Electrical Progress Show

Widener Library is now exhibiting the story of 350 years of electrical research. The show features many rare old papers of the great scientists of the past and models of the early experimental electric apparatus, many of which were loaned by the Physics Department.

Exhibited are a model of an early battery, models developed in 1790 to show the use of Benjamin Franklin's lightning rod, a portable electric machine of 1790 for medical treatment, early examples of Leyden jars embodying the first use of the condenser principle, and an early 17th century loadstone in a metal case.

Rare Books Featured

Outstanding among the volumes is "De Magnete" published in 1600 by Dr. William Gilbert, English physician who performed the first systematic studies on electrical phenomena, and is considered to be the "father" of this science. "De Magnete" is the great classic work in the history of research in magnetism.

Books are shown containing the first published use of the words electricity and magnetism in the English language, in 1616 and 1646 respectively.

Books are displayed containing the first publication of such famous discoveries as Ohm's law in 1827, Oersted's finding of the relation between electricity and magnetism in 1820, Franklin's inventions and experiments in 1751, Coulombe's discoveries leading to the law of electrical force between bodies in 1785, Gray's discovery of the phenomenon of electric conduction in 1729, Faraday's announcement in 1831 of his experiments in electric induction underlying modern electric motors and many other devices, and the classic work in 1873 of James Maxwell on his theory of a dielectric medium un-

Alchemy Discussion

Under the auspices of the Harvard Chapter of Gamma Alpha, a scientific fraternity, a discussion of "Production and Uses of Radio-activity" will be held at the annual symposium tomorrow night at 8 o'clock in the New Lecture Hall. "Modern Alchemy" will be the subject of the meeting, which is open to the public without charge.

The speakers and their topics have been announced as follows: "Atomic Nuclei and Radio-activity," John J. Livingood, instructor in Physics; "The Cyclotron and Induced Radio-activity," Kenneth T. Bainbridge, associate professor of Physics; and "Medicine and Induced Radio-activity," Shields Warren, assistant professor of Pathology.