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11. October 2021

“A Visionary of Great Intelligence” “A Visionary of Great Intelligence”

Year of celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Rudolf Clausius

Born on January 2, 1822, the professor and physicist Rudolf Clausius spent the years from 1869 to 1888 teaching and conducting research at the University of Bonn. As far as natural scientists are concerned, his name will always be associated with the definition of the second law of thermodynamics and the term “entropy.” It was he who linked the observation that thermal processes are irreversible to a hitherto undiscovered property that they shared, namely that the entropy of a system of this kind can only ever increase. His discovery had far-reaching consequences, not only for our understanding of how heat engines work—from steam engines through to generating electricity from fuels—but also for what we knew about information or the dynamics of biological processes. To describe this phenomenon, he coined the term “entropy,” a fundamental parameter in the natural sciences. Marking what would have been his 200th birthday next year, the University will be shining a light on the scientific achievements of an extraordinary thinker who, for a long time, remained forgotten.

For natural scientists, the name of the University of Bonn professor and physicist Rudolf Clausius will always be associated with the definition of the second law of thermodynamics and the term “entropy.” The University of Bonn will be putting on a lecture series and special ceremony to celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth
For natural scientists, the name of the University of Bonn professor and physicist Rudolf Clausius will always be associated with the definition of the second law of thermodynamics and the term “entropy.” The University of Bonn will be putting on a lecture series and special ceremony to celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth © Universität Bonn/ Bosse und Meinhard
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Even now, the laws of thermodynamics continue to describe some of the fundamental rules of nature that afford us a firmer grasp of how the world works. They also play a key role in a whole range of different fields, from climate research to quantum physics. “It’s simply incomprehensible that this leading figure from the University of Bonn has attracted so little attention up to now,” says Professor Dieter Meschede, who is organizing the lecture series together with Professor Peter Vöhringer and Professor Hartmut Monien. “Anyone who looks closely at what this visionary of great intelligence discovered will encounter not only his findings on thermodynamics but also, for example, his insights into the consumption of our planet's resources.” This is because, as long ago as 1885, Clausius was urging people to handle “nature’s energy stores” carefully and be mindful of future generations. “This idea is more relevant now than ever,” Meschede thinks.

Lecturers at the University of Bonn are now planning to reveal more about Clausius’s wide-ranging work in a lecture series entitled “The Motive Force of Heat,” which begins on October 14. For instance, the opening lecture will provide an introduction into the world of Clausian ideas and, among other things, will explain why the observations made of steam engines provided key impetus for his coining of the term “entropy.” Professor Andreas Hense, a meteorologist at the University of Bonn, will speak about how the thermodynamics of the atmosphere affects our climate system on November 4. In the New Year (on January 13), the Physics Show will be returning to the stage to immerse the audience in Claudius’s life and works with a “birthday serenade” of sorts for the great man. The lecture series will culminate in a large-scale ceremony to be held on July 13, 2022.

The lecture series “The Motive Force of Heat” is being held jointly by the Departments of Chemistry and Physics/Astronomy as part of the Building Blocks of Matter and Fundamental Interactions Transdisciplinary Research Area (TRA). Lectures will take place every Thursday at 5:15 pm in the Wolfgang Paul lecture hall at Kreuzbergweg 28. The “3G rule” applies. Alternatively, you can follow a livestream of the lectures. All the information is given at https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/research-and-teaching/research-profile/transdisciplinary-research-areas/tra-matter/200-years-rudolph-clausius?set_language=en.

Contact:
Birgit Westernströer
Manager of the Building Blocks of Matter and Fundamental Interactions Transdisciplinary Research Area (TRA Matter)
Email: tra2-matter@uni-bonn.de