MetaFilter posts tagged with franklin

Fart Proudly by Benjamin Franklin (1781)

Blasdelb — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:29:03 -0800

A confluence of factors has pushed me to post the following missive from one Benjamin Franklin–a noted American humorist who also did some other stuff. If from an overindulgence in rich and fatty foods on Fat Tuesday, you find yourself surfeit with internal pressure, follow the advice of a founding father…

DNA Lab Party at 4 PM: Staph only!

Blazecock Pileon — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:38:13 -0800

Celebrate the 60th anniversary of the discovery of DNA's structure with a pictorial story behind DNA's double helix and the Rosalind Franklin papers, including correspondences and lab notes that detail some of her crystallography research, findings that laid the groundwork for Watson and Crick's later publication.

"I thought I was the only gay person in the world for a long time."

zarq — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 16:19:04 -0800

The county where no one's gay. The 2010 Census of Franklin County Mississippi shows no same sex couples. (pdf). CNN videographer Brandon Ancil and human rights columnist John D. Sutter tried to determine if the census was wrong, and see if they could find gay men and women willing to speak about "what keeps them hidden." Video

Erebus and Fury

gnimmel — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 06:15:57 -0800

Bomb vessels were heavily-fortified sailing ships designed to carry explosive shells. The Hecla Class of bomb vessels lived particularly interesting lives. HMS Hecla (1815, named after one of Iceland's most active volcanoes) served at the bombardment of Algiers and then made three unsuccessful attempts under William Parry to find the Northwest Passage and one to find the North Pole. (voyages: volume I, volume II) Hecla survived her polar service and was sold in 1831 to be used for trading and whaling; she was finally wrecked in the Davis Straits in 1840. HMS Fury (1813) accompanied HMS Hecla to the bombardment of Algiers and on two of Parry's Northwest Passage journeys. On her second trip to the Arctic, in 1825, she was damaged by ice and abandoned on Somerset Island. The crew cached her supplies onshore, where they proved a lifeline for later troubled expeditions. HMS Infernal (1815) also served at the bombardment of Algiers. She led an uneventful life thereafter and was sold off in 1831 to a Mr. Snook. HMS Meteor (1819) was converted to a survey vessel and renamed HMS Beacon in 1832. She was used for survey work in the Mediterranean, contributing to early marine biology studies, until 1846 when she was declared unseaworthy and laid off at Malta. HMS Aetna (1824) was converted to a survey vessel in 1826, and put out of commission in 1844. She was sold in 1846 to Bristol Seamen's Friendly Society, for use as a floating chapel: "The only thunders with which it will in future reverberate being those of the preacher who shall occupy its pulpit." HMS Sulphur (1826) was converted into a survey ship in 1835 and sailed around the world by Edward Belcher, contributing her name to Sulphur Channel in Hong Kong. She returned to England in 1842, and was broken up in 1859. HMS Thunder (1829) was mainly used for survey work in the West Indies, and was broken up in 1851. HMS Erebus (1826) went to Antarctica (along with HMS Terror) under James Clark Ross and gave her name to Mount Erebus. Despite damage, she survived her Antarctic service. However, both she and HMS Terror were lost on Sir John Franklin's doomed expedition to find the Northwest Passage. (Previously) Despite numerous rescue and archaeological missions aimed at finding them, the final resting places of Erebus and Terror remain unknown. The search continues to this day. (The Northwest passage was finally navigated in 1903-1906 by Roald Amundsen, prior to his journey to the South Pole. These days, the melting Arctic Ice means that the passage is sometimes easily navigable)

Have New Yorkers have always been rude?

exphysicist345 — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 10:37:30 -0800

New Yorkers have always been seen as fast-talking and rude. [NYTimes] Yes, it goes way back to Manhattan's very beginning. Pre-revolutionary governors were part of it. In 1774 Thomas Adams wrote "There is no modesty, no attention to one another. They talk very loud, very fast and altogether." The article also quotes Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.

Aretha, 1968, Stockholm

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 05:57:40 -0800

In the year 1968, at the height of her powers, one of the greatest singers America has ever produced was in Stockholm, where she served up a breathtakingly powerful and characteristically soulful performance that, lucky for us, was filmed by Swedish television. You know who I'm talking about, of course. "Lady Soul" - parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. 1= (You Make me Feel Like) A Natural Woman 2= Come Back Baby 3= Dr Feelgood (this song is by Aretha herself, and appeared on this 1967 release) 4= Since You've Been Gone (Sweet Sweet Baby) (this one too was penned by Aretha as well) 5= I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) 6= Chain of Fools 7= Respect (penned by none other than Otis Redding, but, you knew that, right?)

