Dossier
American Philosophical Society
Coverage of American Philosophical Society in the Nexus archive.
- What Philly’s Fourth of July heat wave reveals about climate change
Philadelphia's Fourth of July heat wave caused event cancellations, heat-related deaths, and severe thunderstorms, with scientists attributing the extreme weather to climate change. The heat wave's intensity was four to six times more likely due to climate change, and historical weather records from 1776 contrast sharply with current conditions.
- A planet, an observatory and the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence
On June 3, 1769, astronomers in Philadelphia observed the transit of Venus, with David Rittenhouse using a homemade telescope. The American Philosophical Society now houses his telescope, which is considered likely the first made in America.