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Michael Faraday: Scientist and Nonconformist (1996)

39 points by o4c

by helsinkiandrew

1 subcomments

"Faraday Life and Letters" is a good read (long out of copyright) and includes a description of his scientific tour of Europe with Sir Humphry Davy during the Napoleonic wars.
Google Books: https://books.googleusercontent.com/books/content?req=AKW5Qa...

by ivansavz

0 subcomment

The link wasn't working for me; here is the archive.org version:
https://web.archive.org/web/20260314130229/http://silas.psfc...

by graemep

0 subcomment

There are a number of links to the author's related writings: http://silas.psfc.mit.edu/monopolizingknowledge.net/links.ht...
The one on Maxwell is particularly interesting, as his religion lead to strong political positions as he was influenced by a Christian Socialist:
"Maxwell did not adopt Maurice's theological positions as a whole, but he did become convinced of one of Maurice's key tenets, that the dehumanization of the working class in an industrializing society was to be prevented by a cooperative approach in which workers were given greater influence though education. Maurice and his friends set up Working Men's Colleges, and Maxwell, seeing this as a vital Christian service, taught Working Men's classes weekly till at least 1866. "
http://silas.psfc.mit.edu/Maxwell/

by pmdulaney

0 subcomment

"Nothing is too wonderful to be true"
-- Michael Faraday (incribed over the entrance to the UCLA physics building)

by fellowniusmonk

1 subcomments

I do like to see the historic use of non-conformist.
Non-conformists and free thinkers/ non-theists teaming up has produced some great outcomes. Think of the popular non-conformist support for Jefferson & Madison in VA in 1786.
The idea of baptists handing out copies of common sense has always had a certain beauty to it.

by rramadass

0 subcomment

Faraday was the quintessential "non-formal" Scientist. He was proof that you don't have to always formalize everything mathematically (in a domain) before understanding and contributing to it. While formalization is important it is not the be-all and end-all that it is often made out to be.
Here is a great communication from Faraday to Maxwell on receiving one of Maxwell's paper;
Maxwell sent this paper to Faraday, who replied: "I was at first almost frightened when I saw so much mathematical force made to bear upon the subject, and then wondered to see that the subject stood it so well." [Faraday to Maxwell, March 25, 1857. Campbell, Life, p. 200].
In a later letter, Faraday elaborated:
"I hang on to your words because they are to me weighty.... There is one thing I would be glad to ask you. When a mathematician engaged in investigating physical actions and results has arrived at his conclusions, may they not be expressed in common language as fully, clearly, and definitely as in mathematical formulae? If so, would it not be a great boon to such as I to express them so? translating them out of their hieroglyphics ... I have always found that you could convey to me a perfectly clear idea of your conclusions ... neither above nor below the truth, and so clear in character that I can think and work from them". [Faraday to Maxwell, November 13, 1857. Life, p. 206]
PS: You can read Faraday's (and other 19th century scientists) letters at the Epsilon website - https://epsilon.ac.uk/