James Clerk Maxwell

The Scottish Genius Who Illuminated Science!

Even as a very young child, Maxwell never stopped asking questions:

“Mother, how does this work? How does that light turn on? Show me, show me!”

His mother answered his questions patiently, and his father greatly encouraged little James’s curiosity. By the age of 14, he had built a device using strings to draw curves and written his first scientific paper! He was so young that he did not even have the age to present his own work.

Scientific Adventure

Maxwell studied mathematics and physics at university. By the age of 25 he had become a professor! But what made him truly famous was writing the famous equations that unified electricity, magnetism and light.

Einstein himself was so awestruck that he said:

“One era in science ended, and a new era began.”

Without these equations, there would be no television, no mobile phones, and no Wi-Fi today. So next time you watch a video online, remember to thank Maxwell a little!

Colorful Ideas

Maxwell did not only love electricity—he also loved color. In 1861 he took the world’s first color photograph. And remarkably, the subject of that photograph was a ribbon! Ever since then, our photographs have had color.

A Hero Who Left a Mark on Science

Maxwell’s equations are like the magical key to the world of science. Thanks to them, radio waves were discovered, the mystery of light was solved, and even our view of the cosmos changed.

Even today, physics students sweat a little as they learn his “Maxwell Equations,” but in the end they all say the same thing: “Wow!”