William Gilbert (1540-1603)

Gilbert was physician to Elizabeth 1 and James 1. He was the first to use the terms magnetic pole and electrical force,
and suggested that the Earth's magnetism could be explained if the Earth was likened to a huge bar magnet.
He thought (wrongly) that the planets held their orbits around the Sun by magnetic forces.


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Otto von Guericke (1602-1686)

Von Guericke was a German physicist and engineer who in 1650 invented the first air pump (used in the Magdeburg spheres) and later, the first electric generator.
With the pump he was able to study objects in a vacuum. For instance, he showed that sound needs air to travel in and that air is essential for burning.

Wikipedia