Essays from the Edinburgh and Quarterly Reviews
With Addresses and Other Pieces

Published in 1857, this work comprises assorted noteworthy writings by the influential mathematician and astronomer Sir John Herschel (1792–1871).

John Herschel (Author)

9781108069656, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 17 July 2014

760 pages
21.6 x 14 x 4.2 cm, 0.95 kg

First published in 1857, this work comprises assorted noteworthy writings by the mathematician and astronomer Sir John Herschel (1792–1871), reflecting his diverse scientific and literary interests. It includes a piece on terrestrial magnetism, a review of William Whewell's writings on the history and philosophy of science, and several addresses to the Royal Astronomical Society. Of particular interest is Herschel's commentary on Adolphe Quetelet's work on probability, which advocated applying statistics and probability calculus to social and political questions. Herschel's article not only influenced the growth of social science in Britain, but also played an important role in James Clerk Maxwell's development of a statistical treatment of heat phenomena. Also included in this collection are Herschel's translations of poems by Schiller (accompanied by the original German) as well as examples of his own verse. In an intriguing appendix, Herschel outlines a method for compiling vocabularies of indigenous peoples.

1. Address to the subscribers to the Windsor and Eton Public Library
2. Mechanism of the heavens
3. Terrestrial magnetism
4. Inductive sciences
5. Kosmos
6. Probabilities
7. Address to the Royal Astronomical Society, 1827
8. Address to the Royal Astronomical Society, 1828
9. Address to the Royal Astronomical Society, 1829
10. Address to the Royal Astronomical Society, 1840
11. Address to the Royal Astronomical Society, 1841
12. Memoir of the late F. Baily
13. Address to the Royal Astronomical Society, 1849
14. Address to the British Association for the Advancement of Science
15. The walk
16. Funeral dirge of a Nadowessie
17. Dithyrambics
18. Saying of Confucius - time
19. Saying of Confucius - space
20. Leonora
21. Prose and verses
22. To the lark
23. Man the interpreter of nature
24. A scene in Ely cathedral
25. Mira
26. The parting dove
27. On burning a parcel of old MSS
28. A dream which was not all a dream
29. Appendix.

Subject Areas: Astronomy, space & time [PG]