Could the Coand\u{a} effect be called the Young effect? The understanding of fluid dynamics of a legendary polymath

Abstract

A paper of Thomas Young (1773-1829) on the behavior of streams of air makes a good starting point for discussing the not always fair, sometimes serendipitous, association of a physical phenomenon with its discoverer. In a didactic context, the introduction of historic anecdotes and the particular details of a scientific discovery represent an effective tool for establishing interdisciplinary connections that may help in the learning process and may unveil unexpected insights in the disposition of a scientist. We discuss a small part of a famous paper by Young on sound and light. We show that the proverbial intuition of this famous polymath, applied to complex fluid dynamic phenomena, may lead to the discussion of the Coand\u{a} effect, the physical origin of lift, and the behavior of streams of air, as well as weave an interesting interplay of several crucial names in the history of aerodynamics.Comment: 21 pages, 3 figures, regular pape