The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Outline of Science, Vol. 1 (of 4), by
J. Arthur Thomson

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Title: The Outline of Science, Vol. 1 (of 4)
A Plain Story Simply Told

Author: J. Arthur Thomson

Release Date: January 22, 2007 [EBook #20417]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: THE GREAT SCARLET SOLAR PROMINENCES, WHICH ARE SUCH A
NOTABLE FEATURE OF THE SOLAR PHENOMENA, ARE IMMENSE OUTBURSTS OF FLAMING
HYDROGEN RISING SOMETIMES TO A HEIGHT OF 500,000 MILES]

THE
OUTLINE OF SCIENCE

A PLAIN STORY SIMPLY TOLD

EDITED BY
J. ARTHUR THOMSON
REGIUS PROFESSOR OF NATURAL HISTORY IN THE
UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN

WITH OVER 800 ILLUSTRATIONS
OF WHICH ABOUT 40 ARE IN COLOUR

IN FOUR VOLUMES

G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS
NEW YORK AND LONDON
The Knickerbocker press

Copyright, 1922
by
G. P. Putnam's Sons

_First Printing April, 1922
Second Printing April, 1922
Third Printing April, 1922
Fourth Printing April, 1922
Fifth Printing June, 1922
Sixth Printing June, 1922
Seventh Printing June, 1922
Eighth Printing June, 1922
Ninth Printing August, 1922
Tenth Printing September, 1922
Eleventh Printing Sept., 1922
Twelfth Printing, May, 1924_

Made in the United States of America

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

By Professor J. Arthur Thomson

Was it not the great philosopher and mathematician Leibnitz who said
that the more knowledge advances the more it becomes possible to
condense it into little books? Now this "Outline of Science" is
certainly not a little book, and yet it illustrates part of the meaning
of Leibnitz's wise saying. For here within reasonable compass there is a
library of little books--an outline of many sciences.

It will be profitable to the student in proportion to the discrimination
with which it is used. For it is not in the least meant to be of the
nature of an Encyclopaedia, giving condensed and comprehensive articles
with a big full stop at the end of each. Nor is it a collection of
"prim