Known as the discoverer of the Bernoulli principle, which applies the law of conservation of energy to fluids, Daniel Bernoulli was a true polymath, excelling in many fields of science, and contributing brilliant ideas and insights which not only shaped 18th century science, but also anticipated future discoveries. In essence, Bernoulli's scientific spirit easily transcended the boundaries set by scientific disciplines, surveying the landscape of science from a height where the idea of separate fields of study seems meaningless. Nevertheless, many of his insights stemmed from his profound understanding of mathematics, and from his extraordinary ability to illuminate physical phenomena by mathematical reasoning.

Born in Gröningen, Netherlands, Bernoulli was the second son of Johann Bernoulli, professor of mathematics at the University of Gröningen. In 1705, when Johann took over his brother Jakob Bernoulli 's chair of mathematics at the University of Basel, the family returned...