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Happy 300th Birthday Benjamin Franklin

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the today-in-history dept.

Guinnessy writes "Benjamin Franklin was born on 17 January 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts. Franklin was a man of diverse talents: publisher, inventor, ambassador, politician, wit with some human frailities says NPR. In Physics Today, Philip Krider presents Franklin's work on electricity and the development of the lightning rod, work whose fame helped Franklin obtain aid from the French against the British. In the same magazine, Joost Mertens considers Franklin's explorations of the calming effects of oil on water. Those investigations, it turns out, had a less than calming effect on Dutch scholars. Philadelphia is planning a series of events celebratng Franklin's life throughtout the year."

13 of 277 comments (clear)

  1. einstein? by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    This is about Ben Franklin. Why the Einstein pic?

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    This guy's the limit!
    1. Re:einstein? by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      derrr...nevermind...

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      This guy's the limit!
  2. franklin by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Wasn't this the freedom guy?

  3. "with" has an H by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    wit with some human frailities says NPR

    Yep... like spelling problems. ;-)

  4. Re:get your wallets out... by chibbie · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I only have a fiver... you insensitive clod!

  5. ./ editors... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    Benjamin Franklin's was born

    Err... someone check that the ./ editors aren't sleeping on the job!

  6. Am I the only person who hates it when people... by niczon · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    wish "happy birthday" to dead people?

  7. The French by matt21811 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    What? A mention of the French on the front page of Slashdot and there isn't 10 posts all making the same "cheese eating surrender monkeys" joke. Half of which have been moderated up to +5 funny.
    Maybe those people are too busy out eating their Freedom Fries.

  8. I thank you for youR time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    We'll be able to The facts and Ev3ryday...Redefine plainly states that it a break, if

  9. Re:Am I the only person who hates it when people.. by saltydogdesign · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Yes. Yes you are.

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    // This is not a sig.
  10. Re:Coffin size? by amightywind · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I have to agree. The democrat's treatment of Judge Alito has been deplorable, and their lack of support of the troops in Iraq is downright Un-American.

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    an ill wind that blows no good
  11. Re:For a country that has a history of discriminat by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Shut up you ignorant europeon! If you ever had the chance to live around black people, you'd be the first in line to lynch them.

  12. Re:Coffin size? by amightywind · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    The answer is simple. The site is run by leftist, God-hating, flag burning, terrorist sympathizing liberals! About 60% of the community (by my calculation) are liberal. Therefore the majority views get promoted by moderation and the minority views suppressed. Look at my sig.

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    an ill wind that blows no good