By Sinclair McLaren

James Clerk Maxwell was born in Edinburgh in 1831, and was one of the premier engineers of his day, educated at Edinburgh Academy, Edinburgh University and then onto Cambridge University and at the age of 25 was appointed a professor at Aberdeen University and at 15 years younger than his peers became the head of his department.

In the day it was the mechanical engineers who were getting all the accolades, for their bridge building and machine inventing exploits. They were the engineers who made news, the superstars of their day. Telford, Brunel and Stehenson ruled the world.

Engineers such as Maxwell never made big news, but his contribution was hugely understated and is still undervalued today.

The accomplishments of James Clerk Maxwell never made him a famous name in his day and it is time we give him the credit he is due.

Engineers such as James Watt (1736-1819), Thomas Telford (1757-1834) and John Loudon McAdam (1756-1836) put Scotland on the map for engineering excellence, and a century later Scottish engineers such as Alexander Graham Bell and John Logie Baird kept the reputation of great Scottish engineers alive.

Many do not know that it was the work done by James Clerk Maxwell between these two periods that gave both Bell and Baird their moments of greatness.

It was the work Maxwell produced on electromagnetism that allowed radio waves, gave us microphones and speakers, microwaves and X-rays.

Because of the work of Maxwell: - Planes do not crash into one another because of radar. It was the radar systems that helped the allies win the Battle of Britain in the second world war.

We can talk to each other all over the world with telephones; we can talk on mobile telephones from anywhere.

We can watch hundreds of TV channels, go onto the internet.

X-rays can see our skeletons for broken bones and, and CAT scans see our organs.

We can get a suntan without even going into the sun, while we listen to CD's and music on MP3 players.

Satellite navigation systems help ships traverse the seas, brings electronic goods from across the world.

Computers have changed our lives. We can't live without them now.

All our modern day life is a result of his work.

If not for the work of a certain James Clerk Maxwell what would the world be today?

We should pay him the respect he is due, for James Clerk Maxwell IS the farther of modern living.

S. McLaren
http://itcheninthekitchen.blogspot.com/

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