Benjamin Franklin's Advice to a Young Tradesman

Philosopher's Beard — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 06:53:39 -0800

Always remember that time is money. Franklin's yearly Poor Richard's Almanack was a bestseller in the American colonies and his sayings have infiltrated our bourgeois consciousness. Max Weber was obsessed with using them to demonstrate the pure (protestant) capitalist soul, but I think Franklin was mostly having a laugh.

Mapping the Republic of Letters

Kattullus — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 17:22:17 -0800

Mapping the Republic of Letters is a cartographic tool designed by students and professors at Stanford that seeks to represent the Enlightenment era Republic of Letters, the network of correspondence between the finest thinkers of the day, such as Voltaire, Leibniz, Rousseau, Newton, Diderot, Linnaeus, Franklin and countless others. Patricia Cohen wrote an article about Mapping the Republic of Letters as well as other datamining digital humanities projects in The New York Times. The mapping tool is fun to play with but I recommend you read the blogpost where Cohen explains how to use Mapping the Republic of Letters.

All hawks, all the time.

The Straightener — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 05:08:21 -0800

The Franklin Institute Hawk Cam is giving viewers a close up look into the lives of a family of red tailed hawks who built a nest on an Institute window sill. Even better, there are babies! "At any given moment, 1,200 people around the world might be watching this Red-Tailed hawk feeding bits of pigeon to her fluffy chicks. Viewership has spiked since Monday, when the chicks first broke out of their eggs." Here is a set of still photos of the happy mom. Urban hawks, previously.

Selected Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society

Electric Dragon — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:05:07 -0800

To celebrate the start of its 350th year, the Royal Society has put online 60 of its most memorable scientific papers. The Royal Society's head of archives, Keith Moore, talks about some of them in an audio slideshow. The papers (warning - they're all PDFs) include: Isaac Newton's New Theory on Light And Colors. (1672) Antonie van Leeuwenhoek's observations of Little Animals in Rainwater. (1677) The Electrical Kite of Benjamin Franklin. (1752) Thomas Young's Wave theory of light. (1802) Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden's gold foil experiment which led to the nuclear model of the atom. (1909)

Don't tread on ME

sredefer — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 22:53:13 -0800

Costumed patriots channel forefathers: coming to a civic center near you! Need a little pump up music?

RESOLUTE!

