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Author: Jelle Zeilinga de Boer Publisher: Wesleyan University Press ISBN: 9780819572479 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 176
Book Description
In a series of entertaining essays, geoscientist Jelle Zeilinga de Boer describes how early settlers discovered and exploited Connecticut’s natural resources. Their successes as well as failures form the very basis of the state’s history: Chatham’s gold played a role in the acquisition of its Charter, and Middletown’s lead helped the colony gain its freedom during the Revolution. Fertile soils in the Central Valley fueled the state’s development into an agricultural power house, and iron ores discovered in the western highlands helped trigger its manufacturing eminence. The Statue of Liberty, a quintessential symbol of America, rests on Connecticut’s Stony Creek granite. Geology not only shaped the state’s physical landscape, but also provided an economic base and played a cultural role by inspiring folklore, paintings, and poems. Illuminated by 50 illustrations and 12 color plates, Stories in Stone describes the marvel of Connecticut’s geologic diversity and also recounts the impact of past climates, earthquakes, and meteorites on the lives of the people who made Connecticut their home.
Author: Cathryn J. Prince Publisher: Prometheus Books ISBN: 1616142723 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 254
Book Description
When a fiery meteor crash in 1807 lit up the dark early-morning sky in Weston, Connecticut, it did more than startle the few farmers in the sleepy village. More importantly, it sparked the curiosity of Benjamin Silliman, a young chemistry professor at nearby Yale College. His rigorous investigation of the incident started a chain of events that eventually brought the once-low standing of American science to sudden international prominence. And, by coincidence, the event also embroiled Silliman in politics, pitting him against no less an adversary than President Thomas Jefferson. Based on a wealth of original source documents and interiews with current experts in history, astronomy, and geology, this journalist tells the remarkable story of Benjamin Silliman, arguably America’s first bonafide scientist. In a lively narrative rich with fascinating historical detail, the author documents the primitive state of American science at the time; Silliman’s careful analysis of the meteor samples; and the publication of his conclusions, which contradicted both popular superstitions regarding meteors as ominous portents and a common belief that meteors come from volcanic eruptions on the moon. She also describes Silliman’s struggles to build a chemistry department at Yale with rudimentary material; new insights into geology that resulted from his analysis of the meteor; and his report to the prestigious French Academy, which raised the prestige of American science. Finally, she discusses the political turbulence of the time, which Silliman could not escape, and how the meteor event was used to drive a wedge between New England and Jefferson. This is a fascinating vignette of Federal Period America when science on this continent was still in its infancy, but was just beginning to make its mark.
Author: William John Miller Publisher: Forgotten Books ISBN: 9780365157878 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 82
Book Description
Excerpt from The Geological History of the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts: A Popular Account of Its Rocks and Origin The purpose of this little book is to present, in popular form, the salient points in the geological history of the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts. The beautiful valley and its charming boundary hills may in truth be said to be a geologist's paradise. In regard to variety of geological phenomena, few districts of equal size in North America surpass it. To most of its residents the marvelous story of the Connecticut Valley and adjacent hills as recorded in nature's book of the rocks is unknown. Beginning with the oldest decipherable records and leading up to the present time, it is my pleasure, in the following pages, to explain to the layman the principal known events in the wonderful geological history of the Connecticut Valley, including the origin of the valley as we see it today. The use of technical and unusual terms has been reduced to a minimum compatible with a reasonable understanding of the subject. Each of the few technical terms is explained where first used in the text. Since so many of the great principles of earth science (geology) are wonderfully illustrated in the Connecticut Valley and the adjacent highlands, it is my hope that this book may furnish the basis and inspiration to many people of the region for understanding and interpreting not only the principal records of the rocks, but also the important processes and laws of the science of geology illustrated by these records. To aid in the accomplishment of this purpose, simplified, largely nontechnical, scientific discussions are entered into. In order to make the conclusions more impressive and realistic actual easily accessible localities, carefully selected out of my field experience, are cited to illustrate each stage in the tremendously long history of the region. I am not satisfied to say to the reader, for example, long ages ago, according to geologists, the sea spread over central western Massachusetts. My purpose is to be much more precise than that, and to give the reader at least some of the geological reasoning upon which such conclusions are based. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.