The Origin of Documented Soliton Research
Discovery
"...a rounded, smooth and well-defined heap of water, which continued its course along the channel apparently without change of form or diminution of speed. I followed it on horseback, and overtook it rolling on at a rate of some eight or nine miles an hour, preserving its original figure some thirty feet long and a foot to a foot and a half in height. Its height gradually diminished, and after a chase of one or two miles I lost it in the windings of the channel. Such, in the month of August 1834, was my first chance interview with that singular and beautiful phenomenon which I have called the Wave of Translation", (Russell 319-320).
Properties
After beholding this spectacular sight, Russell used many wave-tank experiments in an effort to examine the properties of his wave of translation. In contrast to pond ripples, the properties of solitons are quite intriguing (and, like thermodynamics, nonintuitive). First off, Russell noted that these bell-shaped waves do not oscillate between a peak and a trough; they only have a peak. And they cruise on top of the water line without changing form and maintain a constant velocity. If you ask me, their strangest attribute is that two waves can pass through each other and continue on unchanged. This means no interference will result; their initial form and velocity will be intact. Many scientists did not share Russell's belief that the solitary wave was important. He was, instead, known for his other engineering achievements during his lifetime. It wasn't until over a hundred years after Russell's first experiments that colliding solitons were determined to undergo a slight phase shift.
In this video we can see what Russell's experiments may have looked like. However, I don't think his were as colorful, nor would they have been accompanied by such dramatic music! The actual collision is at 27 seconds, enjoy.