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Tyndall, John

(Encyclopedia)Tyndall, John tĭnˈdəl [key], 1820–93, British physicist, b. Ireland. He became (1853) professor of natural philosophy at the Royal Institution and in 1867 succeeded Michael Faraday, his friend an...

Thomson, Sir George Paget

(Encyclopedia)Thomson, Sir George Paget, 1892–1975, English physicist; son of Sir Joseph John Thomson. He was professor of natural philosophy at the Univ. of Aberdeen (1922–30) and from 1930 to 1952 was profess...

Renner, Karl

(Encyclopedia)Renner, Karl kärl rĕnˈər [key], 1870–1950, Austrian socialist politician. A deputy after 1907, Renner became, following the abdication (Nov., 1918) of Emperor Charles I, the head of the provisio...

Redfield, Robert

(Encyclopedia)Redfield, Robert, 1897–1958, American anthropologist and sociologist, b. Chicago, grad. Univ. of Chicago (B.A., 1920; Ph.D., 1928). He began teaching at the Univ. of Chicago in 1928, later becoming ...

Robertson, William

(Encyclopedia)Robertson, William, 1721–93, Scottish churchman and historian. As moderator (1762–80) of the general assembly of the Church of Scotland, he led the moderate party and enforced the right of the sta...

Ostwald, Wilhelm

(Encyclopedia)Ostwald, Wilhelm vĭlˈhĕlm ôstˈvält [key], 1853–1932, German physical chemist and natural philosopher, b. Riga, Latvia. He was professor of chemistry and director of the chemical laboratory (18...

Virchow, Rudolf

(Encyclopedia)Virchow, Rudolf ro͞oˈdôlf fĭrˈkhō [key], 1821–1902, German pathologist, a founder of cellular pathology. He became professor at the Univ. of Würzburg (1849) and professor and director of the ...

Bell, Daniel

(Encyclopedia)Bell, Daniel, 1919–2011, American sociologist, b. New York City as Daniel Bolotsky, grad. City College (1939), Columbia (Ph.D., 1960). His immigrant parents changed their surname when he was 13. Bel...

special effects

(Encyclopedia)special effects, in motion pictures, cinematographic techniques that create illusions in the audience's minds as well as the illusions created using these techniques. Some common examples are the use ...

Spengler, Oswald

(Encyclopedia)Spengler, Oswald spĕngˈglər, Ger. ôsˈvält shpĕngˈglər [key], 1880–1936, German historian and philosopher. His studies covered many fields, among them mathematics, science, philosophy, histo...

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