felix — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:56:28 -0800

It is the central, most eyecatching feature of the modern Oval Office. But for over a year, abandoned by a captain said to be harsh and venereal, it drifted slowly, its huge frame creaking, locked in ice, in the land of endless night. In 1845, famed explorer Sir John Franklin set out in the Terror and Erebus to discover the Northwest Passage, thought to link the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by a water route above Canada. Last seen by a whaling ship in Baffin Bay, the Franklin expedition disappeared into the Arctic wilderness. Years passed and, despite the ample stores the expedition had laid in, concern grew. The British Admiralty launched a rescue mission in 1852, led by Captain Belcher, aboard the Resolute, Pioneer, Assistance, North Star and Intrepid. Captain Belcher, a scientist, circumnavigator, war hero, venereal wife-suer, and controversially well-loved or hated explorer, bottled some beer for this cruise which resulted in the biggest and most expensive ebay mistake ever made. But back to the expedition. Belcher spent a year searching in vain for Franklin, but then ran across and rescued the bedraggled crew of the Investigator, another exploration ship which had become precariously locked in ice: "[Investigator's Captain] McClure was walking on the ice with an officer, close to the ship, "[w]hen within about two hundred yards of us, this strange figure threw up his arms, and made gesticulations ressembling those used by Esquimaux, besides shouting, at the top of his voice, words which, from the wind and intense excitement of the moment, sounded like a wild screech; and this brought us both fairly to a stand-still. The stranger came quietly on, and we saw that his face was black as ebony, and really at the moment we might be pardoned for wondering whether he was a denizen of this or the other world, [...] as it was, we gallantly stood our ground, and had the skies fallen upon us, we could hardly have been more astonished than when the dark faced stranger called out, 'I'm Lieutenant Pim, late of the "Herald", and now in the "Resolute". Captain Kellett is in her at Dealy Island!"' The Investigator had left from the Pacific Ocean and been discovered by a ship from the Atlantic Ocean -- as tenuous and untraceable as it was, the Northwest Passage had been proven. Abandoning the trapped Investigator, Belcher's squadron searched further for Franklin only to get locked into the ice as winter came. The squadron weathered a year in the ice -- a time of unbelievable hardship. The accounts of some Dutch explorers in the same situation during the same time period: Here [Captain Barentz] became, in spite of his utmost efforts, gradually frozen up, and saw before him no alternative but that of passing the winter in that desolate region. Happily an abundance of driftwood supplied him with the means of building a house, and with the necessary fuel. The task of erecting a shelter was not, however, accomplished without immense labour, aggravated by the loss of the carpenter, who died at this critical moment. The party were attacked by the bears, who actually scaled the ship's side and compelled them to a close fight for their lives. They completed their hut by the middle of October; and then, provisions falling short, had to put themselves on allowance. The cold which soon after set in terrified even more than tortured them -- the ice was two inches thick on the walls and on the sides of their sleeping cots; and their clothes were white with frost as they sat by the fire, burning holes in their stockings without warming their feet. For three whole months they saw no sun; but their courage never flagged, and they made merry on Twelfth-night, as they would have done in their own country. When the spring at length came, and they looked for the means of return, they found their vessel was so jammed in by drift-ice that her escape was hopeless, and they were obliged to attempt a voyage of two thousand miles in the two open boats which offered their only chance. On the fourth day of the voyage the boats were too much injured to proceed, and had to be drawn up on a floating piece of ice for repair. Here, on this ice-raft poor Barentz breathed his last. He died calmly and bravely, with a chart of those perilous seas spread out before him, and his last words were directions as to the course which his companions had to steer. By the end of August the wreck of his party arrived at Kola, where they found their old comrade Ryp, who conveyed them to Amsterdam. Belcher's situation was equally grave, and it must have been a shocking moment when the Breadalbane, a supply ship sent to provide more stores, arrived at his squadron only to be caught up between two ice sheets, crushed and sunk in the span of less than 15 minutes -- becoming the farthest-north known shipwreck. After a tense argument with his captains, none of whom wanted to leave their otherwise-seaworthy vessels locked in the ice, Belcher resolved to abandon the four ice-locked ships and return to England post-haste. Captain Kellett demanded and received clear written instructions that he was to abandon ship. Later, when Captain Belcher and his command were court-martialed for destroying British property, Kellett was acquitted and returned his sword with congratulations and acclamation -- but Belcher was returned his sword silently, with the implied censure of the Admiralty for losing valuable British property. A year after abandoning the ships, an American whaler made a strange discovery. The whaler, George Henry, Captain Buddington, hailing from New London, Connecticut, was beset by ice in Baffin Bay. On looking through his glass one morning, Captain Buddington saw a large ship fifteen or twenty miles away, working her way slowly toward him. For several days he watched her gradually approach, and on the seventh day, the mate, Mr. Quail, and three men were sent out to find out what she was. After a hard day's journey over the ice, -- jumping from piece to piece, and pushing themselves along on isolated cakes, they were near enough to see that she was lying on her larboard side, firmly imbedded in the ice. They shouted lustily as soon as they got within hailing distance; but there was no answer. Not a soul was to be seen. For one moment, as they came alongside, the men faltered, with a superstitious feeling, and hesitated to go on board. A moment after, they had climbed over the broken ice, and stood on deck. Everything was stowed away in order -- spars hauled up and lashed to one side, boats piled together, hatches calked down. Over the helm, in letters of brass, was inscribed the motto, 'England expects every man to do his duty.' But there was no man to heed the warning. The whalemen broke open the companionway, and descended into the cabin. All was silence and darkness. Groping their way to the table, they found matches and candles, and struck a light. There were decanters and glasses on the table, chairs and lounges standing around, books scattered about -- everything just as it had been last used. Looking curiously from one thing to another, wondering what this deserted ship might be, at last they came upon the log-book. It was indorsed, "Bark Resolute, 1st September 1853, to April, 1854." Among other items they found -- tin playing cards, fashioned from cans, waiting for someone to finish the game. The whalers repaired the still-seaworthy boat and a few arduous months later brought it back to Connecticut. At this time America and Britain -- still licking their wounds from the wars -- had an uneasy peace. The British public was outraged that an American whaler could accomplish what their own captain couldn't, and the American public was overjoyed to take a British prize. In order to quell the popular feeling, Queen Victoria released all claim to the Resolute; and in turn, the American Congress purchased it from the whaler, had it refit it to perfection, and returned it to the Queen as a token of goodwill. The HMS Resolute never served again, and was broken up in 1878. But that wasn't the end of it. Queen Victoria had the best timbers of the ship saved, and worked by master naval craftsman William Evenden into three desks -- one for the widow Franklin, one for Captain Buddington, and the largest -- and most famous -- for President Rutherford B. Hayes. The Resolute Desk, intricately carved, was discovered by Jackie Kennedy in the Treaty Room of the White House and moved into the Oval Office. Various presidents had it slightly modified -- FDR had the desk raised to accommodate his wheelchair and a panel built in the front, and Reagan had it raised slightly. A picture, famous at the time, shows JFK Jr. peeking out through the panel while his father works. And, at least today, President Obama uses the desk as well. In this now-famous picture you can just barely see the commemorative plaque built into the front of the desk, which reads: H.M.S. "RESOLUTE" Forming part of the expedition sent in search of SIR JOHN FRANKLIN IN 1852, was abandoned in latitude 75 41' N. Longitude 101"22' W. on 15th May 1854. She was discovered and extricated in September 1855, in latitude 67 N. by Captain Buddington of the United States whaler "George Henry." The ship was purchased, fitted out and sent to England, as a gift to her Majesty Queen Victoria by the President and People of the United States, as a token of goodwill & friendship. This table was made from her timbers when she was broken up, and is presented by the QUEEN of GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, as a memorial of the courtesy and loving Kindness which dictated the offer of the gift of the "RESOLUTE." As for Sir John Franklin, the explorer for whom the Belcher expedition had been searching? John Rae, an Arctic explorer with beautiful handwriting, ran across some Inuit hunters who spoke of trading with a crew of shipwrecked white men, showing artifacts of the expedition, and concluded: From the mutilated state of many of the corpses and the contents of the kettles, it is evident that our wretched countrymen had been driven to the last dread alternative resource — cannibalism — as means of prolonging existence. Lady Franklin went to her grave angrily fighting that notion; she is still famous today as the subject of 'Lady Franklin's Lament', a popular tune covered by artists including Sinead O'Connor. Ironically, at the height of the Cold War in 1953, in order to help assert territorial claims, the Canadian government forcibly relocated many Inuit families from Northern Quebec to an airfield that had been established in 1947...named Resolute, Nunavut after HMS Resolute. The Inuit were very much out of their element, not being used to the wildlife, having no shelter, and having to deal with weeks of endless night and endless day. Nevertheless, like so many people over history warring with the elements in the most inhospitable of places, they perservered. Resolutely, one might say.

