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National Science Foundation

(Encyclopedia)National Science Foundation (NSF), an independent agency in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government concerned with promoting a national science policy by supporting basic research and educ...

Langley, Samuel Pierpont

(Encyclopedia)Langley, Samuel Pierpont, 1834–1906, American scientist, b. Roxbury, Mass., received only a high school education but continued his studies in science in Boston libraries. He became, in 1866, profes...

Hypsicles of Alexandria

(Encyclopedia)Hypsicles of Alexandria hĭpˈsĭklēz [key], astronomer of ancient Greece. Some authorities place Hypsicles in the 2d cent. b.c. and some in the 2d cent. a.d. The 14th and 15th books of Euclid's Elem...

Hawaii, University of

(Encyclopedia)Hawaii, University of, at Honolulu (Manoa Campus), Hilo, and Pearl City (West Oahu Campus) with additional community college campuses; land-grant and state supported; coeducational; chartered 1907, op...

Sigüenza y Góngora, Carlos de

(Encyclopedia)Sigüenza y Góngora, Carlos de kärˈlōs ᵺā sēgwānˈsä ē gōngˈgōrä [key], 1645–1700, Mexican writer and humanist. The foremost intellectual figure of colonial Mexico, he wrote on mathem...

altitude

(Encyclopedia)altitude, vertical distance of an object above some datum plane, such as mean sea level or a reference point on the earth's surface. It is usually measured by the reduction in atmospheric pressure wit...

Lovell, Sir Bernard

(Encyclopedia)Lovell, Sir Bernard (Sir Alfred Charles Bernard Lovell), 1913–2012, English radio astronomer, b. Oldland Common, Gloucestershire, England, Ph.D. Univ. of Bristol, 1936. He was a member of the cosmic...

synchrotron radiation

(Encyclopedia)synchrotron radiation, in physics, electromagnetic radiation emitted by high-speed electrons spiraling along the lines of force of a magnetic field (see magnetism). Depending on the electron's energy ...

Amici, Giovanni Battista

(Encyclopedia)Amici, Giovanni Battista jōvänˈnē bät-tēsˈtä ämēˈchē [key], 1786–1863, Italian astronomer, mathematician, and naturalist. He became director of the observatory and professor of astronomy...

Apianus, Petrus

(Encyclopedia)Apianus, Petrus pāˈtər bēˈnəvĭts, bĕnˈəvĭts [key], 1495–1552, German cosmographer and mathematician. He was professor of mathematics at Ingolstadt and was noted for his knowledge of astro...