Ampere, the Paris professor who turned a needle's twitch into a new science
They could generate motion, forces, patterns -- an entirely new branch of physics. That lightning-rod moment became the heart of electrodynamics -- what we now call electromagnetism.And it wasn't a fluke. Ampere had spent years quietly battling personal loss, grief, isolation, and the aftermath of the French Revolution. The language of physics and mathematics had become his lifelines.
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
A LIFE SHAPED BY LOSS AND LEARNINGBorn on January 20, 1775, in Lyon, France, Ampere grew up in a home full of books. His father, a devout follower of philosopher and writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau, allowed him to learn freely.advertisementAmpere was solving calculus problems in Latin by age 13. But tragedy shaped him -- his father was guillotined during the Reign of Terror, and later in life, he lost his wife too.These losses haunted him. Yet, instead of folding inwards, he turned to science and faith for answers.NO FORMAL SCHOOLING, BUT AN INSATIABLE MINDAmpere never attended a formal university as a student. He was largely self-taught, devouring mathematics, Latin, philosophy, and natural sciences from books in his father's library.
(figures from the Memoirs on Electromagnetism and Electrodynamics) (Photos: Wikimedia Commons)
Eventually, he secured a teaching post at the Collge de France and later became a professor at the cole Polytechnique in Paris, which is where he had his revolutionary finding.HIS BIG IDEA: CURRENTS CREATE FORCESIn 1820, building on Orsted's experiment, Ampere proposed that two parallel wires carrying electric currents attract or repel each other, depending on the direction of current.This idea, now known as Ampere's force law, gave the world the first mathematical description of how electricity and magnetism are related. He didn't stop there. Ampere laid out an entire theory of electromagnetism, introducing concepts like the electric current loop and how it produces a magnetic field, which became the basis for modern electromagnet design.WHY HE'S CALLED THE FATHER OF ELECTROMAGNETISMAmpere gave the science a structure. He even coined the term electrodynamics. His careful mathematical work paved the way for later scientists like James Clerk Maxwell to create a unified theory of electromagnetism.In his honour, the unit of electric current -- the Ampere -- bears his name.
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
AMPERE'S PERSONAL LIFEDespite his scientific genius, Andr-Marie Ampre's life outside the lab was marked by hardship and quiet resilience. Ampere married Julie Carron in 1799, and they had a son, Jean-Jacques Ampre.But just four years into their marriage, Julie died of tuberculosis in 1803, leaving Ampere devastated.Her death deeply affected him, and those close to him said he never fully recovered. Much like what happened when his father died, he turned inward, pouring himself into his research while raising their son alone.advertisementA modest man, Ampre avoided the spotlight and lived simply, even as his ideas lit up Europe's scientific community. He remained deeply religious all his life, often turning to faith during moments of grief and uncertainty.
Ampere and his son are buried in Paris
His son, Jean-Jacques, grew up to become a respected historian and literary scholar, and eventually became a member of the prestigious Acadmie Franaise, carrying forward the Ampere name in the world of letters, while his father had already immortalised it in science.AMPERE'S DEATH AND LEGACYAndre-Marie Ampere died on June 10, 1836, in Marseille, France, while on a scientific inspection tour. He was 61.Today, he is buried in Paris's Montmartre Cemetery. His legacy? Every time an electric current flows -- from your phone charger to a massive power grid -- Ampere's equations are at work.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
29 minutes ago
- India Today
Erwin Schrodinger, the man behind the famous cat experiment that questioned reality
A cat is in a sealed box. It is both alive and dead, at least until you open the the sealed chamber also sits a vial of vial could be triggered to break by a tiny amount of radioactive material that may (or may not) release energy and change form over time. Until you look, the cat exists in a strange twilight: both alive and is absurd, morbid, and yet -- utterly central to one of the most important debates in the box, Erwin Schrodinger was not looking for a pet rescue mission but making a point: in the strange realm of quantum mechanics, reality itself may be undecided until you was no cruel animal experiment in a lab. And Schrodinger never trapped a real cat. It was a thought experiment, dreamt up in 1935, in a Europe bracing for war and in a scientific community still grappling with the bizarre new rules of quantum image of Schrodinger's cat was so sharp, so unsettling, that it leapt from physics papers into cultural understand why a man would conjure such a morbid mental picture, you have to rewind to Vienna in the early 20th century. There lived a curious boy who would one day challenge how the universe itself is GIFTED CHILD TO WAVE MECHANICSErwin Schrodinger was born on August 12, 1887, in Vienna, the only child of a father who ran a small linoleum factory and a mother from an academic family. Their cultured, upper-middle-class home was filled with books, art, and scientific Erwin excelled early, mastering advanced mathematics while classmates were still wrestling with basics. The coffee-houses and lecture halls of the city fed his fascination with science and philosophy. 