Google Doodle: The multinational technology giant Google is celebrating the 204th birth anniversary of Eunice Newton Foote with an amazing slideshow doodle. She was the first scientist to come to the conclusion that some gases warmed when exposed to sunlight and that increasing amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) would modify atmospheric temperature and possibly affect climate. This phenomenon is now known as the "Greenhouse effect."
Today's #GoogleDoodle celebrates American scientist and women's rights activist, Eunice Newton Foote.
— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) July 17, 2023
Swipe through the slideshow to learn about how her scientific discovery laid the foundation for how we understand climate change today —> https://t.co/4A00LwELbI pic.twitter.com/A9lc9eSLUo
Foote was born on July 17, 1819, in Goshen, Connecticut, United States. She was an American scientist, inventor, and advocate for women's rights, grew up in a time when women's opportunities for scientific education and involvement were limited, but she pursued her passion for science nonetheless. As per the official Google Doodle website, “At this time, women were widely shunned from the scientific community. Undeterred, Foote conducted experiments on her own. After placing mercury thermometers in glass cylinders, she discovered that the cylinder containing carbon dioxide experienced the most significant heating effect in the sun. Foote was ultimately the first scientist to make the connection between rising carbon dioxide levels and the warming of the atmosphere.”
Inventions
In 1856, Foote conducted a series of experiments to study the effects of different gases on the absorption of heat from the sun. She filled glass cylinders with various gases, including carbon dioxide and air, and exposed them to sunlight. Foote observed that the cylinder filled with carbon dioxide retained more heat than the one filled with air. She concluded that carbon dioxide has the ability to trap heat and increase the temperature of the surrounding air, thus identifying the basic principle of the greenhouse effect.
Foote started performing tests on static electricity, which she referred to as "electrical excitation" in 1857. The investigations' objectives were to determine the amount of moisture present and which gases in the atmosphere could cause static electricity.
Eunice Foote and her husband Elisha were innovators. In 1860, Eunice applied for a patent in her own name for a single-piece, vulcanised rubber shoe and boot insert that was intended to "prevent the squeaking of boots and shoes." The Emporia News published a story about a skate with no straps in 1868. She also invented a brand-new cylinder-style paper-making machine in 1864.
Awards & Recognition
Elizabeth Cady Stanton's neighbour and friend of Eunice Foote took her to attend the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, the first gathering for women's rights. Foote and her husband Elisha were signatories of the convention's Declaration of Sentiments as members of the editorial committee. Stanton, the author of the document, called for the right to vote as well as social and legal rights comparable to those enjoyed by males. Along with Stanton, Elizabeth M'Clintock, Mary Ann M'Clintock, and Amy Post, Foote was one of five women who prepared the convention's proceedings for publication.
Foote's work was presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 1856, where her paper titled "Circumstances Affecting the Heat of the Sun's Rays" was read. However, due to the prevailing social and gender biases of the time, her research did not receive widespread recognition. Her findings were not published in a scientific journal, and as a result, they were not widely disseminated.
Death
Eunice Newton Foote passed away in 1888, and her significant contributions to climate science have gained more recognition in recent years as her story has been rediscovered and acknowledged. She serves as a reminder of the often-overlooked contributions of women scientists throughout history.
Despite the lack of recognition for her contributions, Foote remained dedicated to her scientific pursuits. She was a member of various scientific societies and actively participated in women's rights movements. Foote's pioneering experiments on the greenhouse effect laid the groundwork for future research in climate science, which has become increasingly important in understanding the Earth's changing climate patterns.
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