Science, Technology, and Feel the Spin

One of the things I most enjoyed while writing Feel the Spin was researching the scientific developments of the nineteenth century. It was exciting to learn about the people and stories behind remarkable inventions or mind-opening theories. During the 1870s, the period of the novel, there was an explosion of scientific discovery and technological advancement. It was an invigorating era for scientists. For example, in 1874 the transit of Venus was observed from many parts of the world and was photographed for the first time!

In 1876, Philadelphia hosted the Centennial Exhibition, which displayed innovative products and processes from dozens of countries. Many visitors were overwhelmed by the immensity and ambition of the event, as well as the demonstrations of the state of technology and the vision of a promising future. Only one major building from the exhibition still stands in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park: Memorial Hall, a glorious piece of architecture, which serves today as a museum for children. A large and elegant scale model of the entire Centennial Exhibition occupies a whole room on a lower level of the museum.

Professor Thomas Walters, a secularist who is the main character in my novel, visits the Centennial with Klaus Fischer, his colleague from Tideland College in South Carolina. Thomas’s experience there has a profound effect on him, and it is a turning point in his personal development. He returns to the college with a more sophisticated mindset and a clarified sense of purpose. Please read the story to find out how Thomas fares in his quest to defend the scientific outlook against the pressures of religious orthodoxy.