Humphry Davy
Humphry Davy
(17 Dec 1778 - 29 May 1829)

English chemist who discovered several chemical elements and compounds, invented the miner's safety lamp, and epitomized the scientific method.

“The beginning of civilisation is the discovery of some useful arts, by which men acquire property, comforts, or luxuries. The necessity or desire of preserving them leads in laws and social institutions. The discovery of peculiar arts gives superiority to subjugate other nations, who learn their arts, and ultimately adopt their manners; so that in reality the origin as well as the progress and improvement of civil society is founded in mechanical and chemical inventions..”
— Sir Humphry Davy
from Consolations in travel; or, the Last Days of a Philosopher,
by Sir Humphry Davy
Quoted in Stories of Inventors and Discoverers in Science and the Useful Arts : A book for old and young,
by John Timbs

back


Visit our Science and Scientist Quotations index for more quotes from archaeologists, biologists, chemists, geologists, inventors and inventions, mathematicians, physicists, pioneers in medicine, science events and technology.




If you find this site useful, please add a link from your site.


Today in Science History
Quotations
by scientists, inventors, on science and more.
- Go To Index -

Today in Science
Science Store
A selection of interesting science books, dvds and learning products for gifts or yourself.
Oxford Dictionary of Scientific Quotations
To introduce you to our Science store, a 26% savings on:
Oxford Dictionary of Scientific Quotations
Oxford Univ Press, 736 pp.
List $18.95.
Price: $14.02.
Original words on great scientific discoveries.
Darwin considers pros and cons of marriage.
James Clerk Maxwell's electric but poetic Valentine.
I have little patience with scientists who take a board of wood, look for its thinnest part and drill a great number of holes where drilling is easy. --Albert Einstein
I try to identify myself with the atoms...I ask what I would do if I were a carbon atom or a sodium atom. --Linus Pauling




4,580,034











Locations of visitors to this page