Popular Science and Public Opinion in Eighteenth-Century France

In this book, Michael R. Lynn analyzes the popularization of science in Enlightenment France. He examines the content of popular science, the methods of dissemination, the status of the popularizers and the audience, and the settings for dissemination and appropriation. Lynn introduces individuals like Jean-Antoine Nollet, who made a career out of applying electric shocks to people, and Perrin, who used his talented dog to lure customers to his physics show. He also examines scientifically oriented clubs like Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier's Musée de Monsieur which provided locations for people interested in science.