Alessandro Volta in the context of "Anaerobic digestion"

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⭐ Core Definition: Alessandro Volta

Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta (UK: /ˈvɒltə/, US: /ˈvltə/; Italian: [alesˈsandro dʒuˈzɛppe anˈtɔnjo anasˈtaːzjo ˈvɔlta]; 18 February 1745 – 5 March 1827) was an Italian chemist and physicist who was a pioneer of electricity and power, and is credited as the inventor of the electric battery and the discoverer of methane. He invented the voltaic pile in 1799, and reported the results of his experiments in a two-part letter to the president of the Royal Society, which was published in 1800. With this invention, Volta proved that electricity could be generated chemically and debunked the prevalent theory that electricity was generated solely by living beings. Volta's invention sparked a great amount of scientific excitement and led others to conduct similar experiments, which eventually led to the development of the field of electrochemistry.

Volta drew admiration from Napoleon Bonaparte for his invention, and was invited to the Institute of France to demonstrate his invention to the members of the institute. Throughout his life, Volta enjoyed a certain amount of closeness with the emperor who conferred upon him numerous honours. Volta held the chair of experimental physics at the University of Pavia for nearly 40 years and was widely idolised by his students. Despite his professional success, Volta was inclined towards domestic life and this was more apparent in his later years when he tended to live secluded from public life and more for the sake of his family. He died in 1827 from a series of illnesses which began in 1823. The SI unit of electric potential is named the volt in his honour.

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Alessandro Volta in the context of Volt

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Alessandro Volta in the context of Anaerobic decomposition

Anaerobic digestion is a sequence of processes by which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. The process is used for industrial or domestic purposes to manage waste or to produce fuels. Much of the fermentation used industrially to produce food and drink products, as well as home fermentation, uses anaerobic digestion.

Anaerobic digestion occurs naturally in some soils and in lake and oceanic basin sediments, where it is usually referred to as "anaerobic activity". This is the source of marsh gas methane as discovered by Alessandro Volta in 1776.

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Alessandro Volta in the context of Como

Como (Italian: [ˈkɔːmo] , locally [ˈkoːmo] ; Comasco: Còmm [ˈkɔm], Cómm [ˈkom] or Cùmm [ˈkum]; Latin: Novum Comum) is a city and comune (municipality) in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Nestled at the southwestern branch of the picturesque Lake Como, the city is a renowned tourist destination, celebrated for its stunning landscapes, artistic heritage, and cultural significance.

Its prime location on the shores of Lake Como and its proximity to the majestic Alps has made Como a popular destination for tourists. The city boasts a rich collection of art, religious sites, verdant gardens, museums, theatres, public parks, and opulent palaces, including the iconic Duomo, seat of the Diocese of Como; the Basilica of Sant'Abbondio; Villa Olmo; the public gardens with the Tempio Voltiano; the Teatro Sociale; the Broletto, the city's medieval town hall; and the 20th-century Casa del Fascio, a landmark of modernist architecture.

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Alessandro Volta in the context of Victor Frankenstein

Victor Frankenstein, whose character name has sometimes evolved in popular culture to Dr. Frankenstein, is a fictional character who first appeared as the titular main protagonist of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. He is a young Italian-born Swiss scientist who, after studying chemical processes and the decay of living things at university, gains an insight into the creation of life and gives life to his own creature (often referred to as Frankenstein's monster, or often colloquially referred to as simply "Frankenstein"). Victor later regrets meddling with nature through his creation, as he inadvertently endangers his own life and the lives of his family and friends when the creature seeks revenge against him. He is first introduced in the novel when he is seeking to catch the monster near the North Pole and is saved from potential fatality by Robert Walton and his crew.

Some aspects of the character are believed to have been inspired by 17th-century alchemist Johann Konrad Dippel. Certainly, the author and people in her environment were aware of the experiment on electricity and dead tissues by Luigi Galvani and his nephew Giovanni Aldini and the work of Alessandro Volta at the University of Pavia.

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Alessandro Volta in the context of Galvanism

Galvanism is a term coined by the late 18th-century physicist and chemist Alessandro Volta to refer to the generation of electric current by chemical action. The term also came to refer to the discoveries of its namesake, Luigi Galvani, specifically the generation of electric current within biological organisms and the contraction/convulsion of biological muscle tissue upon contact with electric current. While Volta theorized and later demonstrated the phenomenon of his "Galvanism" to be replicable with otherwise inert materials, Galvani thought his discovery to be a confirmation of the existence of "animal electricity," a vital force which gave life to organic matter.

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