A few words from a beloved U.S. President on the banking crisis

spock — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:47:09 -0800

On the Oct. 7th Daily Show , Sarah Vowell mentioned that she is so desperate for Presidential leadership that she listened to FDR's Fireside Chats (from the Great Depression of the 1930s) and felt a little better. Beginning March 4th, 1933, and running through March 1st, 1945 FDR's fireside chats were a staple in American Homes. The news of the day, brought to you directly from the commander in chief himself. These are those broadcasts. (#2 is his first, on the banking crisis.)

Queen of Soul.

flapjax at midnite — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 03:08:58 -0800

Aretha. Aretha. Aretha. Aretha. Aretha. Aretha. Aretha. Aretha. Aretha. Aretha. Aretha. Aretha. Aretha. Aretha.

1971 BE (Before Elmo)

Astro Zombie — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 06:15:13 -0800

The Year of Roosevelt Franklin. High on the list of forgotten Sesame Street characters is one Roosevelt Franklin, a reddish purple muppet with pointed black hair and a distinctly hep style of speech (provided by the late Matt Robinson, the show's original Gordon). Despite Roosevelt's funky musical sensibilities (demonstrated in an album called My Name is Roosevelt Franklin, later released as The Year of Roosevelt Franklin), the character's classroom behavior was, well, quite frankly, poison. His constant misbehavior in school might have been fun to watch, but was seen as representing a negative stereotype and a bad example, and so it was adieu Franklin.

Ben's bowls

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 07:09:37 -0800

At one time or another you've probably rubbed your finger along the rim of a glass to produce a note. In 1761 Ben Franklin took the idea further with the invention of the glass (h)armonica. The instrument enjoyed some popularity, but is believed to have caused health problems due to lead content in the glass. Performers complained of loss of feeling in their hands, some even suffered nervous breakdowns. People became very frightened of the armonica, and by 1830 it was all but extinct. But there's been some renewal of interest: they're being play ed, and they're being made. You can play a surprisingly good-sounding virtual version. Or listen to a charming rendition of a seasonally appropriate tune. [more links inside] Oh, and: [previously]

"Our national bird may still be admired by those who are not familiar with its habits."

