[meteorite-list] On the Father of Meteoritics (Warning - Original Radical Theory)

[MexicoDoug]

Dear List, an account of the coming of age of Chladni which may rock 
the boat a bit:

"When in the course of scientific endeavors it becomes necessary for 
one scientist to dissolve the bonds which have connected them with 
another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and 
equal station to which the God-given phenomenon of meteoritics entitle 
them, a decent dignity for one's inventions requires that they should 
declare the causes which impel them to the separation...."

Such was the case for Ernst F. F. Chladni, who quite abruptly focused 
his interest in "fathering" meteoritics in the early 1790's: an 
accomplished musician and musical instrument designer with an interest 
in waves, electricity, and physics. He suddenly dedicated some time to 
a radical theory of meteoritics; the question is....What *sparked* his 
sudden and intensive, obsessive-compulsive interest?  No one really 
knows, excepts, perhaps the Shadow.  Read on please, for my theory 
after a discusson wih my Shadow...

First we must define what exactly was on Chladni's mind during those 
years and more importantly what was his mindset?  Well, he was 
recovering from a failed attempt to promote his musical instrument 
which he toured playing in hope to gain some recognition.  His 
instrument never became popular.  The reason was not because it was bad 
... but rather because there was a superior instrument that displaced 
it in public events all the time.  By 1790, he gave it up, and quite 
frustrated he was with his extensive efforts.

Chladni's first love was music and acoustics.  It is often cited that 
his interest in meteoritics was suddenly fomented by conversations with 
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg in 1791-1793.  But Lichtenberg himself had 
nothing to say about it, despite making notes of the meetings and 
commenting that Chladni was working on a new musical instrument to 
supplant his previous failed one.

A world away lived the bane of Chladni's existence, until his death in 
1790: one Dr. Benjamin Franklin, American genius, and the antithesis of 
everything Chladni socially was...  Franklin was the model of an 
brilliant human being, even able to have the French aristocracy eat out 
of his hand while founding the United States of America, all in his 
spare time while he pursued intellectual pursuits of everything and 
frequently made great scientific advancements with a sort of Midas' 
Touch with only a wit that could beat them.  Such was the case with the 
armonica, a musical instrument that was a clever adaptation of sound 
waves produced by utilizing friction like the rubbing on a wine glass 
which allowed the simultaneous playing of nearly a dozen notes.  This 
musical instrument precisely was the one that displaced Chladni's who 
otherwise might have found more success.  Franklin's instrument was an 
American contribution to Europe that even the great composers wrote 
parts for as Chladni's own foundered.  How frustrating it must have 
been.

At heart, Dr. Franklin was truly a scientist and had managed some of 
the most truly remarkable experiments and even was credited as being 
the father of electricity after harnassing the meteorological 
phenomenon of lightning and proving exactly what it was: electricity.  
There was nothing he couldn't do and yet, he always got all the women, 
fame and power he wished.

On the other hand Chladni was forced into a career he had no interest 
in doing by an overpowering father, had absolutely no luck with the 
woman and was spurned by his contemporaries when he initially tried to 
present his ideas to his peers.  Bummer to be Chladni in 1790.

But Franklin died in 1790.  Chladni didn't waste a moment, dropping his 
failed instrument and immediately appropriated Franklin's armonica a 
step further and redesigned a new instrument in 1791 he named, 
immodestly CHLADNI'S EUPHONIUM (basically a synonym for armonica but 
addiding his name for recognition) he hoped would be superior - and 
finally, Franklin was dead and unable to wittily comment or compete.  
It was a prototype of that instrument he was playing for Lichtenberg.

After all those years of playing second fiddle, it was only natural 
that Franklin's scientific triumphs were a subject of discussion; after 
all the new instrument was a direct improvement on Franklin's intended 
to supplant it at best... and victory would be as sweet as waking among 
the muses, especially for Chladni who was trained as a lawyer with all 
the benefits and vices that the practice of law breeds.

One noteable subject of Franklin's successes was in meteorology, and 
especially legendary, regarding the proof that lightning bolts were 
composed of electricity.  Franklin also went on record saying meteors 
were probably an electrical phenomenon as well.  Well, these strange 
rocks were turning up at that time and there were murmurs that they 
came from the sky.  Chladni became obsessed with making his mark (and 
in the process showing Franklin was wrong) by choosing the other light 
phenomenon - meteors - just as Franklin had chosen a phenomenon, just 
as Franklin had inspired his instrument - in hopes finally making a 
reputation for himself and perhaps a dab of revenge for all those years 
lost with his instrument due to Franklin superior design.

