James Clerk Maxwell

On June 13, 1831 a boy walked on to the planet earth in Edinburg, Scotland. At the age of 14 he published his first scientific paper. Aged 16 entered university for his degree; and was deeply dedicated and continued publishing serious scientific papers, which were creating huge value to his own university study. His monumental and aesthetical class of scientific essence was palpably apparent in his scientific papers.

By the age 24, he started sharing prizes for theoretical physics and mathematics. By now the world was somewhat getting a conspicuous glimpse of a divine science angel — beginning to unruffle the mines of scientific exploration.

The boy was James Clerk Maxwell.

Most people have the head of Newton and Einstein, but Maxwell was genius of his own credentials.

Every tree leaves its seed to the ground, nature nurture the seed to be developed into another banyan tree.

It is just not coincidence; Newton was born the year Galileo died, Maxwell was born the year Faraday discovered electromagnetic induction and he died in 1879 the year Einstein born.

The Man Full Of Vigour

From Newton to Einstein, no man other than Maxwell left a profound deeper stamp. He opened the door to modern physics. His life deserved to be remembered. To most people James Clerk Maxwell was one of the greatest human being to be loved for. He was full of life.

Elegant mathematical beauty with which Maxwell was surrounded with. He used to have inquisitive quality to predict scientific predictions. He used to predict deep forces of nature.

Nature’s Protagonist

As a boy Maxwell was deeply connected to nature and environment. He was deeply passionate about swimming. Maxwell a genius who scripted a poetic realm in the form of his crowning glory and gifted equations to universe.

A Prophet In His Own Country

Maxwell loved his family, nature and country site. Unconditional loving consciousness resonates in the entire universe in the form of his enduring scientific gifts to the entire humanity. His love for traditional Scottish tunes was one of his amazing traits which he possessed. In photography he had the passion of three colors — a harmonic chord resemblance.

Maxwell had the ability to inspire others in their creative and scientific endeavours. Despite the fact he wasn’t so popular among masses.

A deeply committed Christian. At the age of 14 he had memorized Bible completely.

Greatest Happening in 19th Century

Maxwell was colossus of science. He had long lines of discoveries.

In 1830 along came Faraday, he was increasingly drawn by electricity and magnetism. Faraday speculative that light is a type of vibrations in the lines of force. In other words Faraday’s imagination electric charges were linked together by lines of force in empty space.

It placed intriguing scientific questions. Would the vibrating charge set the lines of force into vibrations. Faraday imagined as if they were mechanical oscillators. So, he might have seen the wave either as longitudinal or transverse waves.

No matter how they take shape in his mind the significance of these vibrations was in the fact Faraday have seen them. Somewhere in the thoughts of Faraday’s vibrations, Maxwell discovered his elegant and polished mathematical equations to electrodynamics.

Within the forces of electricity and magnetism, he found very significant speed. Every wave has definite speed.

– In water speed of waves depends on gravity and wave length.
– In air speed of sound waves depends on air pressure and density of the medium.
– In case of spring oscillators speed depends on spring constant.

Maxwell determined the speed of waves in Faraday’s lines of force.

From mathematical perspective Faraday’s lines were the expression of the one that are 1/r^2 nature with the forces of gravity, electricity and magnetism.

Epsilon naught Permittivity of free space as electric constant.

Mu naught permeability of free space as magnetic constant.

With two static quantities Maxwell was able to demonstrate that these constants dictate the speed of light in vacuum.

His biggest achievements perhaps was the knowledge which he passed to next bunch of generations was magnetism and electricity working in tandem.

He brought fresh insight to all his equations which were already there, but he zealed and breathed fresh air to all his equations by simply connecting to a whole single theory of electrodynamics. His equations provide deep inspirations and tranquillity.

His theory on electromagnetism was one of the intellectual achievements of 19th century. A first unified theory speed of light. The challenge is always to have one set of equations, one unified theory or description, Maxwell set the standard which establishes the understanding of light.

In 1676 Roomer demonstrated that light has a finite speed. But he was on low side. Roomer’s determination of the speed of light. Maxwell postulated that light is electromagnetic wave.

– Kinetic Theory of Gasses. His contribution in our understanding of thermodynamics was outstanding. He developed first colour photography between his academics. His wife helped him in few of his endeavours.

– He carried out several experiments on color. He did had an orchestra of color theory. He investigated the science of mixing the color of lights. When we mix the paints like green, blue, red we come out with a medley design of colors. Same Maxwell did with different color of lights. He was keenly interested in finding mathematical rules as if what color he would find by mixing green, red and blue light.

– Around 1857 he gave us detail understanding of Jupiter Saturn Ring.

An Enduring Poet

Just think of him and and you’ll find connected to one of the most scientific woven soul ever walked on to earth in the last 200 years. Most of us might not be aware of Maxwell’s enigmatic profile of a poet. Maxwell was fond of writing poems.

A poem from his collection “ A Problem in Dynamics”
An inextensible heavy chain, lies on a smooth horizontal plane,
An impulsive force is applied to A, required the initial motion of K.

A true Renaissance, a true genius.

A scientist, a poet, a musician, a culturist, an inquisitive child of god. He laid down his entire life in asking “ What’s the goal in that”.

In Maxwell's own angelic words “we can scarcely avoid the inference that light consists in the transverse undulations of the same medium which is the cause of electric and magnetic phenomenon”.

Maxwell was instrumental in helping physics to change the altar from classical view to modern quantum probablistic view.

A view Einstein was never happy with.

When Einstein was asked he stood on the shoulders of Newton, he agreed; no i stood on the shoulders of Maxwell equations.

Einstein considered James Clerk Maxwell his master in science.

Maxwell is physicist's physicist  — Stephen Hawking

O look ! how queer! how thin and clear,
and thinner, clearer, sharper, growing
The gliding fire! with central wire,
The fine degrees distinctly showing.
Swing, magnet, swing, advancing and receding,
Swing magnet! Answer dearest, What’s your final reading ?

- James Clerk Maxwell Poems

I salute you and salute the very divine within you.