"Between the lifetimes of Einstein and Newton,
there lived another genius, a man of equal stature...
... Michael Faraday."*
Welcome to "Chemistry by Candlelight", an introduction to chemistry for non-scientists.
On Zoom, Wednesdays, 12:45 – 2:45 P.M, January 10 – February 14, 2024
(See note** about class recordings.)
In this course, I will use a series of five lectures by the great scientist Michael Faraday to help you to better understand the world around you, particularly -- but not exclusively -- its chemical aspects. I also hope to provide deeper insights into what science is, how it is practiced, and what attributes of society are necessary to nurture its progress.
Finally, to put the basics of chemistry and science into a broader perspective, I will try to forge connections in your mind between science as a way of building knowledge, and other ways of building knowledge, especially the kind of knowledge that comes from doing and appreciating art, literature, and music.
I offer this course on Zoom in Winter Term of 2024 at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, University of Southern Maine (OLLI-USM). But if it interests you now, simply follow these pages through the course material. You will find re-enactments of Faraday's lectures and supplementary resources that should be accessible to you, regardless of your background in the sciences.
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Faraday's original lecture series is entitled "A Chemical History of a Candle." It was directed to young people, who were invited to London's Royal Institution of Great Britain each year at the Christmas holidays for entertainment and education. The Christmas Lectures were instituted in 1825 by Faraday, the Institution's director, and a very popular public speaker. He first delivered "A Chemical History of a Candle" in 1848. He used the simple candle, lectures in clear and plain language, and lavish but clear demonstrations, to open the door to a surprising range of chemistry in the world around us, and to provide insights into how science works to reveal the workings of the material world.
Recently, engineer Bill Hammack and colleagues at University of Illinois filmed a reenactment of Faraday's lectures using modern versions of his demonstrations, but sticking to Faraday's own words for the most part. Their reenactment provides the core of this course. For more information, click Introduction in the menu on the right.
* Neil deGrasse Tyson, in Cosmos, a Spacetime Odyssey, Episode 10, "The Electric Boy"
** PLEASE NOTE: For the convenience of those who miss a class, all classes will be recorded. Your image will appear on the recording only if you speak, and if you want to speak but avoid being seen on the recording, turn off your video before speaking.
To view a class recording, see "Missed a Class?" at the end of the Course Pages menu in the righthand column.
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