Divertimenti elettrici nel Settecento

The actors on the stage of science after Newton’s age could be divided into two groups: the so called “geometers” involved in improving mechanics and gravitation from a mathematical point of view, and the “physicists” more interested in investigating subjects like magnetism, electricity and heat from an empiric and speculative point of view. This is the situation in the eighteenth century, when the interest in electrical phenomena began to rise. Such new phenomena also offered a promotional opportunity, so it happened that many experiments and instruments were used for “entertainment” with the aim of popularizing science also in accordance with some typical aspects of illuministic culture.