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Heron / Hero of Alexandria, mathematician
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Heron / Hero of Alexandria, mathematician
Heron/Hero of Alexandria 1st century AD, mathematician and engineer.He is shown demonstrating his aeolipile to savants at the Museum of Alexandria. This consisted of a hollow sphere mounted so that it could turn on a pair of hollow tubes connected to a cauldron or boiler. This closed boiler contained water heated by a fire below. Steam entered the sphere from the boiler through the tubes and escaped through two bent tubes projecting from the equator of the sphere, causing it to revolve. This is considered to be the first recorded steam turbine and is similar to a rocket style jet engine. Heron described the aeolipile in his Pneumatica. He wrote on mathematics, mechanics, physics and pneumatics. His work was destroyed by fire but survives through Arab translations
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Media ID 6295583
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Alexandria Ancient Greek Boiler Engineer Greek Hero Heron Mathematician Steam Turbine 1st Century Ad Aeolipile
EDITORS COMMENTS
This print showcases the brilliance of Heron, also known as Hero of Alexandria, a renowned mathematician and engineer from the 1st century AD. In this image, he is seen mesmerizing a group of savants at the prestigious Museum of Alexandria with his groundbreaking invention, the aeolipile. The aeolipile was an ingenious device consisting of a hollow sphere mounted on tubes connected to a cauldron filled with water heated by fire. As steam entered the sphere through these tubes and escaped through bent ones projecting from its equator, it caused the sphere to rotate. This remarkable creation is considered to be the earliest recorded steam turbine and bears striking resemblance to modern rocket-style jet engines. Heron's vast knowledge spanned various fields including mathematics, mechanics, physics, and pneumatics. Although much of his work was tragically lost in fires that ravaged ancient libraries over time, we owe our understanding of his genius thanks to Arab translations that preserved some fragments. This extraordinary photograph not only immortalizes Heron's legacy but also pays homage to the intellectual hub that was Alexandria during ancient Greek times. It serves as a powerful reminder of humanity's relentless pursuit for knowledge and innovation throughout history.
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