Between the death of Isaac Newton and the birth of Albert Einstein, the most important physicist was the Scot, James Clerk Maxwell.
Maxwell’s Equations are what united light and electricity; they proved that both were forms of electromagnetism.
It was a big deal at the time. Still is.
One of the interesting things about Mawxell was that he liked plain speaking. He liked normal people to be able to understand what he was talking about.
He was also very social. So instead of being one of the esoteric, mumbling boffins locked up in an ivory tower, he would be down the pub, asking people to “Imagine that this beer mat is a photon, while this glass of beer is an atom” etc etc.
It’s why I like watching Elon Musk interviews on YouTube. He makes the very complicated world his brain inhabits seem very down to earth and accessible, a-la James Clerk Maxwell.
Which, after having spent many years going to meetings, listening to people trying to sound clever, such directness would be a refreshing welcome to anyone’s tired, world-weary ears…
Sure, jargon can be useful. But then again, so can any crutch. Kudos to folks like Musk who continue to teach this valuable lesson.
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