astronomy

John Leonard Riddell

John Leonard Riddell is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand John Leonard Riddell rather than just read about it. In short: John Leonard Riddell (February 20, 1807 – October 7, 1865) was a science lecturer, botanist, geologist, medical doctor, chemist, microscopist, numismatist, politician, and science fiction author in the United States. Biography Riddell was born in Leyden, Massachusetts, the first of ten children of John Riddell and Lephe Gates.

Key takeaways

John Leonard Riddell belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect John Leonard Riddell to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of John Leonard Riddell from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

John Leonard Riddell (February 20, 1807 – October 7, 1865) was a science lecturer, botanist, geologist, medical doctor, chemist, microscopist, numismatist, politician, and science fiction author in the United States.

Biography Riddell was born in Leyden, Massachusetts, the first of ten children of John Riddell and Lephe Gates. Riddell's father worked as a school teacher, constable, and justice of the peace. Before Riddell's first birthday, the family settled on a farm near the town of Preston, New York. They were very poor and lived in a small log house on their farm. Starting in 1813, Riddell received a sporadic education at the district school for the next five years, attending class for short sessions in the summer and a few weeks each winter. Among his teachers were his aunt and his uncle. In 1825, he worked as a schoolmaster in Solon, New York, earning $7.00 a month for a three-month term. The following year, he attended Oxford Academy for four months and later enrolled in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Riddell studied under the notable scientist Amos Eaton and received a B.A. degree in 1829 and an M.A. in 1832. He received his B.A. and M.A. at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute from professor Amos Eaton and his M.D. from Cincinnati College in 1836. Prior to receiving his M.D., Riddell found himself in Marietta, Ohio to study with Dr. Hildreth of Marietta College. As there were not many opportunities for a paid lecturer or a trained botanist he put out 'advertisements in local newspapers' publicizing that he would collect plants for sale. He eventually published, in the Western Republican, one of the first botanical collections made in Ohio by a professional botanist. The specimens were donated to Marietta College and the Hildreth Herbarium. The collection was not adequately preserved and has been destroyed but the lists themselves remain. He lectured in Ogdensburg, New York, and then in Philadelphia and Cincinnati. From 1836 until his death in 1865, he was Professor of Chemistry at the Medical College of Louisiana (now Tulane University) in New Orleans. While there, he developed the first practical version of a microscope to enable binocular viewing of objects through a single objective lens. In 1850, he also undertook one of the earliest and most extensive American microscopic investigations of cholera. Riddell published a science fiction story in 1847 "Orrin Lindsey's Plan of Aerial Navigation" giving an account of a fictional student who invented an anti-gravity material and used it to build a craft to fly first high in the sky, then to orbit the Moon and return, and at the end announces his plan to travel to Mars.

Following his botanical explorations of Texas, he was appointed melter and refiner of the New Orleans Mint, a position confirmed by President John Tyler following an internal mint dispute. He likewise was appointed Postmaster of New Orleans, which position he held even during the Civil War despite Confederate appointments intended to displace him. In 1863, Riddell attempted to organize an election in Louisiana for governor and representatives to Congress even though Lincoln had denied his petition to do so. On November 2, 1863, an election was held in certain Louisiana parishes and Riddell was reported to have won the governorship. Riddell drafted a document certifying his election and presented himself in Washington to claim his seat. He was refused and was generally ridiculed for his claim.

References

Additional sources Bleiler, Everett F. (2009). "John Leonard Riddell, Pioneer". Science Fiction Studies. 36 (2): 284–299. doi:10.1525/sfs.36.2.0284. ISSN 0091-7729. JSTOR 40649960. Cassedy, James H. (1973). "John L. Riddell's "Vibrio biceps": Two Documents on American Microscopy and Cholera Etiology 1849–59". Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences. 28 (2): 101–108. doi:10.1093/jhmas/XXVIII.2.101. ISSN 0022-5045. JSTOR 24622455. PMID 4572620. Duffy, John (2000). Riddell, John Leonard (1807-1865), botanist, microscopist, and geologist. American National Biography Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1200788. Lowden, Richard M. (1997). "Riddell, Sullivant, and the Early Botanical Exploration of Franklin County, Ohio, U.S.A. (1832–1840)". Taxon. 46 (4): 689–703. Bibcode:1997Taxon..46..689L. doi:10.2307/1224475. ISSN 0040-0262. JSTOR 1224475. Riess, Karlem (1977). "Special Papers on the History of Science - I: John Leonard Riddell". Tulane Studies in Geology and Paleontology. 13 (1–2). Skinner, Hubert C.; Riess, Karlem (1985). "John Leonard Riddell: From Rensselaer to New Orleans (1827–1865)". Earth Sciences History. 4 (1): 75–80. Bibcode:1985ESHis...4...75S. doi:10.17704/eshi.4.1.y136x81m6h4761h9. ISSN 0736-623X. JSTOR 24138446.

External links John Leonard Riddell at the Library of Congress, with 12 library catalog records "Orrin Lindsey's Plan of Aerial Navigation 1847 science fiction story by Riddell

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with John Leonard Riddell

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what John Leonard Riddell claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to John Leonard Riddell before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about John Leonard Riddell ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of John Leonard Riddell

In research: John Leonard Riddell appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses John Leonard Riddell in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: John Leonard Riddell is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1807 births, 1865 deaths, American botanists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for John Leonard Riddell outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study John Leonard Riddell in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what John Leonard Riddell means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain John Leonard Riddell out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is John Leonard Riddell in simple terms?

Why does John Leonard Riddell matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study John Leonard Riddell?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on John Leonard Riddell.