MonkeySaltedNuts — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 18:02:49 -0800

"Our national bird may still be admired by those who are not familiar with its habits." Franklin knew knew most of this.

Royal Society of London, 1665–

Sonny Jim — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 03:26:51 -0800

The Royal Society Digital Archive is now on-line and free to use ... until December. Until that time, every article in its collections, going back to 1665, is freely accessible. Poke around, who knows what you might find ... [pdf]

Benjamin Franklin is FAT!!!1 :ROFL:

rzklkng — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 07:58:56 -0800

The War on Franklin (Orig. from the NYTimes). It's only fitting as we approach the t ercentennial of the birth of the First American, Benjamin Franklin, that there is an ongoing debate as to whether we should "sacrifice essential liberties for a little temporary safety" and if we deserve either. To be sure, Franklin is likely the seminal Colonial American, who's philosophy, inventions, self-determination, self-improvement, entrepeneurship, and witicisms underpin most elements of modern American society, politics, and culture, as well as having edited our founding document, the Declaration of Independence. But Franklin the man was also self-involved, a neglectful spouse and parent, and (likely) a serial philanderer, as well as having never held elected office. (History erases many of the sins of the Foundering Fathers). Surely increasing criticism of both the man and his relavency is soon to follow. Perhaps we can all strive to emulate Franklin's greatest skill - the art of compromise.

Commonplace books

monju_bosatsu — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 11:00:49 -0800

The paper analogue of the blog is not the diary, but rather the commonplace book. With the availability of relatively cheap paper beginning as early as the 14th century, people began to collect knowledge in commonplace books. Bits of quotes, reference materials, summaries of arguments, all contained in a handy bound volume. This merchant's commonplace, for example, dates from 1312 and contains hand-drawn diagrams of Venetian ships and descriptions of Venice's merchant culture. An English commonplace dating to the 15th century, the Book of Brome, contains poems, notations on memorial law, lists of expenses, and diary entries. John Locke devised a method for keeping a commonplace. Thomas Jefferson kept both legal and literary commonplaces, and owned a copy of Sir John Randolph's legal commonplace, published in 1680.

Imitate Jesus and Socrates

nthdegx — Sat, 10 Sep 2005 06:38:27 -0800

Temperance. Silence. Order. Resolution. Frugality. Industry. Sincerity. Justice. Moderation. Cleanliness. Chastity. Tranquility. Humility. Benjamin Franklin's 13 virtues. "He committed to giving strict attention to one virtue each week so after 13 weeks he moved through all 13. After 13 weeks he would start the process over again so in one year he would complete the course a total of 4 times."

Ben Franklin's Electrical Experiments

yankeefog — Tue, 15 Feb 2005 06:07:07 -0800

I never was before engaged in any study that so totally engrossed my attention and my time Ben Frankin's extensive experiments with electricity went well beyond his famous kite flying; he also proved that lightning was electrical (and invented the lightning rod), and was the first one to use the words "positive" and "negative" to describe electrical charges. It would no doubt please the ingenious Mr. Franklin to know that all of his writings on electricity are now available online (Note: link goes to 912k PDF file.) Franklin's excitement over his discoveries is palpable--and high school students can duplicate them on their own, thanks to Ben Franklin As My Lab Partner. And for a demonstration that combines Ben's knowledge of electricity with his mischievous sense of humor and fondness for political subversion, watch Conspirators, or The Treason.

Idle hands do God's work?

caddis — Sat, 07 Aug 2004 07:36:18 -0800

The virtue of idleness is lost upon our modern society with its Puritan work ethic. Perhaps a little idleness is good for the soul and the mind. Some would say Ben Franklin is spinning in his grave, but he also enjoyed his idle hours as much as any man, at least according to the recent biography, "Ben Franklin: An American Life" by Walter Isaacson.

willnot — Wed, 07 Aug 2002 21:28:45 -0800

Ben Franklin was a member of a dinner club that evolved into a sort of secret society, think tank called The Junto. That group met every Friday from November, 1727 for several decades. Out of those meetings, the group invented the first subscription library in north america, the most advanced volunteer fire department of the time, the first public hospital in Pennsylvania, an insurance company, a constabulary, improved streetlights, paving and what became the University of Pennsylvania. Has anybody ever heard of this? Could something like this work today?