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Born
Born in Chirlitz, Moravia, then part of the Austrian Empire. Don't go looking for it on a modern map. That area is now part of Brno, in the Czech Republic. -
Relevant Education
Mach was home schooled until the age of fourteen, and after enrolling in organized education, he received his Doctorate in Physics from the University of Vienna, Austria in 1860. -
A Teacher of Many Talents...
Mach turns down a position as a Department Chair and Professor of Surgery at the University of Salzburg to become a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Graz. Two years later, he also is appointed Professor of Physics. -
The Chair of Experimental Physics
Mach served in this position for 28 years at the Charles-Ferdinand University of Prague. During his tenure, his work covered the areas of sonic shock waves, sensory perception, scientific philosophy and inertial balance. -
Studying the Senses, Inertia & Balance
A significant area of study for Mach was physiological. Among his creations to help study the human senses and how they are impacted by outside forces acting upon them was this chair that enabled him to simultaneously swivel along three separate axial directions. Almost 80 years later, an improved version trained the first groups of American astronauts. It enabled them to regain control of their spacecraft, no matter how it tumbled- lessons put to good use on the Gemini VIII spaceflight. -
Photographing the Supersonic
Utilizing a method of photography invented in Germany in 1864, Ernst and his son Ludwig were able to capture images of the shadows of the shock waves created by the compression of air in front of a shell or bullet. Work on this process continued into the 1890s, improved by Ludwig's invention of an interferometer leading to sharper imagery. Mach and his companion Peter Salcher became the first to describe the behavior of shock waves created by a supersonic projectile. More on this to come. -
Later Life
After suffering a stroke in 1898, Mach retired from his position at the University of Vienna. The Austrian Empire was not through with him. He was appointed to the upper chamber of the Austrian Parliament, where he took part in supporting reforms. His influence on many in the Austrian government earned the ire of none less than Vladimir Lenin in Russia, who wrote an entire book in 1909 attacking several of Mach's theories and beliefs. -
Death
Mach died a day after his 78th birthday in 1916 in Munich, Germany. At the time, the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires were in the middle of fighting the First World War. With the loss of the War in 1918, his former home region became part of Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia was itself overrun, first by the Germans and later by the Soviet Union. With the fall of the Soviets and the Warsaw Pact it also broke apart, with both Mach's birthplace and his home of Prague now in the Czech Republic. -
Various works between 1865-1918
1) Mach, Ernst. About the Sense of Balance. (1874) 2) Mach, Ernst. About the Utilization of Microphotography. (1876) 3) Mach, Ernst. Photograph of a Shotgun Bullet and Other Very Fleeting Phenomena. (1884) 4) Mach, Ernst. On the Analysis of Sound Sensations (1885). 5) Mach, Ernst. The Analysis of Sensations- Antimetaphysical (1890) 6) Mach, Ernst, and Einstein, Albert. Ernst Mach papers. (1865-1918), https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/ernstmachpapers00mach -
The Breaking of Mach 1
Being the first to study the mysteries of of sound, and the barrier that it created, Mach was honored by having his name applied to the number used to classify its velocity. However, the first human to survive achieving supersonic speeds would not do so until 31 years after Mach's death. American Charles Yeager pushed the Bell X-1 past Mach 1. Mach's homeland would not see supersonic flight until 1955 when Soviet fighter squadrons equipped with the MiG-19 entered service from Czech bases. -
And Now a Short Video!
Flying Basics: What is "Mach"? Why is it so important? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLrHnndL3D4
