TRACES OF GREAT DISCOVERIES
Some discoveries are incidental; most of those are results of thinking, observation, experimenting and computing; although there are even discoveries that are illegally appropriated.
Appropriated discoveries in most cases are the worthiest. In newest history those usually bring Nobel Prizes.
Dr Simo Jelaca
Aristarhos – Copernicus – Kepler
While he worked in Alexandria Library (280-260 BC), well known Greek astronomer Aristarhos had confirmed that earth rotates around sun, not vice versa, by her heliocentric path, from west to the east. He described sun’s motion around earth only as an apparent (1, 2, 3). In addition, he affirmed that annual times are result of the earth’s ecliptic. Earth’s ecliptic is an apparent motion of sun over the sky during the year. Ecliptic plain and equatorial plain create an angle, of about 23½º (24, 25). Earth’s ecliptic and sky equator do cut in two points, so when sun enters those points then begin equinoxes.
Unfortunately for human civilization, teachings of Aristarhos, as well as many others, were gone in Alexandria Library fire 392 year (3). After that began the period of obscure middle century, during which time with the beginning of Christianity, Catholic Church had forbidden publication of all progressive ideas and scientific achievements, except New Testament, for over fifteen centuries (1, 2, 3).
Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer, otherwise clergy-man himself, has published his literary work Commentariolus 1543 while hew was laying on the death bed, in which he described confirmation that all planets of solar system rotate around sun, but not vice versa, as it was believed up to that time, according teachings of Aristotelus (384-322 BC). Before Copernicus work has been published his ideas were circulated among his personal friends. Copernicus also confirmed that earth, at the same time, rotates around her axis in duration of 24 hours, while her orbit around sun lasts one year. Catholic Church had forbidden publication of Copernicus theory up to 1616, even though it did not reach wide public until 1835, almost three centuries after Copernicus death. After that his theory has been accepted world wide, but only after Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) confirmed 1609 that all planets of solar system orbit around sun by elliptical paths.
If its known today, and it is known, that theories of Copernicus and Kepler are absolutely identical to theories of Aristarhos, 17½ centuries before them, isn’t it possible to suppose that both Copernicus and Kepler had an access to Aristarhos findings, at their time?
Galilei – Huygens – Hook – Newton
Italian scientist Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) tested the acceleration of bodies thrown down from leaning tower in Pisa, by which he concluded that all bodies are exposed to earth’s gravity. That knowledge Isaac Newton (1642-1727) later used for his general law of Universal gravitation, which had been accepted as the one of greatest human achievements, while he (Isaac Newton) as one of the greatest intellects of human civilization (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
Dutch mathematician and physicist Christian Huygens (1629-1695) first brought out the confirmation that light obeys as a wave, which he had published 1690 in his literate work Traite de la Lumiere (Treatment of Light), and it is a word about reflection and dispersion of light (1, 2, 3). That comprehension had been ignored for the whole one century, until Thomas Young (1773-1829) reaffirmed it.
Robert Hook (1635-1703) brought out an affirmation after that, which points out that Isaac Newton first opposed the confirmation of Christian Huygens, and then, later, has exposed the same thing as his own (1, 2). Hook also states that he (Robert Hook) first recommended the law of Universal gravitation and delivered it to Isaac Newton for supervision, and he (Isaac Newton) had published it as his own 1680 (2). And, just that brought Newton the greatest scientific glory.
Isaac Newton has exposed his proves for the Law of Universal gravitation in his scientific publication Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Matematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Phylosophy), more known under the name as only Principia (6). Newton defines gravitation as correlative – attractive force of all bodies in nature, proportional to their masses and inverse to square of their distances. By that Newton has explained Kepler’s elliptical paths of planets in solar system with exceptional precisions.
