BY BAIL MAHON
4.0 out of 5 stars
A book that gives justice to Maxwell the man and his discoveries which changed everything
The author was right that, among the populace, few would appreciate what the title “The Man who Changed Everything” meant. The author spelled out this succinctly in the first paragraph of the last chapter, which began with the sentence “The influence of James Clerk Maxwell runs all through our daily lives…..” For any adult who has no clue what this sentence implies, he or she has to know that there is something sorely lacking in his/her education.
Even for folks familiar with Maxwell’s contribution to electromagnetic theory, the author was of the opinion that few knew of Maxwell’s monumental contributions in other areas of science in general and physics in particular, as well as his family life and career. As someone who made a living on Maxwell’s equations and to a minor extent on the Maxwell/Boltzmann velocity distribution in gas molecules, I heartily agree. I am glad that I read this book which fills the gaps in my knowledge in these areas.
The book makes me aware that Maxwell made substantial contributions in many areas of physics and engineering, among them the theory of color and the rules of mixing them; the kinetic theory of gases; negative feedback concept in control systems; proof that the rings of Saturn were made of numerous small particles, for which he won the Adams prize; introducing statistics in the analysis of physics problems; invention of thought experiment through Maxwell’s demon. He emphasized the importance of real experiments. It was not well- known that Maxwell was both a theoretician with remarkable mathematical abilities and a tireless experimenter with excellent practical skills, who had a lab in one of the floors of his house.
Maxwell published his first paper on mathematics when he was 14. He was too young to read it before the Royal Society of London himself so it had to be read by his mentor James Forbes. He was a Chair Professor at the University of Aberdeen at the age of 25.
The author made a serious attempt to describe Maxwell’s color triangle and his color matching equation, and to trace Maxwell’s thought process which led to the displacement current and electromagnetic waves. These parts are tough-going.
The book told an interesting story about the history of the Cavendish Laboratory. William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire, donated funds for the construction of the laboratory and Maxwell was asked to oversee its establishment and served as the first head. The Duke was the relative of Henry Cavendish, who was a recluse chemist and physicist. He did a lot of fascinating experiments on electricity but he did not publish his manuscripts. At the request of William Cavendish, Maxwell undertook to edit Henry Cavendish’s work, and published it by Cambridge University Press in 1879.
Cavendish Laboratory opened in 1874. As of 2019, 30 Cavendish researchers have won 30 Nobel Prizes. Notable discoveries to have occurred at the Cavendish Laboratory include the discovery of the electron, neutron, and structure of DNA.
It was a mystery that Maxwell was much honored in other countries than in his home country. An episode illustrated this point. In 1960, the Royal Society of London held its tricentenary celebration. The Queen attended. In her speech she praised a number of famous former Fellows-presumably listed for her by the Society. Inexplicably Maxwell was not among them. He has been more widely commemorated elsewhere, even in countries without a strong scientific tradition such as Mexico and Nicaragua, which are among those who have issue special postage stamps in his honor.
The book gives a detailed account of Maxwell’s family life. Maxwell’s curiosity about the natural world was evident when he was a child. When he encountered something he did not understand, he asked his parents questions. If he was not satisfied with their answers, he would ask follow-up questions. He married Katherine Mary Dewar, who was seven years older than he. They had no children.
Maxwell died of abdominal cancer at the age of 48, the same disease that killed his mother. Katherine died seven years later. Among the words his physician Dr. Paget used to describe Maxwell at his death was “…No man ever met death more consciously or more calmly.”
His friends remembered him as a man of extraordinary personal charm and generous spirit: inspiring, entertaining and entirely without vanity. The inscription in the plaque in front of the Parton Churchyard in his hometown Glenlair stated “A good man, full of humour and wisdom…”
This reviewer would like to add “He liked to compose poems to humor himself as well his colleagues and friends. You will enjoy these poems which are scattered throughout the book”
Finally, a wise quote by Maxwell: “It’s no use thinking of the chap you might have been”.
Audio Version on YouTube:
A young Maxwell at Trinity College, Cambridge (Source: Wikipedia)
IEEE Milestone Plaque Commemoration of Maxwell's equations (Source: Wikipedia)
Electrical Researches by Henry Cavendish Edited and Published by Maxwell (Source: Wikipedia)
Memorial stone stands on a green in front of the church at Parton. (Source: Wikipedia)
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