june november scottish scientist field mathematical physics notable achievement classical theory electromagnetic radiation bringing time electricity light phenomenon called second great unification physics realised publication demonstrated electric magnetic fields travel space waves moving speed light proposed light medium cause electric magnetic phenomena unification light electrical phenomena led prediction existence radio waves helped develop distribution statistical means describing aspects theory gases known presenting colour photograph work rod joint like bridges discoveries helped usher era modern physics laying foundation fields special quantum mechanics regard 19th century scientist having greatest influence 20th century physics contributions science considered magnitude millennium poll survey prominent voted greatest physicist time newton centenary birthday described work profound physics experienced time newton life early life born june india street edinburgh advocate daughter sister father man comfortable means clerk family holders father brother 6th born adding surname inherited infant country estate near connections family members james cousin artist cousin son mother brother civil engineer close friends acted best man married parents met married mother nearly born earlier child daughter named elizabeth died infancy young family moved parents built acres estate indications suggest maintained curiosity early age age moved noise drew question passage added letter father sister law mother described innate sense happy man improved weather got moderate great work doors locks keys etc mouth investigates hidden course streams bell wires way water gets pond wall education recognising potential young boy mother took responsibility james early education victorian era largely job woman house long passages verses knowledge scripture detailed chapter verse quotation mother taken ill abdominal cancer unsuccessful operation died december years old james education overseen father father sister law jane played pivotal roles life formal schooling began unsuccessfully guidance sixteen year old hired tutor little known young man john hired son treated younger boy harshly slow john dismissed tutor november considerable thought sent james prestigious lodged term times house aunt isabella time passion drawing encouraged older cousin year old having raised isolation father countryside estate fit school year join second year classmates year senior mannerisms accent struck boys having arrived day school wearing pair shoes earned nickname epithet bearing complaint years social isolation academy ended met boys similar age notable scholars later life remained lifelong friends fascinated geometry early age regular received formal instruction despite winning school scripture biography prize second year academic work remained unnoticed age won school mathematical medal prize english poetry interests ranged far school pay particular attention examination performance wrote scientific paper age described mechanical means drawing mathematical curves piece properties related curves work oval curves presented professor natural philosophy deemed young present work work entirely original examined properties seventeenth century simplified construction left academy age began attending classes opportunity attend university_of_cambridge decided term complete course undergraduate studies edinburgh academic staff included highly regarded names year included sir logic mathematics natural philosophy find classes demanding able private study free time university particularly home experiment improvised chemical electric magnetic apparatus chief concerns regarded properties light constructed shaped blocks subjected stresses pair given viewed coloured fringes developed practice discovered means determining stress distribution physical structures age contributed papers transactions royal society edinburgh laid foundation important discovery later life temporary double produced shear stress paper paper oval curves written considered young stand present paper delivered tutor instead university_of_cambridge october accomplished mathematician left scotland university_of_cambridge initially attended end term transferred trinity believed easier obtain fellowship trinity elected elite secret society known intellectual understanding christian faith science grew rapidly cambridge years joined exclusive debating society intellectual elite essays sought work understanding great plan conceived old let left holy ground consecrated stationary faith positive negative land regular system rotation followed hide wish hidden assert right plot man set apart convinced christian actually purge land holy spots christians enclosed places sort great deal extensive important tracts territory rest openly christianity religion bible scheme form belief possessions tenure free fly ends world find god author salvation search scriptures find text stop mosaic law judaism commonly supposed orthodox pretend read found certain witty objections orthodox admit shut subject haunted coming drive ghosts let follow light extent christian beliefs intellectual test judged writings plenty evidence especially undergraduate days deeply examine faith certainly knowledge bible remarkable confidence scriptures based ignorance summer year spent time suffolk home uncle class mate love god shown family impressed particularly ill health minister wife return cambridge writes recent host letter including following testimony capacity wicked example man set escape god grace helping rid partially science completely society perfectly committing god november studied success mathematical genius earned nickname senior maker graduated trinity degree mathematics scored second highest final examination coming earning title second later declared equal ordeal smith prize examination immediately earning degree read paper bending purely mathematical papers written demonstrating growing stature mathematician decided remain trinity graduating applied fellowship process expect couple years success research student free apart examining duties pursue scientific interests leisure nature perception colour interest begun student forbes coloured spinning tops invented forbes able demonstrate white light result mixture red green blue light paper experiments colour laid principles colour combination presented march time able deliver fellow trinity october sooner norm asked prepare lectures set examination papers following february urged forbes apply newly vacant father assisted task preparing necessary references died april knew result candidacy accepted leaving cambridge november year old good years younger professor engaged new responsibilities head department preparing lectures committed hours week including weekly pro lecture local working men college lived months academic year spent summers inherited father focused attention problem scientists years nature saturn rings unknown remain stable breaking drifting away crashing saturn problem took particular resonance time college cambridge chosen topic adams prize devoted years studying problem proving regular solid ring stable fluid ring forced wave action break observed concluded rings composed numerous small particles called brick bats independently saturn awarded adams prize essay stability motion saturn rings submit entry work detailed convincing read commented remarkable applications mathematics physics seen considered final word issue direct observations voyager 1980s confirmed prediction befriended principal met daughter engaged february married june marriage record listed college seven years senior comparatively little known known helped lab worked experiments biographer friend adopted subject describing married life devotion merged neighbouring form room professors despite scientific reputation