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1704 in science
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<h2 id="astronomy">Astronomy</h2> <ul><li><i>approx. date</i> – The first modern <a href="/facts/Orrery/A2A1qjWg">orrery</a> is built by <a href="/facts/George_Graham_(clockmaker)/f2Svwo6o">George Graham</a> and <a href="/facts/Thomas_Tompion/kQyTRnko">Thomas Tompion</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a></li></ul> <h2 id="earth-sciences">Earth sciences</h2> <ul><li>An <a href="/facts/Earthquake/NGjIzagw">earthquake</a> strikes <a href="/facts/Gondar/eaHzJ6oc">Gondar</a> in <a href="/facts/Ethiopia/LVujNp5v">Ethiopia</a>.</li></ul> <h2 id="meteorology">Meteorology</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Daniel_Defoe/6FXvo1Rh">Daniel Defoe</a> documents the <a href="/facts/Great_Storm_of_1703/REKk7s5W">Great Storm of 1703</a> with eyewitness testimonies in <i><a href="/facts/The_Storm_(Daniel_Defoe)/fbJhw9Fa">The Storm</a></i> (London).</li></ul> <h2 id="physics">Physics</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Isaac_Newton/4L7gTncN">Isaac Newton</a> releases a record of <a href="/facts/Experiment/esltM54f">experiments</a> and the <a href="/facts/Deductive_reasoning/HadA1zWS">deductions</a> made from them in <i><a href="/facts/Opticks/07BYGLH3">Opticks</a></i>, a major contribution in study of <a href="/facts/Optics/p0vq4S1T">optics</a> and <a href="/facts/Refraction/S8kvSKzM">refraction</a> of light.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Pierre_Varignon/JqzmI3ae">Pierre Varignon</a> invents the U-tube <a href="/facts/Manometer/fJrvoTDU">manometer</a>, a device capable of measuring <a href="/facts/Rarefaction/TCGtjry2">rarefaction</a> in gases.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a></li></ul> <h2 id="technology">Technology</h2> <ul><li>The second <a href="/facts/Electric_motor/ArD7BGDa">electric machine</a> is invented by British engineer <a href="/facts/Francis_Hauksbee_the_elder/B4LcXHlB">Francis Hauksbee the elder</a> (<a href="/facts/1660_in_science/trQ0747T">1660</a>–<a href="/facts/1713_in_science/h5eSkxMw">1713</a>): it is a sphere of glass rotated by a wheel.</li> <li>For watch movements, Peter Debaufre invents the Debaufre <a href="/facts/Escapement/8AgmCy7C">escapement</a>, the first frictional rest watch escapement produced: the escapement consists of two saw-tooth escape wheels of the same count.</li> <li>For watch bearings, a jewel bearing made of <a href="/facts/Ruby/faGnqzW8">ruby</a>, comprising a ring (the "hole") with a sink for oil, is invented by Nicholas Facio with Peter and Jacob Debaufre, who use pierced natural rubies. Other gemstones are used subsequently, including <a href="/facts/Garnet/kqh2lWQI">garnet</a> (which is too soft) and <a href="/facts/Diamond/IBUdnd1y">diamond</a>; in the 20th century, synthetic ruby or <a href="/facts/Sapphire/C11GJAmm">sapphire</a> becomes universal for jewel bearings.</li> <li>In <a href="/facts/Oil_painting/rxn2lg9o">oil painting</a>, colormaker Diesbach of Berlin (Germany) accidentally invents the <a href="/facts/Pigment/I3clCYkF">pigment</a> <a href="/facts/Prussian_blue/IV0VooPH">Prussian blue</a>, a powerful dark blue pigment with greenish undertones (made from <a href="/facts/Alum/ULAn0XRB">alum</a> and animal bones); therefore, Prussian blue cannot be found in a paint layer predating this year.</li></ul> <h2 id="publications">Publications</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/John_Harris_(writer)/5BPWTRGw">John Harris</a> publishes the first edition of the <i><a href="/facts/Lexicon_Technicum/Rfjd3f6k">Lexicon Technicum</a></i>, an <a href="/facts/Encyclopedic_dictionary/u0kjeyyl">encyclopedic dictionary</a> of science, in London.