Today's Google doodle

What the heck is that thing?????? It turns out that today's Google Doodle honors the scientist who discovered EMF (although I believe people fight about who really discovered it, where, and when). PZ noted this here.

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What's EMF? electromotive force? electromagnetic force? elk milk fondue?

By MadScientist (not verified) on 14 Aug 2009 #permalink

Pretty much, yeah, and it's all linked by quantum mechanics. But they didn't know that then.

Any patriotic Dane knows that HC Ãrsted discovered electromagnetism. In fact many mornings I pass a memorial plaque placed on a house, in the center of Copenhagen (Nørregade), saying
"In a house on this spot, the physicist Hans Henrik Ãrsted discovered electro magnetism in the year 1820"

He was setting up an experiment to use as an educational tool for his students, when he noticed that placing a compass next to a live wire, made the compass needle move. This made him dismiss the class, and the next year he published his findings to all major places learning in Europe.