The real Dr Frankenstein
QUESTION Was Dr Frankenstein based on a real scientist?
In AUTHOR Mary Shelley’s 1831 preface to her novel Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, she said she had been inspired by a nightmare she had on a holiday in Geneva, where she’d spent the evenings with friends terrifying each other with chilling stories.
However, it’s hard to believe that she was not influenced subconsciously by an earlier trip to Germany near Frankenstein Castle, the home of 18th-century scientist Johann Conrad Dippel, who, according to local legend, was a grave-robber who had created a man-eating monster that lived in the castle dungeon.
Frankenstein was published anonymously in London on new Year’s Day 1818, when Mary was aged just 21. It tells the story of scientist Victor Frankenstein, who creates a grotesque creature.
The monster was later brought to a mass audience by Boris Karloff’s 1931 film portrayal.
In 1816, Mary and her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley, had travelled through mountainous southern Germany, near the town of Darmstadt.
nearby was Frankenstein Castle, once the home of the theologian and scientist Johann Conrad Dippel (1673-1734). Built in the 13th century, its name is rather prosaic: a combination of the Franks, a Germanic tribe, and stein, German for the word stone.
Dippel was born in Castle Frankenstein and lived there on and off throughout his life. He studied theology, philosophy and alchemy at the University of Giessen, obtaining a master’s degree in theology in 1693. He wrote several theological tracts under the name Christianus Democritus.
He was headstrong and led an adventurous life, often getting into trouble for his forthright theological opinions and his inability to manage money. At one time, he was imprisoned for heresy.
Dippel is best remembered for his controversial experiments in which he mixed animal bones and hides to create a solution he called Dippel’s oil, which he claimed was an elixir that could extend the lifespan of anyone who consumed it.
According to some sources, this oil was used in 1706 by the paint maker Diesbach to make the dye Prussian Blue, which is still used today.
While Dippel reportedly claimed to have found a way to live until the age of 135, he fell far short of the mark, dying at 60.
Jonathan Quentin, London SW15.
QUESTION What is the farthest you can drive in a straight line without crossing a major body of water?
TO FInD the longest straight- line journey in the world is difficult mathematically because of the sheer number of possible paths.
The solution to this problem was only answered conclusively earlier this year when Rohan Chabukswar, a physicist at United Technologies Research Centre in Ireland, and Kushal Mukherjee, an engineer at IBM Research India in new Delhi, developed an algorithm.
Their straight-line path stretches from Quanzhou in eastern China through Mongolia, Russia and Europe, ending near Sagres, Portugal — a distance of 6,984.9 miles going through 15 countries.
The Earth is roughly spherical, so drawing a line on a 2-D map of the world would distort it into a curve. The reverse is also true: any straight line on a flat map is actually a curved path.
The pair also calculated the longest straight-line sea journey: 19,910 miles from Pakistan to the north-east coast of Kamchatka in Russia.
Catherine Hoyle, Richmond, Surrey.
QUESTION Why isn’t the new aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth nuclear-powered?
HMS Queen Elizabeth, the lead ship of the Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) of two aircraft carriers built for the Royal navy, was commissioned on December 7, 2017.
It has been compared to the U.S. navy’s nimitz class ships, which have nuclear propulsion.
The main advantage of a marine nuclear power plant is its unlimited range. This is essential for the U.S. fleet, which patrols the vast expanse of the Pacific, but is less important for the QEC, which will probably travel in more local waters.
There are many negatives to nuclear power vessels. The lifetime cost is far higher than that of a conventionally powered vessel. The cost of construction is usually greater because of the physical complexity of the project, as well as the tight regulatory framework required.
The Government was no doubt put off by the French experience with the Charles de Gaulle, which took more than 11 years to build (HMS Queen Elizabeth took eight). It was also five years late, over budget and beset by technical propulsion problems.
Furthermore, inadequate shielding exposed crew members to doses of radiation that exceed regulations. The ship has spent more time in dock than on the sea and the French government is looking to replace the vessel.
Advances in marine engine technology have made conventional power attractive. The combined diesel- electric and gas turbine arrangement adopted by the QEC should be efficient, reliable and easy to maintain.
It also has a lower manpower requirement, as nuclear plants require constant monitoring, even when shut down.
Another benefit of the diesel- electric and gas turbine arrangement is that they can be shut down and started again rapidly. This is a useful tactical advantage, allowing quick departure from harbour when needed.
Finally, this arrangement avoids the inevitable problems with the antinuclear lobby.
Giles Cullen, Havant, Hants.
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