1927 Solvay Conference (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) Row 1: A. Piccard, E. Henriot, P. Ehrenfest, Ed. Herzen, Th. De Donder, E. Schrdinger, E. Verschaffelt, W. Pauli, W. Heisenberg, R.H. Fowler, L. Brillouin, Row 2: P. Debye, M. Knudsen, W.L. Bragg, H.A. Kramers, P.A.M. Dirac, A.H. Compton, L. de Broglie, M. Born, N. Bohr, Row 3: I. Langmuir, M. Planck, M. Curie, H.A. Lorentz, A. Einstein, P. Langevin, w:Charles-Eugne Guye, C.T.R. Wilson, O.W. Richardson He entered the University of Vienna in 1906, studying under the likes of Friedrich Hasenohrl, and earned his doctorate in 1910 (Maths History), before the world plunged into chaos with World War served in the Austrian army as an artillery officer in the war. Even on the front lines, he carried notebooks filled with equations. The war ended with Austria's empire in ruins, and Vienna became a place of scarcity but also intellectual BREAKTHROUGH THAT WON HIM THE NOBELBy the mid-1920s, quantum mechanics was in its chaotic infancy. Werner Heisenberg had proposed 'matrix mechanics', a powerful but abstract method to describe the strange behaviour of subatomic particles. But Schrodinger took a different 1926, while on a skiing holiday in the Swiss Alps resort of Arosa, he worked on the wave equation that would cement his place in history -- a mathematical description of how particles behaved not as fixed points, but as 'wave functions' spreading out in space and not only matched Heisenberg's results, but offered a more intuitive picture of the quantum world. It was the bridge that connected the strange predictions of quantum theory with experiments in the real wave mechanics explained phenomena like the hydrogen atom's energy levels with breath-taking accuracy, and won him the 1933 Nobel Prize in Physics, shared with Paul was this work, and not the cat, that made him a central architect of quantum theory. Schrodinger's Nobel Prize Diploma (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) advertisementPOLITICS, IDEOLOGY, AND EXILESchrodinger's life was tangled up with the politics of his time. The cat came later, in a world shadowed by Nazi politics were complex -- pacifist, humanist, and deeply opposed to totalitarianism. In 1933, as Hitler consolidated power, he resigned from his post in Berlin and left Germany, rejecting Nazi brief academic posts in England and Austria, he eventually took up a role at the newly founded Institute for Advanced Studies in Dublin, helping shape it into a hub for theoretical he introduced the cat in a paper in 1935, Europe was already edging towards another catastrophic THE CAT, A QUANTUM PARADOXBy that time, Schrodinger was struggling with a puzzling idea in quantum mechanics: under Niels Bohr's Copenhagen interpretation, a particle existed in a 'superposition' or multiple states at once until someone observed it. Particles chose the state when we looked at show how bizarre that sounded when applied to normal life, he cooked up his most famous mental image:Imagine a cat locked in a boxInside the box is a device containing a single unstable atom -- the kind that can randomly 'decay,' or change into something else, at an unpredictable momentIf the atom decays, it triggers a chain reaction: a detector notices the change, releases a hammer, breaks open a vial of poison, and the cat diesIf the atom does not decay, the cat livesQuantum physics says that until we actually open the box, that atom is in a sort of limbo -- both decayed and not if the atom is in both states, then the cat is, too: both dead and alive at the same time. Schrodinger's point wasn't that this scenario could actually happen to cats, but that the logic of quantum rules turns absurd when pulled out of the subatomic world and applied to everyday famous thought experiment was not meant to be solved; it was meant to unsettle. It was a challenge to scientists to question the Copenhagen interpretation, to probe its assumptions, and to think harder about what 'reality' really cat-in-a-box theory exposed the philosophical rift in quantum theory: Was reality determined only when observed, as the Copenhagen interpretation claimed, or was there some deeper, hidden truth?Schrodinger leaned towards the latter, uncomfortable with the idea that the universe only 'became real' when someone looked.A MIND THAT RANGED FAR BEYOND PHYSICSBeyond physics, Schrodinger strayed boldly into biology while in Ireland. His 1944 book What Is Life? suggested that the instructions for life