Fox Valley Science Society: The Science of Fermentation

The early history of photography ran parallel to a revolution in our understanding of the nature of light, and some of the same individuals were important for both.  Here I describe (and demonstrate) some of the earliest photographic processes, while recounting some of the history of the evolution of our understanding of light and its interaction with matter, paying particular attention to the work of the important 19th century British scientists John Herschel and Mary Somerville.

Speaker Bio:

John Beaver is Professor of Physics and Astronomy at UW Oshkosh. He earned his B.S. in physics from Youngstown State University and his PhD in Astronomy from Ohio State.  Beaver has long been a practicing art photographer, specializing in historical and experimental processes. Over the past quarter century, his photography has been seen in nearly three dozen joint and solo exhibitions and juried group shows.  He is the author of six books, most recently Lo-Fi Photography: Art from Do-it-Yourself Chemistry and Physics.