DOI: https://doi.org/10.36094/sc.v87.2021.Michael_Faraday_a_Universally.Talapatra.80 ARTICLE MICHAEL FARADAY – A UNIVERSALLY ADMIRED SCIENTIFIC GENIUS# (22 September 1791 – 25 August 1867) SUNIL KUMAR TALAPATRA*† AND BANI TALAPATRA*‡ ÚÚÓƒ_´ ˆ£yÑ˛ ˆì˛yõyõyˆÏG˛ x¢#ˆÏõÓ˚ !â˛Ó˚!Ófl˛øÎ˚ÛÛ Ó˚Ó#wòyÌ ‡˛yÑ%˛Ó˚ Rabindranath Tagore (1861 – 1941, NL 1913) May the revelation of infinite eternal wonder be celebrated through you. (translated by the authors) Michael Faraday (b. 22.09.1791 d. 25.08.1867) is a universally admired true experimental scientific genius, who loved to achieve dreams with indomitable spirit and absolute intellectual honesty. He was mostly a solitary worker who liked to work in isolation, and to nourish his natural bent for science, a worshipper of perfection, a man with exceptional simplicity and noble character, and one of the original thinkers of all time with an unbelievable brain capacity and an extraordinary dedication to science. He was very particular about time keeping – an essential quality for success. Even more than a century and half after his death Faraday remains a scientist of our time, as his rewarding contributions are directly related to the benefits of man and to our civilization. The present article offers briefly the life and work of this great master. In fact, he is greater than any idea one may form about him after reading his life and work. His life is fresh and inspiring forever and surprises everyone who knows him through his work. Professor Sir John Meurïg Thomas of the Royal Institution paid a genuinely befitting tribute to Faraday by commenting that, had the Nobel Prize been instituted during Faraday’s time (in early 19th century) Faraday would have won the same at least 6 times for his pioneering incredible discoveries and monumental work leaving an indelible mark in the scientific history. Introduction discovered by Sir Humphry Davy (1778-1829) and Faraday, fter visiting Faraday’s basement laboratory in 1853 Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz (1821-1894) 2 in the Faraday Museum of Royal Institution which wrote to his wife Olga the following lines : Acontains the iconic1 objects used and/or “… a few wires and some old bits of wood and iron seem to serve him for the greatest discoveries.” # This article is an inspirational gift to our grandchildren Ayush and Agneev. When Faraday’s mentor Sir Humphry Davy was asked * Former Professor and Head, Department of Chemistry, about his great discoveries, Davy gave a long list and at University of Calcutta. Res.: 201, Manicktala Main Road, the end he said, “However, my greatest discovery is Suite No.5, Kankurgachi, Kolkata 700054. email: [email protected] Michael Faraday.” Perhaps Davy who died of heart attack † President, Professor Asima Chatterjee Foundation Kolkata in 1829 spoke more truly than he knew. (PACFK). Advisor, Indian Chemical Society, Kolkata. Vice- President, Indian Science News Association, Kolkata. Michael was a miracle boy, an autodidact and one of ‡ Council Member, PACFK the brightest lights in the world of science. In the mind of 80 SCIENCE AND CULTURE, MARCH-APRIL, 2021 this boy intellectual gold was buried which demanded an to lead science as a guiding light. He bequeathed to outlet, and he was naturally learned. Modern ways of posterity a life of very rare comprehension, and the communication which include telegraph, radio, the facsimile practical consequences of his discoveries went straight to machine etc. owe their origin to Faraday’s concept of a human benefit and civilization. His life is an expression of field and his way of establishing the relationship between his powerful intellect, great personal integrity, courage, and light, electricity and magnetism. The latter seminal invention deep religious bent of mind. made Michael immortal. Family Background and Early Life4 He was an extraordinary man of great vision and competence. His creative spark, dedication to the principle Michael’s forefathers came from a very ordinary of self-help, and fertilization of his imagination turned the background and were poor. He grew up under grinding search light deep down into the fundamentals of science. poverty and uncertain condition, which taught him to find He was a torch-bearer to the grand illumination of science. out his own direction, to cope up with adversity and to figure out the essential lessons of life. Michael remembered When Jean Baptiste André Dumas (French Chemist, that he stayed for a whole week eating only a loaf of 1800-1884) delivered first Faraday Memorial Lecture on June bread. He was never ashamed of his poor upbringing. 