was a French physicist who invented a steam digester (pressure cooker) in 1679; the vessel raised the boiling point of water by increasing the steam pressure. He also devised a pump with a piston raised by steam in 1690. Papin’s pressure cooker demonstrated the influence of atmospheric pressure on boiling points. Papin’s design was not practical, but it was improved by others and led to the development of the steam engine, a major contribution to the Industrial Revolution. He also designed a safety valve to prevent the pressure of steam building up to dangerous levels. Papin was an assistant of Christian Huygens and Robert Boyle, leading intelletual figures of their time.