</li></ul> <h2 id="births">Births</h2> <ul><li>February 28 – <a href="/facts/Louis_Godin/SmGym0QD">Louis Godin</a>, French astronomer (died <a href="/facts/1760_in_science/IMCaQsVV">1760</a>)</li> <li>June 4 – <a href="/facts/Benjamin_Huntsman/5ljmgS6N">Benjamin Huntsman</a>, English inventor and manufacturer (died <a href="/facts/1776_in_science/gEMXTQJq">1776</a>)</li> <li>June 17 – <a href="/facts/John_Kay_(flying_shuttle)/J2hwckJc">John Kay</a>, English inventor (died c. <a href="/facts/1779_in_science/1odCQDI1">1779</a>)</li> <li>July 31 – <a href="/facts/Gabriel_Cramer/x10LLrVj">Gabriel Cramer</a>, <a href="/facts/Republic_of_Geneva/zPCUL8HH">Genevan</a> mathematician (died <a href="/facts/1752_in_science/HCVUKvAK">1752</a>)</li> <li>December 29 – <a href="/facts/Martha_Daniell_Logan/vWpyQddb">Martha Daniell Logan</a>, American botanist (died <a href="/facts/1779_in_science/1odCQDI1">1779</a>)</li> <li>(c. 1704) – <a href="/facts/William_Battie/g8cr4UXl">William Battie</a>, English psychiatrist (died <a href="/facts/1776_in_science/gEMXTQJq">1776</a>)</li> <li><i>undated</i> – <a href="/facts/Richard_Pococke/BBmmeY2s">Richard Pococke</a>, English anthropologist and explorer (died <a href="/facts/1765_in_science/4llCNwD8">1765</a>)</li></ul> <h2 id="deaths">Deaths</h2> <ul><li>February 2 – <a href="/facts/Guillaume_Fran%25C3%25A7ois_Antoine%2c_Marquis_de_l%2527H%25C3%25B4pital/rcUMScm9">Guillaume François Antoine, Marquis de l'Hôpital</a>, French mathematician (born <a href="/facts/1661_in_science/rJodVA6m">1661</a>)</li> <li>March 17 – <a href="/facts/Menno_van_Coehoorn/Ae4xUsVs">Menno, Baron van Coehoorn</a>, Dutch military engineer (born <a href="/facts/1641_in_science/fPBpcXFk">1641</a>)</li> <li>April 15 – <a href="/facts/Johann_van_Waveren_Hudde/8W3s0ju9">Johann van Waveren Hudde</a>, Dutch mathematician (born <a href="/facts/1628_in_science/l4vh3Dcg">1628</a>)</li> <li>April 20 – <a href="/facts/Agnes_Block/pQQplrMB">Agnes Block</a>, Dutch horticulturalist (born <a href="/facts/1629_in_science/SMxIqVEN">1629</a>)</li> <li>June 14 – <a href="/facts/Ralph_Bathurst/S7TNqGST">Ralph Bathurst</a>, English theologian, physician and academic (born <a href="/facts/1620_in_science/QsRAMg4f">1620</a>)</li> <li>July 7 – <a href="/facts/Pierre-Charles_Le_Sueur/bRCwHBXk">Pierre-Charles Le Sueur</a>, French fur trader and explorer (born c. <a href="/facts/1657_in_science/ksujEAbW">1657</a>)</li> <li>November 20 – <a href="/facts/Charles_Plumier/J0b2eYNU">Charles Plumier</a>, French <a href="/facts/Botanist/PaIRoxnb">botanist</a> (born <a href="/facts/1646_in_science/fEIuxts3">1646</a>)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Paolo_Falconieri/gGtKa6SU">Paolo Falconieri</a>, <a href="/facts/Florence/Mx0uhNma">Florentine</a> <a href="/facts/Polymath/eqIfjQRu">polymath</a> (born <a href="/facts/1638_in_science/wkRDtred">1638</a>)</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Carlisle, Rodney (2004). Scientific American Inventions and Discoveries. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 189. ISBN 0-471-24410-4. <a href="0-471-24410-4" target="_blank">0-471-24410-4</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Kaye, Brian H. (2008). Golf Balls, Boomerangs and Asteroids. New York: John Wiley & Sons. p. 145. ISBN 978-3-527-61482-0. <a href="978-3-527-61482-0" target="_blank">978-3-527-61482-0</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>