I received the latest issue of the American Institute of Physics (AIP)'s history newsletter, and there are a couple notable items worthy of bringing to the attention of DTLR's readers.
First, a digest by Jon Phillips of a new paper by Blum and Choudhuri on the history of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). They claim to fill a gap in the literature that I too have noticed: the absence of a comprehensive history of MHD. However, the 2007 book published by Springer, Magnetohydrodynamics: Historical Evolution and Trends, edited by Molokov, Moreau, and Moffatt, which Blum and Chodhuri briefly cite, is an important resource in this regard. To this amateur's eye, that book should have been better highlighted in Blum & Choudhuri's Introduction. Nonetheless, their contribution is most welcomed.
Second, I strongly recommend this video lecture on the 18th century Jamaican astronomer Francis Williams, by historian Fara Dabhoiwala, presented earlier this month at the AIP. The lecturer gradually unspools his findings about a forgotten and unfairly maligned figure, whose proper role in the history of astronomy can now be appreciated. Excellent historical detective work and storytelling by Prof. Dabhoiwala.