On base of Galilei’s findings, Newton also has explained the Law of motion. According the first Law of motion, bodies in reposition or motion in straight direction with constant velocity tend to continue those conditions until other forces take them out of those conditions. According the second Law of motion the force that causes motion is equal to multiplication of the mass and acceleration, and, according the third Law of motion the force of action is equal to the force of reaction. It was written that Newton has been very systematic, and he studied scientific suppositions in details. That way, he gave science an immense contribution, such as very precise methods of calculation of planet positions in solar system at any time of the longest past and further future. The science had accepted Newton as one of the greatest intellect of all times, although there are opinions, which point out that for his achievements he did not fag away (1, 2, 3, 6).
Newton said for himself: “If I saw further than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants” (6). Besides all, Serbian scientist Milutin Milankovic wrote the most beautiful estimation about Newton: “Newton’s Principia by its content occupies the first position among all scientific literature. It is because in that literary work is published the general law of nature to what the whole universe submits, and because all sky bodies submit to it with absolute mathematical preciousness so that we can follow those by calculating to the far future and ancient past. That way Newton’s work represents even today the top of exact sciences, the model of positive philosophy and pride of humanity, how far the power of human intellect can reach. Creator of that work is considered as the most beautiful sample of human genius” (4).
Swan – Edison
Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) is considered to be the world recorder in number of registered patents, 1093. Besides direct current, inscribed to him is the first electrical bulb, as well (1, 2, 7). Meanwhile, it is less known that English physicist and chemist Joseph Swan (1824-1914) is a real pioneer in electrical lighting and photography (1, 3, 7). He has made first electrical bulb almost a quarter of a century before Edison, 1860 (1, 3, 7). Twenty three years later Thomas Edison and Joseph Swan have founded mutual firm Edison & Swan United Electric Lighting Company 1883, and started the mass production of bulbs (3).
It is known that Edison was workaholic (exceptionally laborious); he was spending 14-16 hours a day in his workshops. He requested similar relation to work from all his employees, first of all engineers. Since he got rich relatively early, he had a power to appropriate himself innovations of all his coworkers and registered it all exclusively as his own. Among others, he used the knowledge of Nikola Tesla, who left him soon, as Edison’s employee. Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), founder of AT&T, is one among many of those, as well. It is evident that Bell’s telephone had been improved by the addition of Edison’s graphite conductor, for what one can presume that it was Bell’s innovation (1, 2).
Pupin – Marconi – Roentgen – Tesla
When Pupin commended Dobrowolsky and Brown for practical application of Tesla’s alternating current, Tesla’s reaction was that those two have stolen it from him (8). When Tesla announced the possibility of transmitting high frequency currents to unlimited distance and confirmed possibility of sending telephone message by the transatlantic cable, Pupin had opposed it. Soon after, on February 10th 1894, Pupin applied for his multiple telephony patents. That application has been rejected with the explanation of patent bureau president John Seymour that everything had already been in Tesla’s patent, therefore Pupin’s application represents only a multiplication of Tesla’s circuits and it did not have a base for patent recognition (8).
It is known that Tesla had applied for two patents in the domain of radio, on September 2nd 1897 (Nº: 645516 & 649621) and both were recognized in 1900. Tesla, even, has presented it before Electrical Engineers Association, in New York, where Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937) attended, among others. After that, Marconi supplied his patent application for radio, on November 10th 1900 (Nº 763772)), which has been rejected, too. When John Seymour retired from Patent Bureau Marconi reapplied for patent of radio, and it turned to be recognized this time. The irony is that he has even been awarded Nobel Prize in physics 1911, for such a patent and first message sent over the Atlantic. Finally, by the decision of US Federal Court (Nº 6369 of June 21st 1943) Marconi’s patent has been annulled in favor of Tesla’s, to whom the priority has been given. Unfortunately for Tesla the court decision was to late, he died before that, on January 7th 1943 (8, 9, 21). In his book Mark Seifer (8) writes that Tesla was aware of pirate action of Marconi and Pupin. Tesla called Marconi parasite and microbe of dangerous illness, and for Pupin he said that Pupin had put himself to Marconi’s service, orienting himself to the wrong side.
