This Day in History: 1796-06-01

Sadi Carnot, a French engineer and physicist, was born this day in1796. He is known for the 1824 book Reflections on the Motive Power of Fire, which, despite the widespread use of steam engines by that time, was one of the first theoretical approaches to thermodynamics. Although some of his calculations were off base, Carnot’s basic contribution was to envision an ideal heat engine and provide a mathematical foundation for understanding its operation. Carnot’s work is also an example of science following and explaining technological innovation.