found laid unsuccessful applying forbes recently vacated chair edinburgh post instead going granted london instead recovering near fatal bout smallpox moved london wife london time king probably productive career awarded medal work colour later elected society period life display world light fast colour photograph develop ideas gases propose system defining physical quantities known dimensional analysis attend lectures came regular contact relationship men described close years senior showed signs maintained strong respect talents time especially noteworthy advances fields electricity examined nature electric magnetic fields paper physical lines force published provided conceptual model electromagnetic induction consisting tiny spinning cells magnetic parts later added published paper early additional discussed nature displacement current second additional dealt rotation plane light magnetic field phenomenon discovered known effect later years resigned chair london returned paper figures frames forces discussed designs wrote textbook theory heat treatise matter motion explicit use dimensional analysis professor physics cambridge charge development supervising step progress building purchase collection apparatus great contributions science editing original notes research appeared researched things questions density earth composition water died cambridge abdominal cancer november age mother died age type cancer minister regularly visited weeks immense power scope memory comments particularly illness drew heart soul spirit man firm faith incarnation results work holy spirit schemes systems philosophy found utterly word turned simple faith gospel death approached told cambridge colleague thinking gently dealt violent life desire like david serve generation god fall asleep buried near close grew extended biography life james clerk lifelong friend professor published collected works issued volumes personality great lover scottish poetry poems wrote best known closely based apparently sing accompanying guitar opening lines body meet body air body hit body fly collection poems published friend descriptions remark remarkable intellectual qualities matched social evangelical presbyterian later years elder church scotland religious beliefs related activities focus number papers attending father mother services child later underwent evangelical conversion april conversion aligned position scientific legacy studied commented electricity early paper lines force read paper presented simplified model work phenomena related reduced current knowledge linked set differential work later published physical lines force march calculated speed propagation electromagnetic field approximately speed light considered coincidence commenting scarcely avoid conclusion light consists transverse medium cause electric magnetic phenomena working problem showed predict existence waves electric magnetic fields travel space speed predicted simple electrical experiments data available time obtained velocity metres second paper theory electromagnetic field wrote agreement results light affections substance light electromagnetic disturbance propagated field according electromagnetic laws famous modern form partial differential appeared fully developed form textbook treatise electricity work period holding london post taking chair expressed electromagnetic potential theory oliver replaced electromagnetic potential field force fields electromagnetic theory reduced complexity theory differential known collectively laws according electromagnetic potential field arbitrary needed murdered use standard solution years later debate peter relative merits analysis result need greater physical insights provided theory purely local analysis commonplace proven correct connection light considered great accomplishments 19th century mathematical physics introduced concept electromagnetic field comparison force lines described understanding propagation field emitted active particles advance work light time believed propagation light required medium waves dubbed time existence medium space apparently mechanical means proved impossible reconcile experiments experiment require absolute frame reference valid result changed form moving observer difficulties inspired theory special process requirement stationary colour vision time strong interest psychology particularly interested following steps study colour vision published intervals series investigations concerning perception colour colour colour theory awarded medal theory colour vision demonstrated white lights sunlight composed number components white light newton showed orange paint yellow red look exactly like orange light composed yellow red lights time complex lights composed light look alike physically different called later proposed explained colours perceived limited number channels eyes proposed color theory recently developed linear prove young theory light able equally stimulated set different lights fact set different lights demonstrated case color matching experiments interested applying theory color perception colour photography stemming directly psychological work colour perception sum lights reproduce colour colour photographs produced set colored filters course paper proposed black white photographs scene taken red green blue filters transparent prints images projected screen equipped similar filters superimposed screen result perceived human eye complete reproduction colours scene lecture colour theory presented world demonstration colour photography principle colour analysis synthesis inventor single lens camera took picture photographed ribbon times red green blue filters making fourth photograph yellow filter according account demonstration photographic plates red barely sensitive green results pioneering experiment far perfect remarked published account lecture red green images fully photographed blue truly coloured image finding photographic materials sensitive rays representation colours objects greatly improved researchers concluded seemingly impossible partial success red filtered exposure light strongly reflected red entirely blocked red filter range sensitivity wet process employed theory investigated theory gases originating theory advanced successive particularly extent general accuracy doubt received enormous development field appeared laws friction mathematician developed theory particles gas work later formula called distribution gives fraction gas molecules moving specified velocity given temperature theory temperatures heat involve molecular movement approach previously established laws explained existing observations experiments better way achieved previously work led thought experiment came known demon second law violated imaginary capable particles energy established relations statements equality second derivatives respect different constructed plaster way exploring phase transitions based american scientist graphical papers control theory published paper governors vol paper considered central paper early days control theory governors refers governor governor regulate steam engines legacy honoured ways compound derived unit measuring magnetic mountain range venus gap rings saturn largest astronomical world diameter metres housing schools mathematics physics building campus king college london chair physics society undergraduate named university university_of_cambridge dedicated industry interactions statue edinburgh named architecture series proposed sculpture called star pay tribute software electromagnetic analysis named publications treatise electricity vol oxford press treatise electricity vol oxford press elementary treatise electricity oxford press scientific papers dover publication scientific papers cambridge theory heat contributions appeared attraction eleventh edition action michael
James Clerk Maxwell