It has been written (8), according Tesla’s accusation before Drury Cooper, that he (Tesla) has experimentally sent an electrical current wirelessly from Huston to West Point (about 30 miles) at presence of about 3000 guests of all professions, when he also had demonstrated the first remote control navigation.
There are facts that Tesla had experimented with special rays (x-ray), about what he had given lecture before Electrical Engineers Association and shown snapshots of his fist and ankle. To that discovery Tesla did not pay sufficient attention, he closed it to the drawer at his workshop, and those snapshots burned during the fire in his laboratory. German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen (1845-1923) patented discovery of x-ray on December 28th 1895, for what he had been awarded Nobel Prize in physics 1901 (8, 9, 10).
Mileva Maric – Albert Einstein
Tim McCaskey (7) writes that Albert Einstein (1879-1955) by publishing his works in the Annalen der Physik 1905 had mentioned Italian Michele Besso, who got connected him with certain industrialist Olinto de Pretto. Such a man (Olinto de Pretto) had published his work in Italy on June 16th 1903 and February 27th 1904 in Atti of the Reale Instituto Veneto di Scienze, a year and a half before Einstein, in which he has published the equation E= m c², which brought the glory to Albert Einstein, as a creator of Theory of Relativity (5, 11). Dr Umberto Bartocci, professor of mathematics at the University of Perugia in his book “Albert Einstein e Olinto de Pretto: La vera storia dela formula pin’ famosa del mondo” (Albert Einstein and Olinto de Pretto: Truthful story about the most important formula in the world) has cited work of Olinto de Pretto in total, bringing out the affirmation of Olinto de Pretto that one kilogram of any material disposes with huge energy. Albert Einstein knew Italian and had an approach to the work of Olinto de Pretto, which he himself commented, questioning about correctness of mentioned formula (7, 11, 22).
Some literature data exist that Mileva Maric worked on her doctor’s dissertation with professor Friedrich Brown at the Swiss Polytechnicum 1901-1905 (3, 11, 12). Further quotation shows that such dissertation has disappeared (one can believe that it has been moved in order not to harm the “genius”). Otherwise, Special Theory of Relativity in science is recognized as Poincare – Einstein’s, considering the fact that Henri Poincar (1854-1912), French mathematician and physicist is it’s co-author (23).
Based on all the above, possible assumption about priority in the supposition of Theory of Relativity and famous equation E= m c², between Mileva Maric-Einstein, Olinto de Pretto and Albert Einstein. One is certain, that Albert Einstein has published all works done together with Mileva, under his name only, which raised him up to the pedestal of world’s immortals, as the most glorious intellect of twentieth century. He has been awarded Nobel Prize in physics 1921 for Photoelectric Effect, for which no dispute, that Mileva Maric had mathematically defined (3, 5, 7, 11). Mileva Maric exists in scientific world without corresponding recognition in the shadow of Albert Einstein, in most cases mentioned as his first wife, only (13, 18, 19, 20).
Lise Meitner – Otto Hahn
Lise Meitner (1878-1968) Austrian-Swedish physicist was first in the world who experimentally succeeded in fission of uranium atom, followed by the release of huge energy, according Einstein’s equation E= m c². Her longstanding coworker Otto Hahn (1879-1968), German physicist and chemist, intentionally had misinformed Nobel Comity, by not giving to Lise Meitner any credit, and by that way he took the Nobel Prize in physics 1944 for himself and his coworker Fritz Strassmann (3, 5, 10, 14).
Only in the most recent biography of Lise Meitner written by Ruth Lewin Sime 1996 (15) her real contribution has been described and element of atomic number 109 of Periodic system of elements has been named Meitnerium, in her honor.
Based on Lise Meitner’s discovery the first atomic bomb had been made, although Lise was expecting that it would be used in peaceful purposes. Albert Einstein said for Lise Meitner that she was German Marie Curie.
