Young John
Hopkinson Laboratory, Engineering Department, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1PZ, UK
Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci. 2015 Apr 13;373(2039). doi: 10.1098/rsta.2014.0348.
James Joule played the major role in establishing the conservation of energy, or the first law of thermodynamics, as a universal, all-pervasive principle of physics. He was an experimentalist par excellence and his place in the development of thermodynamics is unarguable. This article discusses Joule's life and scientific work culminating in the 1850 paper, where he presented his detailed measurements of the mechanical equivalent of heat using his famous paddle-wheel apparatus. Joule's long series of experiments in the 1840s leading to his realisation that the conservation of energy was probably of universal validity is discussed in context with the work of other pioneers, notably Sadi Carnot, who effectively formulated the principle of the second law of thermodynamics a quarter of a century before the first law was accepted. The story of Joule's work is a story of an uphill struggle against a critical scientific establishment unwilling to accept the mounting evidence until it was impossible to ignore. His difficulties in attracting funding and publishing in reputable journals despite the quality of his work will resonate with many young scientists and engineers of the present day. This commentary was written to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.
詹姆斯·焦耳在确立能量守恒定律（即热力学第一定律）作为物理学中一个普遍且无处不在的原理方面发挥了主要作用。他是一位卓越的实验家，他在热力学发展中的地位无可争议。本文探讨了焦耳的生平与科学工作，这些工作在他1850年发表的论文中达到顶峰，在那篇论文里，他使用著名的桨轮装置展示了他对热功当量的详细测量。本文结合其他先驱者的工作，讨论了焦耳在19世纪40年代进行的一系列长期实验，这些实验使他认识到能量守恒可能具有普遍有效性，其中特别提到了萨迪·卡诺，他在热力学第一定律被接受的四分之一个世纪前就有效地阐述了热力学第二定律的原理。焦耳的工作历程是一个与持批判态度的科学权威进行艰苦斗争的故事，这些权威直到无法忽视越来越多的证据时才愿意接受。尽管他的工作质量很高，但他在吸引资金和在著名期刊上发表论文方面遇到的困难，会让当今许多年轻科学家和工程师产生共鸣。这篇评论文章是为庆祝《皇家学会哲学学报》创刊350周年而撰写的。
