The Delaware River at Red Bank Battlefield Merril D. Smith, 2016
Monday Morning Musings:
“To any one who, for the first time, sees a great stretch of sandy shore covered with innumerable ridges and furrows, as if combed with a giant comb, a dozen questions must immediately present themselves. How do these ripples form? Are they made and wiped out with every tide, or do they take a long time to grow, and last for many tides? What is the relation between the ripple and the waves to which they owe their existence? And a host of others too numerous to mention.
The questions to which I particularly directed my attention at first were the following:—(1) How do the ripples first start? (2) What is the relation between the water waves and the ripples? “
–Hertha Ayrton, from “The Origin and Growth of Ripple-mark” (1904)
“Errors are notoriously hard to kill. But an error that ascribes to a man what was actually the work of a woman has more lives than a cat.”
–From Hertha Ayrton’s letter to an editor after journalists attributed the discovery of radium to Pierre Curie, rather than Marie Curie
She stood looking at the ripples on the shore
gazing and wondering, she continued to observe
and experiment
writing a paper that she read before the Royal Society of London,
the first woman to do so.
In 1906, they awarded her the Hughes Medal for her work on sand ripples and electric arcs—though they would not admit her, a married woman,
or any woman
into their ranks.
Ripples
She applies her observations to air currents,
inventing a fan to rid WWI trenches of poisonous gases,
one of her twenty-six patented inventions
Ripples
She was befriended and mentored by women
who helped pay for her education and took her to women’s suffrage meetings.
In turn, she was a friend to other women, working to establish
their right to vote, to receive an education.
Her step-daughter later a wrote a novel about suffragettes,
a woman scientist was its heroine.
Her daughter became a Labour MP.
Ripples
I watch them on an ordinary day,
a day of working out at the gym
and paying bills,
a day of thinking and writing
I think about the ripples we create,
the smile given to a stranger that might make her day,
the poem written and read by someone, bringing joy,
the Butterfly Effect,
random actions,
Who knows where they will lead?
I think such things form a different type
of dark figure,
ripples,
an unknown statistic,
random ripples from every action we take.
I think that though there is something to be said
for making every moment count,
it is also important to just be,
to take time to watch the waves
to watch the ripples that they leave in the sand,
to observe the moments in our lives,
to think about the ripples they make,
to dream–
to wonder about a woman who once looked at ripples in the sand
over a century ago
And I, looking at a Google Doodle
wonder about her
and realize that sometimes the ordinary can be inspirational
and the observations of an extraordinary woman can ripple
through time.
Hertha Marks Aryton (1854-1923) was the subject of a Google Doodle a few days ago. You can read about her here and here.
Abstract for “The Origin and Growth of Ripple-Mark,” Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Vol. 74 (1904), 565-566
And the entire paper is here.
© Merril D. Smith 2016
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
That Butterfly Effect is really quite powerful when you think about it, Merril!
Yes, it is. Thank you for stopping by and commenting, Tom!
A pleasure! 🙂
Sadly, women’s accomplishments are still undercelebrated (I just read a really depressing column about that recently…the usual name change on resumes and gender visibility in musical performances and art and how women were always viewed more negatively)…but we can still give our best to the world, without taking in to heart and shutting down. (K)
I read that article, too, Kerfe. Yes, we should all do our best. All the more reason to learn about women like Hertha Ayrton. 🙂
So true. And thanks for helping with that!
🙂
Here’s to Hertha and all the other women, tidal forces that affect our earth’s magnetic field. You know, Merril, the ripples you create here contribute to the Butterfly Effect. A mixed metaphor but nonetheless true. Great post!
Aww, thank you, Marian. I love your mixed metaphor. 🙂
Ripples…butterfly effect. Nice analogy.
Thank you! 🙂
Wow. Thanks for showing so beautifully how one thing leads to another, how important it is to go out and do our one thing even when we may think our small effort can’t accomplish the end goal we envision.
Thank you, Carol, for your kind words. I like to think about how things are connected, and also how random acts can sometimes have a big and unexpected impact.
What an extraordinary post Merril. It’s beautiful. What an extraordinary woman you write of who achieved so much such a long time ago and still had to fight the prejudices of a male establishment..
xxx Hugs Unlimited xxx
Thank you so much, David! Hugs back to you!
Beautiful and thought provoking. I love the lines: I think that though there is something to be said for making every moment count, it is also important to just be,to take time to watch the waves”
There is so much emphasis in our society on competition and achievement, yet often it is just taking the time to be, to be in the moment . . . that makes for life’s greatest moments. It’s a good reminder to nurture and love ourselves.
Thank you so much, Susan. Yes, sometimes it’s fine–even good– to just watch the waves, and I think we all need that reminder. 🙂
This is beautiful Merril. You hope that you can somehow have a positive ripple effect on those around you. I certainly try to do that through my blog.
Sorry, I haven’t been round for awhile. My Letters to dead Poets consumed me for the last month. I was over-ambitious. Now, I notice that you’ve written a month worth of poems. Congratulations. I will definitely be back-pedaling through them.
Hope you are having a great week. Masterchef has started up again this week. My cousin is a chef and was working behind the scenes on the show. She will be giving birth to twins tomorrow. She has been lucky that they didn’t arrive early.
Take care.
xx Rowena
Thank you for stopping by and leaving such a nice comment. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to keep up with your month of posts.
That’s incredible about your cousin! Yes, she was very lucky. I wish her the best of luck-and a happy birthday tomorrow for the twins! 🙂
Thanks very much, Merril. I can’t wait to hear the twins have arrived safely and whether she has boys or girls. They are identical.
I wasn’t expecting people to keep up with those Dead Poet posts but pick and choose ones they liked. I did address philosophical issues with each poet, though, so when I do my review for the finale I’ll have to incorporate that somehow. Hope you’re having a great week. xx Ro
Taking the time to wonder, to appreciate what is, what might be, what others have done…as usual, your musings now have me musing. 🙂
Thanks, Jennifer! 🙂
Excellent, Merril
Thanks you, Derrick!
Sensational, Merril! I never knew about the ripples and Hertha Aryton.
I didn’t either. See what you learn from Google Doodles? 🙂
This is so beautiful, Merril…”sometimes the ordinary can be inspirational
and the observations of an extraordinary woman can ripple
through time.” Thank you for introducing us to Hertha and for reminding us of the random ripples in our own lives that can make a difference. Love the “Butterfy Effect”.
Thanks so much, Kathy. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Sometimes I love the randomness of randomness. 🙂
Another wonderful post, Merril. I missed that Google doodle so when I finish, I’m off to explore and learn more about Hertha.
I’ve been contemplating ripples, too, on these rainy days.
Thanks, Robin. I thought Hertha was a very interesting woman.
Very profound. You’ve given me much to ponder on today. Thank you. 🙂
http://tabathamorrow.com
Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your kind comment! I’m glad you enjoyed the post. 🙂