1706 in science

• William Jones publishes Synopsis palmariorum matheseos or, A New Introduction to the Mathematics, Containing the Principles of Arithmetic and Geometry Demonstrated in a Short and Easie Method ... Designed for ... Beginners in which he • proposes using the symbol π (the Greek letter pi, as an abbreviation for perimeter) to represent the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. • introduces John Machin's quickly converging inverse-tangent series for π (pi), enabling it to be computed to 100 decimal places. ==Technology==

• Francis Hauksbee produces his 'Influence machine' to generate static electricity. ==Publications==

• Johann Jakob Scheuchzer begins publication in Zürich of his Beschreibung der Naturgeschichten des Schweitzerlands giving an account of the natural history and geology of Switzerland. • Giovanni Battista Morgagni publishes Adversaria anatomica, the first in a series in which he describes his observations of human anatomy. ==Births==

• January 17 – Benjamin Franklin, American scientist and inventor, known for his experiments with electricity (died 1790) • January 28 – John Baskerville, English printer and inventor (died 1775) • February 11 – Nils Rosén von Rosenstein, Swedish pediatrician (died 1773) • May 12 – François Boissier de Sauvages de Lacroix, French physician and botanist (died 1767) • June 10 – John Dollond, English optician (died 1761) • December 17 – Émilie du Châtelet, French mathematician and physicist (died 1749) • Date unknown – Giuseppe Asclepi, Italian astronomer and physicist (died 1776) ==Deaths==

• June 15 – Giorgio Baglivi, Italian physician (born 1668) • August 6 – Jean-Baptiste Du Hamel, French scientist, philosophe (born 1624) • Date unknown – Jean Le Fèvre, French astronomer (born 1652) • Date unknown – Jeanne Dumée, French astronomer (born 1660) ==References==