William Tobin (Canterbury): Léon Foucault an "amateur of science

Léon Foucault is best remembered for his pendulum experiment in 1851 which demonstrated the rotation of the Earth, as did his gyroscope devised the following year. In this lecture, however, I shall concentrate on his other contributions to 19th-century-science such as improvements to photography and optics experiments including the first accurate laboratory measurement of the speed of light. I shall also sketch out some of the tribulations that Foucault encountered in his career at a time when science was becoming institutionalized. 

William Tobin ist Astrophysiker und senior lecturer an der University of Canterbury, NZ und Autor von The Life and Science of Léon Foucault. Im Anschluss an den Vortrag findet in der Universitätsbibliothek Stadtmitte eine Führung durch die Ausstellung "Orientierung im Raum - 200 Jahre Maschine von Bohnenberger" statt.