37: Come to the Lab

The History of Chemistry

We take a break from chemical observations and theory, and switch to practice. That is, we learn about the origins of the chemical laboratory in the Renaissance, and track its development up through the early 20th century. We see the switch from furnaces to gas lines for individual heating apparatuses. We see the start of ventilation, and the differentiation of experimental, lecture, and teaching laboratories. Gradually plumbing enters laboratories, and the arrangement of tables and benches becomes standardized. Laboratories even filter down into governmental school settings.

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