Motive in any investigation is always sought.  Need Chladni more 
motive? ;-)  He released his first improved design utilizing Franklin's 
armonica concepts directly, suddenly became obsessed with with proving 
meteors were not electrical phenomena but rather rocks; immersed 
himself in the library for a couple of months in a mission (much like 
many contemporary meteorite folk we've seen battle it out on the list 
when one scoops the other on a new fall), published his book and in the 
process of his madness made the assertion that the rocks came from 
space, a true contribution; and then was immediately ridiculed and 
mocked ... his contemporaries new what he was up to and this attenuated 
the believability of his work.

Then immdiatey after publishing, he dropped meteorites, never to return 
again to the field and gort to work building a new second generation 
musical instrument.  Both instruments he designed and built in the 
1790's met with success and Chladni finally could gain some respect he 
earned after a lifetime of brandishing by fire.

The above theory would explain motivation and why Chladni's work in 
meteoritics was as efemeral as the meteors themselves.

We should say a little more about Ben's beliefs and how they 
potentially influenced Chladni, as clearly, the American Philosophical 
Society, founded by Franklin who was the first president published a 
Journal just like the Liondon Society, and the Journal was undoubtably 
read by Chladni.  The first president of the Society was Franklin, and 
he was followed by the great Astronomer Early American astronomer David 
Rittenhouse, as the second president, who predated much of Chladni's 
idea on cosmic origins and as the successor of Franklin, undoubtably 
would have been an interesting subject of study for Chladni as he 
studied those late nights in the library for that intriguingly brief 
period of time.  As a matter of fact, Chladni himself said Lichtenberg 
told him to immerse himself reading Philosophical Transactions in the 
library.  What were the Americans saying about meteors that might tip 
off Chladni and that Lichtenberg definitely read as well?

Let me quote a passage of a post I made to the List in 2006 excerping a 
letter from Rittenhouse to Franklin, and to comment that Franklin 
likely had a friendly rivalry with Rittenhouse as to the cosmic origin 
of meteorites and predated Chladni's "original" contribution by a 
number of years:

"Ben believed for a time that meteors were also caused by electricity,
however his contemporary, the great Astronomer Early American 
astronomer David
Rittenhouse, had other thoughts and most obviously discussed them at 
length with
Franklin. They were both founders and officers in the American 
Philosophical
Society - the Innovative and incomparable Academic Ivory Tower in the 
unique
American tradition of their time responsible for adding scientific 
thought
to the American Revolution and much beyond...Upon Franklin's death,
Rittenhouse became the second president of the Society until his own 
death five years
later.

Eleven years before Ben's death, On "All Hallow's Eve", October 31, 
1779,
Rittenhouse had witnessed a 30-second bolide accompanied by sonic booms 
near
Philadelphia, where he was the head of the University of Pennsylvania's
Astronomy department...as the war of American Independence was still in 
Gear...

Rittenhouse described the event in a letter purportedly to Franklin:
"Leaving behind it a bright trail of light of a fine Silver Color, 
which
continued Visible about 20 minutes, altho' but half an hour after 
Sunset, and
then gradually disappeared, after changing from a Strait line to a very 
crooked
one. [Meteors are] bodies altogether foreign to this Earth, but meeting 
with
it, in its Annual Orbit, are attracted by it, and on entering our 
Atmosphere
take fire and are exploded, something in the manner Steel filings are, 
on
passing thro' the flame of a Candle. [It made a] glorious appearance at 
the
distance of a few miles, yet from its prodigious Magnitude it must have 
been
quite terrible. [Had the] Cataract fallen on the plain where on 
Philadelphia
stands, half its inhabitants would probably been [sic] drowned."

In the absence of the word "bolide", a cataract most certainly is the 
best
word choice available to describe the phenomenon. It was brighter than 
the
Sun, "a half hour after Sunset". "

Chladni clearly couldn't make it on his own, and found it easier to But 
I could be wrong - though I don't mind championing the theory though 
there may be a few hole in it that doesnt mean it isn't a very good 
explanation ;-), I just wish I had more time to research my logical 
assertations.

PS  Franklin actually must have a smile in his grave now that we know 
meteors in fact are an electrical phenomenon.

Kindest wishes
Franklin's Heirs