Being an enthusiast about construction, prince Karl August was not only interested in architecture but also in engineering and in the application of contemporary technology.
The French physicist and military architect Bélidor (1697–1761) submitted the first manual to decribe how water power could be used to drive mills and machines. Thus, castle gardens could be watered and embellished with fountains.
The clergyman Nollet (1700–1770) was the first professor for experimental physics in Paris. He also taught the children of King Louis XV. and demonstrated the impact of electricity to them.