James Dewar
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.031311
It’s the birthday of James Dewar, who was born in 1842 in Kincardine-on-Forth, Scotland. Dewar studied at the universities of Edinburgh and Cambridge. His research encompassed a wide range of topics in biology, chemistry and physics, but he is best known as a pioneer in low-temperature physics. He designed and built equipment that liquefied and solidified gases, including hydrogen and oxygen. Dewar also invented the vacuum flask, for use in determining the specific heat of palladium. He neglected to patent his invention, which was commercialized as a storage vessel for hot and cold drinks by two German glassblowers. They named the flask Thermos.
Date in History: 20 September 1842
