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Last updated 16/5/2025

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The 3rd Edition of 'Les Recreations Scientifiques' by Gaston Tissandier was published in Paris by G. Masson in 1883. The 'Avertissement' states that the 3rd Edition has been entirely redesigned and implies that it contains new material.

A full copy can be viewed online here.

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Analysis of new material

Smoke Rings from a Playing Card Cube

Original article in 'La Nature' 427 of 6th August 1881 in an article headed 'Sur Les Tourbillons Annulaires Des Liquides et Des Gaz' written by Adrien Guebhard.

(Note that this could not have been included in the 2nd Edition because of its date.)

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The Jumping Bean

The 3rd Edition (and possibly earlier editions also) contains mention of a Jumping Bean made from Bristol paper. Since no other kind of closing is specified I have assumed that the closing of the ends of the cylinder was intended to be done by folding.

In English 'We can replace the puppets with a cylinder made of Bristol paper (or board), closed at both ends and containing a ball, which, when placed upright on an inclined plane descends in the same manner as the puppets.'

This wording did not appear in the original article on which the section of the work this paragraph appears in was based.

The original article, written by Gaston Tissandier, was headed 'Les Physiques Sans Appareils', and described curious effects relating to the centre of gravity of objects. It was published on pages 380 - 381 of 'La Nature' 363 of 15th May 1880.

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