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Greenhouse Effect
In the 1950's John Tyndall contributed to knowledge of what we now refer to as the Greenhouse Effect. There were suspicions surrounding the warming of the atmosphere, but Tyndall was the first to offer some proof of not only the effect itself, but the mechanism behind it (Black). Using a number of inventions by his own design, he was able to conclude that gases and vapors absorb and transmit heat. Furthermore, he proved that water vapor was by far the most active in this (Graham). -
The Tyndall Effect
In the 1860’s, Tyndall discovered the mechanism by which certain particulates within a medium scatter light. If there are enough large molecules in a medium, such as water or air, light is scattered as it hits the medium (Barton). Using this concept, he was able to build upon and explain many mechanisms of the natural world, including why the sky is blue (Institution). Please enjoy the following short video on the Tyndall Effect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFRYFdQ9RN8 -
Fireman's respirator
John Tyndall was a great inventor, experimenting with instruments of his own making as well as creating a number of improved and original devices of great importance. Using what he learned about the behavior of gas molecules in air, he was able to create a respiratory device for firemen, to filter out dangerous gases and smoke. This was a major improvement at the time, although it was not able to filter carbon monoxide (Kloos), now known to be one of the worst dangers to firefighters. -
Tyndallization
In the 1870's, Tyndall was experimenting with airborne particulates and their relationship with bacteria. To create “pure air” he enclosed a box coated with glycerin inside to remove free floating particulates over several days. Broth left out spoiled, but in the "purified" box, it kept. Unable to repeat this, he theorized that he would need to use repeated sterilization (by boiling) to purify the broth as well. This 3-day long process is Tyndallization (Kiruthika). He was right.
