Gerard "Gerrit" Moll LLD (1785–1838) was a Dutch scientist and mathematician. A polymath in his interests, he published in four languages. [1]
From a family background in Amsterdam of commerce, Moll was drawn towards science. [2] His teacher at the Athenaeum Illustre of Amsterdam was Jean Henri van Swinden. He took up astronomy with Jan Frederik Keijser in 1801. [3] In 1809 he was awarded a Candidaat degree by Leiden University; [4] [5] and in 1810 he went to Paris, where he studied under Delambre. [4] [6] Moll is noted for his later animus against "Napoleonic science", the tradition of the revolutionary period in France. [7]
In 1812 Moll was appointed director at Utrecht Observatory, a position he then held for 26 years; and in 1815 professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at Utrecht, receiving an honorary Ph.D. (under Johannes Theodorus Rossijn). [4] [5] He became member of the Royal Institute of the Netherlands in 1815. [8]
During the "declinist" controversy in British science around 1830, Moll spoke in praise of the British tradition, against the trend of increasing professionalisation. [9] A friend of Humphry Davy and Michael Faraday, he wrote a pamphlet On The Alleged Decline of Science in England (1831), which Faraday edited, in reply to Charles Babbage's On The Alleged Decline of Science in England (1830). [10] In relation to claims that French scientists had tried to diminish the impact of Davy's work, Moll relayed unfounded allegations to Faraday. [11]
Moll died of typhoid on 17 January 1838. [2]
Moll developed the electromagnet of William Sturgeon, publishing with priority over Joseph Henry. [12]
Gerard "Gerrit" Moll LLD (1785–1838) was a Dutch scientist and mathematician. A polymath in his interests, he published in four languages. [1]
From a family background in Amsterdam of commerce, Moll was drawn towards science. [2] His teacher at the Athenaeum Illustre of Amsterdam was Jean Henri van Swinden. He took up astronomy with Jan Frederik Keijser in 1801. [3] In 1809 he was awarded a Candidaat degree by Leiden University; [4] [5] and in 1810 he went to Paris, where he studied under Delambre. [4] [6] Moll is noted for his later animus against "Napoleonic science", the tradition of the revolutionary period in France. [7]
In 1812 Moll was appointed director at Utrecht Observatory, a position he then held for 26 years; and in 1815 professor of mathematics and natural philosophy at Utrecht, receiving an honorary Ph.D. (under Johannes Theodorus Rossijn). [4] [5] He became member of the Royal Institute of the Netherlands in 1815. [8]
During the "declinist" controversy in British science around 1830, Moll spoke in praise of the British tradition, against the trend of increasing professionalisation. [9] A friend of Humphry Davy and Michael Faraday, he wrote a pamphlet On The Alleged Decline of Science in England (1831), which Faraday edited, in reply to Charles Babbage's On The Alleged Decline of Science in England (1830). [10] In relation to claims that French scientists had tried to diminish the impact of Davy's work, Moll relayed unfounded allegations to Faraday. [11]
Moll died of typhoid on 17 January 1838. [2]
Moll developed the electromagnet of William Sturgeon, publishing with priority over Joseph Henry. [12]