Rosalind Franklin – James Watson
Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958) was the first scientist who has defined the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) 1952, the component of chromosomes, carrier of genetic information, by which she explained the transfer of hereditary properties by chromosomes and gave the key explanation of the beginning of life on earth (16).
James Dewey Watson (b. 1928) and Francis Harry Compton (1916-2004) secretly removed information from Maurice Hugh Frederick Wilkins (1916-2004) and from Nobel Comity, by which way they successfully grabbed the Nobel Prize in medicine 1962 for themselves (17).
To Rosalind Franklin the obliged recognition had never been disclosed, neither during her life nor after her premature death. Rosalind Franklin was first who applied crystallographic method by x-ray for identification of molecular structure, and by that she has defined the structure of double helix of DNA (3, 17). When she left her unpublished results to James Watson and Maurice Wilkins for supervision, they kept it secret and without her knowledge published as their own 1953 (17). Watson and Wilkins have been presented the world as authors of double helix of DNA, omitting any recognition to the real author Rosalind Franklin, even after her death.
Literature:
1S. Adams, C. Ashe & others: 1000 Makers of the Millenium, DK Publishing Books 1999
2John Balchin: Quantum Leaps, 100 Scientists who changed the world, Archturus Publishing Limited 2003
3Dr S. Jelaca: Velikani koji su obelezili civilizaciju,
4Milutin Milankovic: Kroz vasionu i vekove / Kroz carstvo nauka, Zavod za udzbenike i nastavna sredstva, Beograd 1997
5David Bodanis: E = m c A biography of the world’s most famous equation, Walker & Company, New York 2000
6Stephen Hawking: On the shoulders of Giants, Running Press 2002
7Tim McCaskey: A letter to the unknown,
8Mark Seifer: Wizard, The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla, Biography of a Genius, Carol Publishing Group 1999
9Margaret Cheney & Robert Uth: Nikola Tesla, Masteer of Lightning, MetroBooks 2001
10Nobel Prize Winners in Physics 2003-1901, Internet
11Dr. S. Jelaca: Mileva Maric – Povratak iz anonimnosti,
12Dr Ljubo Vujovic: The Tesla Memorial Society,
13Dr Desanka Trbuhovic - Djuric: U senci Alberta Ajnstajna, Tragicni zivot
Mileve Maric, Bagdala, Krusevac 1995
14 Internet:
15 Ruth Lewin Sime: Lise Meitner – Biography and a Bettle for ultimate
truth, 1996
16 David Ardell: Rosalind Franklin, The Internet
17 Nobel Prize Winners in Physiology or Medicine 1962, The Internet
18 Ellen Goodman: Out of shadows of “great men”, The Boston Globe, 1990
19 Carolyn Abraham: Possessing Genius, The Bizarre Odyssey of Einstein’s
Brain, 2001
20 Dr Evan Harris Walker: The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein, 1990
21 Dr S. Jelaca: Credit belongs to Tesla not Marconi, The Windsor Star,
Jan. 2nd, 2000
22Famous Italians – Olinto de Pretto: The Italian-American Web Site of New York
23 Biography of Henri Poincare, Internet
24Encyclopedia Britannica / Ecliptica, Internet
25Dr Vladeta Filipovic, Privatna pisma, 2005
Author expresses his gratitude to professor Dr Vladeta Filipovic for useful suggestions.
June 2005
TRAGOVI VELIKIH OTKRICA
Do nekih otkrica doslo se slucajno, mnoga su rezultat razmisljanja, posmatranja, eksperimentisanja i racunanja, a ima i onih do kojih se doslo prisvajanjem. Prisvojena otkrica su najcesce i najisplativija. U novijoj istoriji takva obicno donose
Nobelove nagrade
Dr Simo Jelaca
Aristarhos – Copernucus – Kepler
DokjejosradiouAleksandrijskojbiblioteci (280-260 BC) cuvenigrckiastronomAristarhosutvrdiojedazemljarotiraokosunca, aneobratnosunceokozemlje, poheliocentricnojputanjiodpravcazapadakaistoku. Onjetumaciokretanjesuncaokozemljesamokaoprividno (1; 2; 3). Takodjejetvrdiodasugodisnjadobanazemljirezultatzemljineekliptike (EkliptikajeprividnaputanjaSuncaponebeskomsvodutokomgodine. Ekliptickaravaniekvatorijalnaravanzaklapajuugaood oko 23½º (24; 25). Ekliptikainebeskiekvatorsekuseudvetacke, akad’ Suncedodjeutetackenastupajuravnodnevnice).
