Mayer, << MY uhr, >> Julius Robert von (1814-1878), was a German physician and physicist. He and James Joule shared credit for discovering the universal law of conservation of energy (see Joule, James ). This principle, known as the first law of thermodynamics, states that the total energy of the universe remains the same, and cannot be increased or lessened.
Mayer published his article on heat and energy in 1842. Joule, an English physicist, reached the same conclusions while working independently. It has never been determined which scientist made the first discovery. Mayer was born at Heilbronn on Nov. 25, 1814 . He died on March 20, 1878.
