The history of the barometer (and how it works) - Asaf Bar-Yosef

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-history-of-the-barometer-and-how-it-works-asaf-bar-yosef A barometer is an instrument that measures air pressure, allowing weather forecasters...

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Aristotle famously said, "Nature fears of empty space" when he claimed that a true vacuum, a space devoid of matter, could not exist because the surrounding matter would immediately fill it. Fortunately, he turned out to be wrong. A vacuum is a key component of the barometer, an instrument for measuring air pressure. And because air pressure correlates to temperature and rapid shifts in it can contribute to hurricanes, tornadoes and other extreme weather events, a barometer is one of the most essential tools for weather forecasters and scientists alike. How does a barometer work, and how was it invented? Well, it took awhile. Because the theory of Aristotle and other ancient philosophers regarding the impossibility of a vacuum seemed to ...