or genetic information might be stored in a molecular 'code-script'.At the time, this was a leap of imagination, but it lit a spark in young scientists like James Watson, Francis Crick and Rosalind Franklin, who went on to reveal DNA's double helix, proving Schrodinger's hunch had been startlingly curiosity didn't stop with science. Schrodinger, though an atheist, immersed himself in Eastern philosophy, reading deeply in Vedanta and Buddhist thought. He was drawn to their ideas of unity and interconnectedness -- that the boundaries between observer and observed are an saw in these ideas parallels with quantum theory, and they quietly coloured his interpretation of quantum mechanics and his writings on the nature of reality. He also wrote on colour theory, and unified field theory. Shrodinger's signature (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) Even Schrodinger's personal life reflected his unconventional mind: while married, he also lived with a second partner -- a situation that baffled polite society but was tolerated in the academic circles he moved to Vienna in 1956 after years abroad, he continued working until his death in 1961. He was buried in the small Austrian village of Alpbach. On his tombstone, instead of a cat, there's an engraving of the wave equation that changed physics his name echoes not only in physics textbooks but in quantum computer labs, philosophical debates, and the pages of science that paradoxical cat -- imagined, never harmed -- still prowls the world's imagination, a reminder that reality may be stranger than we think, and never fully revealed until we observe.- Ends
NDTV
a day ago
- NDTV
New Study Links Excess Screen Time To Heart Risks In Children: How To Protect Your Child
In today's digital era, children multitask between smartphones, online classes, gaming, and streaming, even during homework breaks or before bedtime. But what if this ever on screen exposure isn't just affecting their focus or mood, but their heart health too? A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association sounds this alarm: each extra hour of leisure screen time, be it scrolling social media, binge watching, or gaming, pushes up cardiometabolic risk in kids and teens. For Indian parents juggling school schedules, tuitions, and digital distractions, this study rings particularly relevant. It's not just an abstract Western problem-it's a global wake up call. So, let's dive deep into the research, break down the heart health ripple effects for Indian families, and walk you through practical, culturally attuned strategies to reduce screen time and support healthy sleep and routines. Read on to know how small tweaks today can safeguard our children's hearts for decades to come. Understanding The Study: What Was Discovered? Researchers used two Danish longitudinal cohorts totalling over 1,000 mother child or adolescent pairs (COPSAC2010 and COPSAC2000). Screen time was parent reported or self reported; sleep and physical activity were objectively measured using accelerometers over a two week span. Cardiometabolic risk (CMR) was computed using five markers-waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, HDL (good) cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood glucose. Key findings of the study: Each extra hour of screen time raised cardiometabolic risk by around 0.08 standard deviations in children (6-10 years) and roughly 0.13 in adolescents (18 years). Sleep played a crucial role because children with shorter or later sleep schedules showed significantly stronger risk ties. Sleep duration mediated around 12% of the screen time cardiometabolic risk link, highlighting that better sleep can buffer some harm. A distinct "screen time fingerprint" of 37 blood-based biomarkers (metabolomics signature) was identified, offering a biological signal connecting screen habits to metabolic changes. Adolescents also showed higher predicted 10 year adult cardiovascular disease risk based on that signature. The study is observational-not proving causality, but showing dose dependent associations and rich mechanistic insights. Why This Study Matters For Indian Parents And Kids Though the data are Danish, the findings resonate across geographies, including India. Screen time among Indian children has surged (especially thanks to the increase in online classes and smartphone usage since 2020), sleep is often compromised, and cardiometabolic issues like childhood obesity and insulin resistance are rising. Here are a few more links that can be clearly made between this study and global as well as Indian kids' habits. Sedentary habits are heart harmful: This and previous studies have shown sedentary screen time contributes to increased heart weight and structural changes, even when body weight and blood pressure remain normal. Sleep disruptions add to risk: Screens before bed, common in Indian households where family dinner time is also often spent in front of the television, delay sleep onset via blue light and overstimulation, worsening metabolic outcomes. Language and