Newton Maxwell Einstein James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879) is now recognised as being one of three most important physicists of an era that spanned some 300 years, beginning with Isaac Newton and closing James with Clerk Albert Einstein. Maxwell (1831–1879) is now recognised as being Newton, renowned for one of the three law most of important gravity, physicists also of established an era that the laws of mechanics spanned and optics and the some crucial 300 years, beginning branch cs of mathemati called with Isaac calculus. Newton and Around closing 250 with Albert Einstein.years later, Einstein took science into a new Newton,age renowned with for the his law theories of gravity, also of established special and general the laws of mechanicsrelativity, and optics in and the the crucial process branch rewriting of mathematics Newton’s called calculus.long Around established 250 years principles later, Einstein of took how the world science into a new ageworked. with his Although theories of Maxwell special and was general born in an era relativity, in the processwhen rewriting -‐ no one Newton’s doubted long established the principles veracity of of how the worldNewton’s worked. Although laws, Maxwell his particular was born contribution in an to era when no-one the doubted course the veracity of of events Newton’s was laws, his his formulation, in particular contribution1865, to the of course the of events electromagnetic was his formulation, equations that in 1865, of the electromagneticnow bear equations his name. that now In bear Einstein’s his view, these name. In Einstein’sequations view, these were equations pivotal were pivotal to the to the development development of of his ownhis theory, own first theory, published first shed publi in 1905. in 1905. Maxwell’s statue in George Street, Edinburgh. He holds a colour wheel and his dog Toby lies below. Maxwell’s statue in George Street, Edinburgh. He holds a colour wheel and his dog Toby lies below. The plinth of the statue Einstein described Maxwell as the “most profound incorporates two friezes and the most fruitful individual that physics has which depict how his experienced since Newton” in recognition of which contribution to ce scien he had a photograph of Maxwell prominently relates to the work of placed in his Princeton study. Asked if he “stood Newton and Einstein on the shoulders of Newton”, Einstein replied “I School of Newton stood on the shoulders of Maxwell”. The School of Newton depicts a beam of white The second frieze conveys the relativistic ortion dist Einstein of in his -‐ space time Princeton by the great mass of the Sun, resulting in the gravitational bending of rays of light. light passing through two study with the permission light passing through two of Drew University and prisms and projecting the Shelby White and Einstein described Maxwell most as the " profound Leon Levy and Archives the most fruitful Center, individual onto the ground. The that physics has experienced since Newton" in Instituterecognition for of Advanced which he had a prism on the left splits the photograph of Maxwell was prominently Study, placed in his Princeton Princeton, NJ,. study A sked USA. if he prism on the left splits the “stood on the shoulders of incoming light into its Newton”, Einstein replied “I stood School of Einstein spectrum of constituent on the shoulders of Maxwell”. colours, whereas no new colours are produced , by the second prism as indicated Maxwell is further com- The plinth of the statue incorporates two friezes by the pointing . hand memorated by the great which depict how his contribution to science relates Nobel Prize winning to the work of Newton and Einstein. physicist Einstein in his Princeton Richard study with the permission Feynman of Drew University and the Shelby White and Leon Levy Archives Center, Institute for Advanced Study, The School of Newton depicts a beam of white light Princeton, who NJ, USA. said of him “there
can be little doubt that passing through two prisms and projecting onto the Maxwell is further commemorated by the ground. The prism on the left splits the incoming light great the Nobel most significantPrize winning event physicist Richard into its spectrum of constituent colours, whereas no Feynman of the who 19th said of century him “there can will be little doubt that the most significant event of the new colours are produced by the second prism, as 19beth judged century as will Maxwell’s be judged as Maxwell's indicated by the pointing hand. discovery discovery of the of the laws laws of electrodynamicsof” electrodynamicsFrom the cartoon by Ohta Koichi ”Einstein’s representing tribute to Maxwell The second frieze conveys the relativistic distortion From the cartoon by Ohta
Koichi representing(c) James Clerk Maxwell Einstein’s Foundation 2015 of space-time by the great mass of the Sun, resulting tribute to Maxwell in the gravitational bending of rays of light. This panel is sponsored by the School of Physics and Astronomy . at The University of Edinburgh
This panel is sponsored by James Clerk Maxwell The School of Physics and Astronomy at The University of Edinburgh. Foundation
James Clerk Maxwell Foundation 2015