17, 1869 in London Chemical Society, he said, “we admired When he was at the peak of his excellence and in full tide Davy but we loved Faraday.” and the fountain head of of fame, he used to visit the places and streets where he that love was the profound simplicity of the man that played marbles with his friends while babysitting his created a niche in the hearts of the people who knew him younger sister Margaret. All the sequences were tattooed and his highly esteemed work that are related to human in his memory. His modest way of living stayed with him benefit and illuminated science. Even Albert Einstein (1879- 1955, NL 1921 in Physics) was deeply influenced by throughout his life. Faraday. He said that there are two extraordinary pairs in From the birth register of a village called Clapham, the world of science whose works are not related to each near northwest of Yorkshire, it was known that a tile mason other, but their contributions in science are outstandingly called Richard Faraday used to live in that village. He had important in equal measures. Galileo Galilei3 (1564-1642/ ten children and according to the local register they were 1643 Italy) and Isaac Newton (1642-1727) form one such born between 1708 and 1730. Robert Faraday, the pair while in the other pair we have Max Karl Ernst Ludwig grandfather of Michael Faraday was born in 1724. He was Planck (1858-1947) and Michael Faraday. Einstein used to keep a portrait of Faraday in his study2. He believed that Faraday caused the greatest change in the theoretical concept of physics since Newton. There seems to be certain reasons as to why the life history of some great sons of the world should find a place in the study material of high school children. The great lives certainly serve as the source of inspiration during children’s formative years. Further, when humane value seems to be collapsing, it is reassuring to read about the life and work of great men, and retrace the history; their memories sustain us in grey climate and remain imprinted in the minds. Michael Faraday is a glorious example of such a man. In Faraday human soul and higher intelligence roll together. His life-tale inspires generations of readers as one comes to know how an errand little poor boy without proper schooling could become one of the greatest scientists of all time and a house-hold name. From an insignificant background he rose to universal acclaim as his remarkable talent drove him steadily along a road of unparalleled success. Perhaps he was programmed at birth Fig.1: Faraday and his wife Sarah VOL. 87, NOS. 3–4 81 a blacksmith by profession. His relationship with Richard The following flow-sheet delineates Michael Faraday’s Faraday was little uncertain. According to some, Robert family tree.5 could be the son or nephew of Richard. Richard Faraday Robert got married to Elizabeth Dean who brought him some properties in connection with the marriage. She A stoneman and a tiler, village bore ten children and they faced financial crisis. Claphum-northwest of Yorkshire Consequently, they could not properly educate their ↓ children who were involved in physical labour. 10 children (b. between 1708 and 1730) Michael’s father James Faraday was born in 1761. Robert Faraday (b. 1724) Like his father, James was also a blacksmith. In 1786 he got married to a farmer’s daughter, Margaret Hastwell, a Married to Elizabeth Dean dweller of the village Mallestang. They had four children ↓ and Michael was the third one (vide infra family tree5). The name Michael was not common in his father’s side, 10 children [James Faraday (1761–1810 + 9 children)] while in his mother’s (Irish lineage) side the name Michael Married to Margaret Hastwell in 1786 (village Mallerstang) was quite common. During courtship James used to walk ↓ a long distance to meet Margaret. Perhaps Michael inherited his father’s pedestrian ability. They were a loving 4 children well-knit family. His mother stood as an emotional anchor | to Michael, which gave him strength and confidence in ↓↓ ↓ ↓ his later life. She died in 1838. Elizabeth Robert Michael Margaret In 1821 Faraday met Sarah Barnard in Sandemanian (b. 1787) (b. 1788) (b. 22 Sept., 1791) (b. 1802) Church, and he had a long happy married life with her. The contract was for seven years. In addition, he used to They lived in a simple manner comfortably but not do the job of a hawker for newspapers and magazines in luxuriously. Unlike Mrs Davy, Sarah always remained the streets and trains. A young boy with a tuft of curly modestly in the background of her husband. Michael’s hair was seen to deliver newspapers to some people who love for Sarah was unalloyed and deathless. They were could not afford to buy and got on loan for reading with issueless but were very fond of children, specially his smaller price. Michael used to collect the newspapers back nephews and nieces. He secretly donated his surplus fund from them when their reading was over.