development: Excessive screens, especially in early years, undermine face to face interaction and cognitive development and academic readiness, all aggravating the broader picture. Practical, Friendly Tips To Reduce Screen Time And Boost Heart Health In Children If you, as a parent or guardian, want to reduce your children's screen time and simultaneously boost heart health, then here are a few easy, practical and yet, friendly ways to do so: Set daily screen time limits Keep children's leisure screen time under two hours per day, excluding school-related use. This helps in lowering their cumulative exposure. Another friendly trick? Allow screen time for specific shows or cartoon slots in your chosen language, so it doesn't spill over into hours of aimless scrolling. Create screen-free zones and times Identify parts of the day or areas in your home where screens are not allowed-such as the dining table, during prayers, meditation or exercise hours, or before bedtime. Establishing a "no phone during chai time" or "family lunch = no devices" routine can work wonders. Avoid screens at least one hour before bedtime This allows melatonin (the sleep hormone) to function properly, promoting deeper sleep. Instead of TV or mobile devices, switch to story time in your child's mother tongue, light reading, or calming music-habits that also support emotional bonding. Encourage outdoor or indoor active play Physical activity helps burn off sedentary time and improves heart function. For younger kids, make time for games like skipping rope. If outdoor space is a problem, even dancing to your family's favourite tunes at home helps. Be a role model and limit your own screen time Children mimic what they see. If you're constantly on your phone, they'll assume it's normal. So, during family time, put your phone away. Instead, cook together, play a board game, or go for a short family walk. Lead by example. Promote hands-on hobbies and quiet time Offer your child alternatives to screen-based entertainment. Encourage art, building blocks, puzzles, colouring, local crafts, or DIY activities like drawing a comic strip or writing their own short story. This not only limits screen time but boosts creativity. Use parental controls smartly Many phones and tablets come with built-in parental controls. Set daily screen limits or schedule "downtime" on devices. Prioritize good sleep hygiene Since sleep plays a big role in offsetting the harms of screen time, ensure your child goes to bed and wakes up at regular times, even on weekends. Keep bedrooms screen-free and create a calming bedtime routine like a warm bath or simple prayers. Communicate openly-not just rules, but reasons Instead of commanding "no phone!", explain why. Use simple language: "Our hearts grow stronger when we play, move, sleep well, and don't stare at screens too much." The more kids understand the why, the more they'll cooperate with the how. A Note on Holistic Heart Health Beyond screens, combine healthy meals (local fruits, dals, millets), regular movement, and stress free routines like family walks or storytelling time. As highlighted before, earlier onset of metabolic disease calls for integrated approaches and screen limits are an entry point to broader heart healthy lifestyles. This study offers an early warning, but also hope. By trimming screen time and nurturing sleep and active routines, parents can safeguard their kids' hearts both now and for the long haul. Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Excessive screen time raises heart disease risk: study
Copenhagen: Children who spend too much time in front of screens, whether phones or TVs, have an increased risk of heart and metabolic disease, according to a Danish study published Wednesday. The study tracked the screen consumption and sleep habits of more than 1,000 10-year and 18-year-olds, with researchers examining the relationship between screen time and cardiometabolic risk factors. "Children and young adults who spend excessive hours glued to screens and electronic devices may have higher risks for cardiometabolic diseases, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and insulin resistance," said the study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Subsequently they face a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases or diabetes, the researchers found. The analysis revealed that each additional hour of daily screen time increases the risk of disease. "This means a child with three extra hours of screen time a day would have roughly a quarter to half a standard-deviation higher risk than their peers," lead author David Horner, a researcher at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, said in a statement. "Multiply that across a whole population of children, and you're looking at a meaningful shift in early cardiometabolic risk that could carry into adulthood," Horner added. Researchers are divided on the potential harmful effects of screens on children and adolescents, but the majority agree that younger populations are more at risk compared to adults.
