Henry Cavendish: The Shy Scientist Essay -- Science, Biography

Henry Cavendish: The Shy Scientist Henry Cavendish was born October 10, 1731 in Nice, France. His mother, Lady Anne Grey was the daughter of the first Duke of Kent while his father Lord Charles Cavendish, was second Duke of Devonshire. His ancestry links back to many of the aristocratic families in Great Britain. The chemist/physicist is most accredited for the discovery of hydrogen, the â€Å"inflammable air† and measuring the Earth’s density, but he also researched and discovered many other important scientific revolutions. Henry was described as being a very silent and solitary individual. Many called him eccentric and some believe Asperger Syndrome was the root of his behavior. He was shy of strangers and especially shy of women, so much that he only conversed with his female servants by notes. At one point he had a back staircase added onto his house to avoid his housekeeper. This shyness did not allow him to have close or personal relationships to those outside of his family. He dressed from the previous century wearing an old faded velvet coat and a three-cornered hat. When he did talk he spoke in a squeaky voice and with difficulty. His single social outlet was his membership in the Royal Society Club, in which members dined together before their weekly meetings. Cavendish rarely missed these meetings and was highly respected by his colleagues. Although admired, those who sought his intelligence were often given a response of a mumble or a vacant reply as Cavendish dashed off to find a more peacef ul area. Henry Cavendish began attendance to the University of Cambridge in St. Pete’s College on November 24, 1749 at the age of 18. On February 23, 1753, four years later, he left the university without graduating. After ex... ... the church now named Derby Cathedral and was honored by having the road he lived on named after him. William Cavendish the 7th Duke of Devonshire, Henry Cavendish later relative, donated the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. Works Cited Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. Henry Cavendish. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Cavendish; Dec. 1, 2011 Bruce Mattson. â€Å"Henry Cavendish 1731-1810†. History of Gas Chemistry. Updated September 25, 2001. Retrieved December 1, 2011 â€Å"Henry Cavendish†. Famous Scientists. http://www.famousscientists.org/henry-cavendish/. Retrieved Dec. 1, 2011 chemistry.mtu.edu/~pcharles/SCIHISTORY/HenryCavendish.html. Updated Oct. 30,1997. Retrieved Dec. 1, 2011 Eric Weisstein. â€Å"Cavendish, Henry (1731-1810†. Wolfram Research.1996-2007 Eric W. Weisstein. http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/Cavendish.html