[NPA Chat] Boscovich Conference 2012

[ROGER ANDERTON]

Boscovich Conference 2012

1-3 Nov 2012 Athens

The physics and astronomy lectures following the introduction of Boscovich’s aspects of Newtonian physics in Habsburg Monarchy will be described. Boscovich personally visited Mid-Euroipean Towns at least three times on his way from Vienna to Venice and back. Boscovich traveled in early April 1757 on his way to Vienna where he took care for the first edition of his main work. On his return trip to Italy he was kindly welcomed in Ljubljana Jesuits’ house and slept there on March 9, 1758. T In early June 1763 Boscovich visited Mid-European towns again just before he was appointed mathematical chair of Pavia in November 1763.

The high Nobles were frequently extremely interested in Boscovich know-how because Boscovich was always welcomed in their meetings. The Counts Cobenzls (Kobencl) from Ljubljana and Brussels were Boscovich’s personal friends and helped him a lot, acting from their influent positions in Brussels where Johann Karl Philip Count Cobenzl was the Empress’ omnipotent minister for Habsburg Belgium. The development of Mid-European Jesuit physics and astronomy did not suffer much after the suppression of the Jesuit order because just the Jesuit theology professors lost their positions, but the chairs connected with mathematical sciences were occupied by Jesuits for next three decades. There were just no other professors to replace the former Jesuits.

After the introduction of Boscovich’s way of Newtonian physics in Mid-European higher studies the local professors there were among the greatest promoters of Boscovich’s views in their physics and mathematics lectures. Boscovich was very popular among the Mid-European Jesuits, and his fame did not fade in the early 19th century .

The Franciscans also liked Boscovich’s work. Boscovich’s popularity amongFranciscans went hand in hand with Boscovich collaboration with French Franciscan teaching in Italian colleges, as were Thomas Le Seur of Roman La Sapienza in Parma or François Jacquier who got the former Boscovich’s chair of mathematics in Collegio Romano in 1773. Joseph Xavier Liesegang, Karl Scherffer, Paul Mako von Kerek-Gede, and other Boscovich’s Mid-European Jesuit friends’ books were also widely read among Franciscans and Capuchins.

The Ljubljana Rector and later Viennese Professor Anton Ambschell promoted Boscovich in his textbooks which were famous for Ambschell and his teacher Herbert’s very first comparatively exact measurement of the water compressibility. The suppression of the Jesuit order obstructed the development of Boscovich’s ideas but in no way removed them from the scientific or students’ scene. The Boscovich’s followers and their students were able to develop strong high-schools supporting of Boscovich, who kept his great influence in 19th century and paved the way for the modern use of Boscovich’s ideas in Faraday-Maxwell’s electromagnetism, Kelvin’s atomism, and Bohr-Heisenberg’s quantum mechanics.

Boscovich’s ideas were never forgotten somewhat northern in Mid-European textbooks. Boscovich legacy also became strong among the Beijing Jesuits. The suppression of the Jesuit order prevented Boscovich’s physics from becoming the standard textbook frame worldwide, but at least second generation of his students still followed Boscovich’s ideas in the 19th century. Therefore Boscovich’s ideas did not need any reintroduction via John Robison’s Scottish university students into Mid-European milieu of 19th century because Boscovich fame never faded among the Mid-European scientists.

http://5eshs.hpdst.gr/symposia/90

[ROGER ANDERTON]

Note -- Quantum physics comes from Boscovich's theory

Quote:  The Boscovich’s followers and their students were able to develop strong high-schools supporting of Boscovich, who kept his great influence in 19th century and paved the way for the modern use of Boscovich’s ideas in Faraday-Maxwell’s electromagnetism, Kelvin’s atomism, and Bohr-Heisenberg’s quantum mechanics.

For everyone who wants to go back to Classical Physics pre-Einstein, I can't believe the lack of interest they have in promoting Boscovich; who would give some respectability to such a viewpoint.

Roger

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From: ROGER ANDERTON <r.j.an...@btinternet.com>
To: npa chat <membe...@worldnpa.org>
Sent: Tuesday, 31 January 2012, 19:49
Subject: [NPA Chat] Boscovich Conference 2012

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