Playing with Fire
eBook - PDF

Playing with Fire

Histories of the Lightning Rod Transactions of the American Philosophical Society (Vol. 99, Part 5)

  1. 302 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Playing with Fire

Histories of the Lightning Rod Transactions of the American Philosophical Society (Vol. 99, Part 5)

About this book

This collection of historical and scientific studies shows the impressive significance of the invention, development, and use of the lightning rod in the past 250 years. The rod was a device long taken to be a symbol of enlightenment and utility, judged by some people the very first practical application of the experimental physical sciences to truly practical ends; opposition to its introduction was similarly taken to be a sign of superstition. These essays move beyond the lightning rods' storied revolutionary symbolism to explore the range of techniques and experiments that fashioned conductors and their varied meanings. "An intriguing and entertaining history of one of modernity's most cherished technoscientific objects." Illustrations.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription.
At the moment all of our mobile-responsive ePub books are available to download via the app. Most of our PDFs are also available to download and we're working on making the final remaining ones downloadable now. Learn more here.
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
  • Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
  • Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Both plans are available with monthly, semester, or annual billing cycles.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1 million books across 1000+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn more here.
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more here.
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS or Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Yes, you can access Playing with Fire by David J. Rhees,Oliver Hochadel,Peter Heering in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Technology & Engineering & Civil Engineering. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Contents
  2. Acknowledgments
  3. List of Illustrations
  4. INTRODUCTION REVISITING AN INVISIBLE TECHNOLOGY
  5. Part 1 ERECTING THE ROD— SPREADING ENLIGHTENMENT
  6. Enlightening Towers: Public Opinion, Local Authorities, and the Reformation of Meteorology in Eighteenth Century Italy
  7. "In nebula nebulorum": The Dry Fog of the Summer of 1783 and the Introduction of Lightning Rods in the German Empire
  8. Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained: Lightning and Enlightenment in the Gazeta de Literatura de MĂ©xico (1788-1795)
  9. Part 2: Expertise, Control, and Imagery—Lightning Rod Politics
  10. Points or Knobs: Lightning Rods and the Basis of Decision Making in Late Eighteenth Century British Science
  11. Styles of Experimentation and the Attempts to Establish the Lightning Rod in Pre-Revolutionary Paris
  12. "Eripuit caelo fulmen sceptrumque tyrannis"
  13. Part 3 THE LIGHTNING ROD AS COMMODITY IN NINETEENTH CENTURY AMERICA
  14. Lightning Rods and the Commodification of Risk in Nineteenth Century America
  15. Earth Grounds and Heavenly Spires: Lightning Rod Men, Patent Inventors, and Telegraphers
  16. Part 4 LOOKING AT LIGHTNING: MODELS, INSTRUMENTS, AND MODERN RESEARCH
  17. The Lightning Rod: A Case Study of Eighteenth Century Model Experiments
  18. Prometheus' Tools: Instruments and Apparatus Used in Atmospheric Electricity Research and Experiments
  19. A Modern Assessment of Benjamin Franklin's Lightning Rods
  20. Epilogue: An Invisible Technology—What Remains to Be Seen
  21. Contributors
  22. Index