Essays: Scientific, Political, & Speculative; Vol. 2 of 3 / Library Edition (1891), Containing Seven Essays not before Republished, and Various other Additions.

Chapter 18: ENDNOTE TO WHAT IS ELECTRICITY?.

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About This Book

The essays examine the origins and methods of scientific knowledge, arguing that science extends perception through reasoning and progresses from qualitative to quantitative prediction; present a scheme for classifying the sciences and a critique of Comte's philosophy; analyze the nature and discovery of laws and how to weigh evidence; offer a clear account of electricity and engage in methodological debates over tests of truth with replies to critics; and address aesthetics, considering style, beauty, architectural types, gracefulness, personal beauty, the origins and function of music, and the physiology of laughter.

ENDNOTE TO WHAT IS ELECTRICITY?.

23 Though conchoidal fracture may not be conclusive proof of colloidality, yet colloidal substances hard enough for fracture always display it. Respecting roll-sulphur I may say that though in a few days after it is made, it changes from its original state to a state in which it consists of minute crystals of another kind irregularly massed, yet there is reason for suspecting that these have a matrix of amorphous sulphur. I learn from Dr. Frankland that, when sublimed, sulphur aggregates partly into minute crystals and partly into an amorphous powder distinguished by insolubility.