NacivilizacijskuzalostucenjaAristarhosanestalasu, samnogimdrugima, upozarualeksandrijskebiblioteke 392 godine (3). Izatoganastupiojeperiodmracnogsrednjegveka, kadajesapojavomhriscanstva, katolickacrkvazabranjivalapublikovanjesvihnaprednihidejainaucnihdostignuca, svegaizuzevSvetogpisma, tokompunih 15 vekova (1; 2; 3).
NicolausCopernicus (1473-1543) poljskiastronom, inaceisamsvestenolice, publikovaojesvojedeloCommentariolus1543 dokjelezaonasamrtnickojpostelji, ukomejeizneotvrdnjudasveplanetesuncevogsistemarotirajuokosunca, aneobratnokakojedotadavaziloucenjeAristotela(384-322 BC). DoobjaveKopernikovogdelanjegoveidejecirkulisalesusamome|ulicnimprijateljima. Kopernikjetakodjeizneotvrdnjudazemlja, istovremeno, rotiraokosvojeoseutrajanju 24 sata, doknjenoputovanjeokosuncatrajegodinudana. KatolickacrkvazabranjivalajeobjavuKopernikoveteorijesvedo 1616, madaistanijedospelausirujavnostsvedo 1835, gotovotrivekaposleKopernikovesmrti. Odtadaprihvacenajeucelomsvetu, aliteknakonpotvrdeKeplera (JohannesKepler1571-1630) 1609 godine, pokomeseplanetesuncevogsistemakrecuokosuncapoelipticnimputanjama.
Akosedanaszna, aznase, dasuteorijeKopernikaiKeplerapotpunoistovetneonimakojejeizneoAristarhos 17vekovaprenjih, nijelimogucapretpostavkadasuiKopernikiKeplerimalidostupasaznanjimaAristarhosa?
Galilei – Huygens – Hook – Newton
ItalijanskinaucnikGalileoGalilei (1564-1642) ispitivaojeubrzanjatelabacenihsakrivogtornjauPizi, kojomprilikomjedosaodozakljuckadanasvateladelujeprivlacnasilazemljineteze. Tosaznanjeposluziloje, kasnije, Njutnu (IsaacNewton 1642-1727) darazradiopstizakonUniverzalnegravitacije, stocebitiprihvacenokaojednoodnajvecihljudskihdostignuca, aon (IsaacNewton) kaojedanodnajvecihumovaljudskecivilizacije (1; 2; 3; 4; 5).
HolandskimatematicarifizicarChristianHuygens (1629-1695) prvijeizneotvrdnjudasesvetlostponasakaotalas, stojeobjavio 1690 udeluTraitedelaLumiere(Tretmansvetlosti), arecjeoodbijanjuiprelamanjusvetlosti (1; 2; 3). Takvoshvatanjezanemarivanojecitavjedanvek, svedokistonijereafirmisaoThomasYoung (1773-1829). RobertHook(1635-1703) izneoje, zatim, tvrdnjudaseidejiKristijanaHajgensaupocetkuprotivioIsakNjutn, dabiistokasnijeizloziokaosvoje (1; 2). Hukje, takodje, tvrdiodajeon (RobertHook) prvipredloziozakonUniverzalnegravitacijeiistidostavioNjutnunauvid, aovaj (IsaacNewton) gajeobjaviokaosvoj 1680 (2). IupravotojeNjutnudonelonajvecunaucnuslavu.