When a stove’s virtues amount to more than just hot air

Historian Joyce Chaplin’s latest book on Benjamin Franklin (center) explores one of his lesser-known inventions: a stove (left). The science behind it helped further understanding of atmospheric phenomena such as the Gulf Stream (right), which Franklin helped map for the first time.

Images via Library of Congress; illustration by Liz Zonarich/Harvard Staff

Science & Tech

When a stove’s virtues amount to more than just hot air

Christy...