中将详细解析伽利略如何运用实验方法来验证他的运动定律,以及他与教会之间的艰难抗争,凸显了科学独立性与真理追求的价值。 紧接着,我们进入艾萨克·牛顿的世界。我们将深入解析他如何将散落在各地的科学观察统一在万有引力定律和三大运动定律之下。从苹果落地的启发,到利用三棱镜解析光线的七彩光谱,牛顿的叙事将强调理论体系构建的宏伟性。书中还会探讨他的微积分发明,阐明这项数学工具是如何为描述动态世界的变化提供了前所未有的精确语言。 三、电气时代的黎明与生命科学的探索 时间来到十八和十九世纪,人类开始掌握自然界中更为强大的力量——电与磁。 迈克尔·法拉第的篇章将聚焦于他早年作为印刷学徒的经历,以及他如何从一个没有高等教育背景的实践者,成长为电磁学领域的奠基人。我们将详细描述他设计和执行的那些关键实验,如何发现了电磁感应现象,从而为现代发电机和电动机的发明奠定了基础。法拉第的故事是关于勤奋、直觉和对实验细节的极致专注的最好例证。 同时,本书也将目光投向生命科学领域。我们将回顾查尔斯·达尔文在“小猎犬号”上的环球航行,重点分析他在加拉帕戈斯群岛上对物种差异的细致观察。书中将以通俗易懂的方式阐释“自然选择”这一核心概念,及其对生物学界产生的深远影响,同时也会触及该理论在当时社会引起的伦理和哲学辩论。 四、现代科学的宏伟蓝图 最后一部分,我们将介绍那些塑造了我们现代生活的关键科学突破。 居里夫人玛丽·居里的故事,不仅是关于放射性元素的发现,更是关于女性在科学界争取平等地位的史诗。读者将了解到她和皮埃尔在简陋实验室中,如何通过艰苦的分离提纯过程,发现了钋和镭。她的双重诺贝尔奖成就将作为对科学奉献精神的终极象征被呈现。 此外,我们还将简要介绍阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦的“奇迹年”。通过形象化的描述,我们将尝试解释相对论的基本思想——时空的相对性,以及质能方程E=mc²所蕴含的巨大能量潜力,从而为理解二十世纪物理学的进程提供一个坚实的起点。 本书特点: 深入的传记描绘: 不仅仅罗列成就,更着重刻画科学家们在面对失败、质疑和个人困境时的心路历程。 情景再现: 辅以丰富的插图和场景描述,帮助读者“亲历”关键的科学发现时刻。 核心概念解析: 对每一位科学家的关键理论和发现,提供清晰、适龄的解释,强调其在科学史上的意义。 激励人心的主题: 强调科学的本质是好奇心、毅力、批判性思维和对真理永不停止的追求。 本书旨在激励每一位年轻的读者,让他们明白,伟大的科学发现并非天赐的灵感,而是由勇气、汗水和对世界深刻的好奇心浇灌而成的。通过这些不朽人物的榜样,孩子们将学会如何以科学家的眼光去看待和理解他们周围的世界。