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Ernst Mach: Early Years Background
Ernst Waldfried Josef Wenzel Mach, born 18th of February 1838 in Chirlitz Austrian Empire, which is now part of the city Brno in the Czech Republic. Father John worked as a tutor for a wealth family and mother, Josephine, was a lover of music and poetry. After the birth of their son, the family move to a farm near Vienna. Home school until the age of fifteen, he finish his preliminary schooling in Kremsier. Reference: [https://www.famousscientists.org/ernst-mach/] -
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Entry into Higher Education
Mach, after complete his basic education, decided to study at the University of Vienna in 1855. Attending this school he study physics, philosophy and mathematics. He went on to receive his doctorate in physics in 1860, with his thesis "On electrical charge and induction". -
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Early Career Path
Mach stayed at the University of Vienna where he taught mathematics and physics, as well as conducting studies and creating an apparatus that showed that the Doppler Effect was real for sound. In 1864 he left and became a professor of mathematics at the University of Graz in Austria. Two years later he changed focus and teachings to Physics. Around these times, Mach certified himself as a empiricist, believing that science is a record of facts perceived by the senses. -
Mach Bands
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZEn7QUqKIM
Above is a YouTube video breaking down the Mach Bands theory. -
Mach Bands
Mach published, "On the effect of the spatial distribution of the light stimulus on the retina" in 1865. To summarize, Mach theorized that the processing of the visual sense of some lighting having a almost "layer of lightings" was done prior to the signal being sent to the brain, even arguing that the processing not even done in the brain. The theory replaced the general ideals that the brain experiencing a "quirk" in judgement. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ernst-mach/#PsyLifSci (3.2) -
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From 1867 to 1916
Mach, after being at the University of Prague, accepted a job in experimental physics at Charles-Ferdinand University where he worked for 28 years. While there he married, had 5 children and suffered a stroke, leaving his right side paralyzed. He returned to Vienna for the remainder of his life before passing away at the age of 78. Leaving the world changed and the world of science progressed with his ideologies and his search for all truths. -
Science of Mechanics
Mach read the work of both Helmholtz and Hering. They talk of physiological space, which is space constructed by our cognitive structure, meaning it is bound and has limitations. Mach talked of geometrical space being different from physiological space, basically opposites in his book Science of Mechanics were he analysis Newton's absolute space. This was also where he developed his Mach Principles about inertial forces in space, lead to Einstein's studies into his general theory of relativity. -
The myth, the legend.
Europe in 1868 started development on artillery and explosive ammo, leading to an agreement of a ban. Later there was an apparent injury that was still causing "craters", Mach, by 1885, worked out the details of supersonic, along with making high speed photography, which lead to the understanding of shock waves. His understanding is still used today for aerodynamics and his name was made an popular culture description. Mach Number is the ratio of the speed of an object to the speed of sound. -
Mach Principle: Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPEwkMHRjZU
Above is a video breaking down Mach's Principles.
