(Encyclopedia) specific heat, ratio of the heat capacity of a substance to the heat capacity of a reference substance, usually water. Heat capacity is the amount of heat needed to change the…
(Encyclopedia) threat, in law, declaration of intent to injure another by doing an unlawful act, with a view to restraining his freedom of action. A threat is distinguishable from an assault, for an…
(Encyclopedia) Bodleian LibraryBodleian Librarybŏdˈlēən, bŏdlēˈən [key], at the Univ. of Oxford. The original library, destroyed in the reign of Edward VI, was replaced in 1602, chiefly through the…
(Encyclopedia) Boehme or Böhme, JakobBoehme or Böhme, Jakobbēˈmə, Ger. yäˈkôp böˈmə [key], 1575–1624, German religious mystic, a cobbler of Görlitz, in England also called Behmen. He was a student of…
(Encyclopedia) Rank, OttoRank, Ottoôtˈō rängk [key], 1884–1937, Austrian psychoanalyst; one of Sigmund Freud's first and most valued pupils. He early employed Freudian techniques to clarify the…
(Encyclopedia) Romains, JulesRomains, Juleszhül rômăNˈ [key], 1885–1972, French writer, whose original name was Louis Farigoule. A brilliant student of philosophy, he became known as the chief…
(Encyclopedia) mutation, in biology, a sudden, random change in a gene, or unit of hereditary material, that can alter an inheritable characteristic. Most mutations are not beneficial, since any…
(Encyclopedia) induction, in electricity and magnetism, common name for three distinct phenomena. Electromagnetic induction is the production of an electromotive force (emf) in a conductor as a…
(Encyclopedia) James, William, 1842–1910, American philosopher, b. New York City, M.D. Harvard, 1869; son of the Swedenborgian theologian Henry James and brother of the novelist Henry James. In 1872…
(Encyclopedia) magic, in religion and superstition, the practice of manipulating and controlling the course of nature by preternatural means. Magic is based upon the belief that the universe is…
