Who is Eunice Newton Foote? The scientist celebrated in today's Google Doodle
We talk about climate change and the devastating effects of greenhouse gases on a daily basis, yet many of us have never heard of Eunice Newton Foote. The American scientist was the first person to realise the alarming impact of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, all the way back in 1856. So, to mark what would have been her 204th birthday, Google has dedicated today’s Doodle to the environmental pioneer. Head to the search engine and you’ll find an 11-part slideshow explaining Foote’s most significant work. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter It goes on to point out that her research was largely ignored for almost 100 years, and credits her with being the first person to “plant a seed of interest in the issue of climate change”. And for anyone wondering, her surname is no coincidence: her father was allegedly a distant relative of Sir Isaac Newton. In a blurb to its Doodle, Google points out that whilst science was Foote’s lifelong passion, she also dedicated time to campaigning for women’s rights. In 1848, she attended the first Woman’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York State and became the fifth signatory of the Declaration of Sentiments — which demanded equality for women in social and legal status. Back then, women were largely shunned from the scientific community, but this didn’t stop Foote from conducting experiments on her own. After placing mercury thermometers in glass cylinders, she noticed that the cylinder containing carbon dioxide heated up the most and took the longest to cool down. As a result, she became the first scientist to draw a connection between rising CO2 levels and the warming of the atmosphere. After publishing her findings, Foote wrote a second paper on atmospheric static electricity for the journal ‘Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science’. These were the first two physics studies to be published by a woman in the US, as Google notes. In 1856, a male scientist presented her work at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This then lead to further experiments which uncovered what is now known as the Greenhouse effect. And whilst none of us relish the fact this phenomenon exists, we should be eternally grateful to Foote for flagging it to us, all those years ago. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-07-17 15:48
US mulls new export restriction on computing power in AI chips
By Stephen Nellis and Karen Freifeld U.S. officials are considering tightening an export control rule designed to slow
2023-06-29 16:54
Google Will Now Ship Weekly Chrome Security Updates
You’re about to get security fixes for Chrome a little faster. Keeping your browser up
2023-08-12 04:50
IMT’s DeadDrop Labs Achieves AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner Status
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 11, 2023--
2023-07-11 23:15
Taylor Swift Concert Tragedy Highlights Dangers of Climate Change
The death of a Taylor Swift fan in the midst of a heat wave in Brazil is another
2023-11-24 00:26
Wingman Buffed and Moved to Care Packages in Apex Legends Season 19
In Apex Legends Season 19, the Wingman not only received a damage buff but also was moved to Care Packages, making the weapon less common on the map.
2023-10-27 02:55
British consortium to invest $9 billion in Indonesia mining, EV batteries, minister says
JAKARTA A British consortium that includes mining giant Glencore will invest about $9 billion in Indonesia's mining and
2023-05-31 17:53
Google’s AI chatbot Bard can now talk
Google has rolled out a major update to its ChatGPT rival Bard, allowing the AI chatbot to respond to queries by talking. The latest features, unveiled on Thursday, also allow the artificial intelligence bot to understand and reply to visual prompts. As part of the update, Google has opened up Bard to more countries – including the whole of Europe – as well as introducing over 40 languages to the artificial intelligence tool. Similar to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Bard is a large language model that uses generative AI to predict which word will come next when producing text. The tools draw on vast amounts of training data in order to come up with human-like responses to a wide range of queries, ranging from summarising texts, to generating computer code to create games or programs. The latest update aims to make the chatbot more customisable and allow users to “get more done” with Bard. The ability to understand visual prompts is a feature that was first demonstrated at Google’s annual I/O conference in May. During the demo, Bard was asked to describe what was in an image, as well as come up with a funny caption for a picture of two dogs. The audio response feature is aimed at users who want to hear how a word is pronounced. “Sometimes hearing something out loud can help you approach your idea in a different way,” Jack Krawczyk, a product lead at Google Bard, wrote in a blog post detailing the upgrade. “This is especially helpful if you want to hear the correct pronunciation of a word or listen to a poem or script.” The release of Bard in Europe had been delayed due to privacy concerns, with some campaigners accusing the tech giant of taking people’s data without their knowledge or consent. Google has called such claims “baseless”. Read More Elon Musk reveals plan to use AI to reveal mysteries of the universe
2023-07-13 21:47
US FTC chair to face questions on court losses in congressional hearing
By Diane Bartz WASHINGTON Lina Khan, the progressive head of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, goes before a
2023-07-13 18:25
New Boomi Event Streams Service Enables Event-Driven Integrations at Scale
CHESTERBROOK, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 13, 2023--
2023-06-13 21:15
Planar Announces Planar DirectLight Pro Series LED Platform, Raising the Bar on Versatility and Lifetime Value
PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 6, 2023--
2023-06-07 00:27
Jump Into the Unexpected: Super Mario Bros. Wonder Launches Today for Nintendo Switch
REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 20, 2023--
2023-10-20 21:29
You Might Like...
Get a refurbished 13-inch Apple MacBook Air for 69% off: Now $370
MyHeritage Launches Reimagine: An Innovative Photo App for Scanning, Improving, and Sharing Family Photos
India Sets Steady Path Toward Local Semiconductor Industry
'What the f**k': xQc stunned after spotting himself in OnlyFans video with Amouranth and Alinity
China curbs exports of drone-related equipment amid U.S. tech tensions
What to stream this week: 'American Born Chinese,' John Wick,'SmartLess On the Road' and dinosaurs
Taiwan Chip Exports Plunge 21% as Device Makers Clear Inventory
China Takes Friendlier Approach to AI in Finalized Guidelines