Talk:Francesco Zantedeschi

Discovery of electromagnetic induction
This article, the one on Michael Faraday and similar websites which mirror Wikipedia claim that Faraday's discovery of electromagnetic induction "may have been" anticipated by the other scientist. It is easy to find Faraday's original writings, and detailed books about them by Tyndall and others, but not so easy to find reliable sources about Zantedeschi. The claim of his priority should be removed unless sources such as articles in peer-reviewed journals and books on the history of physics can provide substantiation of the claim that Zantedeschi's claimed experiments whith magnets and coils anticipated Faraday's. Every legitimate 19th century electrical discovery has a number of claimants who are said to have done something similar earlier, but with little or no documentation. Edison 20:50, 22 April 2007 (UTC)


 * I agree with the above 100%. I would even go so far as to say that this brief article should be recast to indicate that the whole claim that Zantedeschi discovered electromagnetic induction is bogus.  The claim is not debatable, but rather bogus since no citations are included to the primary literature or to studies by reputable scholars.  Is the best that can be cited a nearly 100-year old reference book?  A lot of history-of-science work has been published over the past 100 years.  If serious, verifiable claims have been made for Zantedeschi, then perhaps someone can add them to this article. -- Astrochemist 13:46, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

You know the problem with modern scientific history is the anglocentric bias due to the political dominance and stability of English speaking nations since at least 18th century. The version of history as is told may not be true in other parts of the world or may not be true at all. Anyway there have been a few articles which highlights Francesco Zantedeschi original work predating Faraday. Sharjeel.k126 (talk) 14:06, 30 September 2020 (UTC)

Miscellaneous
I also note that in the two-year life of this article, I am only the second person to contribute to the Talk page. The temptation is to conclude that no one cares enough to properly document the article, and so no one minds if I, user Edison, or someone else substantially changes it. Please contribute if you have time, interest, and expertise. Thank you.-- Astrochemist 13:46, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

Zantedeschi's text
TedHuntington (talk) 07:55, 16 March 2008 (UTC) I have tried to make a translation of Zantedeschi's text, but it needs to be translated by somebody fluent in Italian:

Here is the Italian (taken from http://books.google.com/books?id=fngtAAAAMAAJ&printsec=titlepage#PRA2-PA398,M1):
 * PS Aggiungo in forma di appendice all esperienza i e a della i parte un altro fatto da me osservato più volte in questo mese il quale non dovrà almeno riuscire discaro perché tende quale anello ad unire i diversi fatti elettro magnetici colla loro sorgente Ho preso una calamità fatta a ferro di cavallo del peso circa di una libbra francese che potea sostenere un peso di circa 4 a 5 libbre ed attorno a ciascnn polo ho avvolto strettamente un filo sottilissimo di rame in modo che collocata la cala mila ad una distanza di 15 a 16 piedi parigini potea sperimentare sulle estremità separate di detti fili Ora preso un moltiplicatore a due calamite ho ai capi del filo del medesimo che è di rame circondato di seta attaccate due piastrine di rame ben lucide colle quali mediante due verghe di legno per non alterare la temperatura congiunti i fili che abbiam detto essere in comunicazione coi poli della calamità ho veduto che l ago magnetico sviasi dalla naturale sua posizione declinando verso oriente il polo al disopra del quale entra l azione magnetica del polo nord e verso F occidente se questa entra al disotto di esso non altrimenti di quello che avviene coli e ettrvco ordinario La declinazione era da 8 a 10 Mi pare che questo fenomeno non si possa ascrivere alla facoltà elettro motrice perché il rame trovasi fra due forze eguali e contrarie dato anche come ho esperimentato nei liquidi che le correnti elettriche qualunque sia la loro direzione non svinisi come la luce e il calorico raggiante non dovrebbe il moltiplicatore dare alcun segno come è chiaro Fare dunque che tale effetto debba ascriversi al magnetico e però che il polo nord equivalga al polo zinco d un apparato voltiano Io spero che altri esperimentando con moltiplicatori più delicati come col siderescopio di Lebaillif potrà ottenere effetti maggiori che udirò quando che sii con piacere Pavia 37 marzo 1829

And here is a (very very tentative) translation:
 * "PS. I add in the form of an appendix to the experience 1. and 2. Of Part 1. Another fact I observed at times in this month, which is my duty to discuss,because it tends to connect and unite the different electromagnetic facts that arise. I have taken an iron horse-shoe magnet that weighs approximately a French pound, that can support a weight of approximately 4 to 5 pounds, and around each pole I have closely wrapped the thinnest wire of copper so that, placing the magnet at a distance of 15 to 16 Pariasian feet, I can verify/test the other extremity of the wire. Now I take a multiplier to two magnets, I have looped wire in the same way (that of the copper surrounded by silk) attached two well polished small thin copper plates, in between two wooden rods, in order not to alter the temperature, join the wires that I have said to be in communication with poles of the magnet, I have seen that the magnetic needle turns from its natural position declining towards the east  [when] the above pole [t of the coil of wire] enters the magnetic action of the North Pole, and towards the West, if this [t the coil] enters below it, otherwise of that which passes with the ordinary electrical. The declination was from 8° to 10°. My opinion is that this phenomenon cannot be ascribed to the electromotive faculty (force), because the copper is found between two equal and contrary forces. And data also, as I have been experimenting in the liquids, that the electrical currents, have any direction, not defeated, like the light and the radiant caloric, would not have the multiplier give some sign, as it does clearly. It seems therefore that such effect must be ascribed to the magnetic, and however that the North Pole is equivalent to the zinc pole of a voltaic apparatus. I hope that others experimenting with delicate multiplier pins, like with the sideroscope of [t M] Lebaillif [t a kind of galvanometer], can obtain greater effects than I heard when they are at their pleasure."

I call out to those fluent in Italian and English to translate this very important text accurately for English speaking science historians. Thank you! Ted Huntington


 * Thanks for the above. This article is not well documented (see comment of Edison above), so let's hope someone will accept your challenge. Perhaps historians of science already have. - Astrochemist (talk) 14:38, 16 March 2008 (UTC)