ABSTRACT
Beyond the political and social disruption caused by the French Revolution, this stupendous event affected much of French and European culture, including science, sometimes in roundabout ways. Although their names are now mostly absent from textbooks, Arago and Biot made many contributions, including considerable work with polarized light. That topic is currently taught in routine ho-hum fashion, but at the time, much about the phenomenon was excitingly new. This is a main thread in Theresa Levitt’s absorbing The Shadow of Enlightenment. With their work on polarization, Arago and Biot entered the debate. Adding another layer of meaning, Leavitt notes that their scientific controversy also reflected Biot’s deep political conservatism versus Arago’s strong belief in radical ideals. Leavitt’s study extends to other areas where Arago and Biot contributed, such as astronomy and the new science of photography.
