James Maxwell Biography

Accredited to be one of the greatest scientists ever, Scottish physicist James Maxwell was the man who propounded the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation. His discoveries are said to be of the same magnitude in their significance to physics as those of the great scientists Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. He had demonstrated way back in the late 19th century that electric and magnetic fields travel through space as waves. He played a key role in the development of the phenomena which became known as the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. He was one of the earliest of the modern physicists whose research formed the basis for further studies in the fields of special relativity and quantum mechanics. Maxwell had displayed an innate curiosity about the things around him from a young age. His mother encouraged her son’s thirst for knowledge but unfortunately died when he was just eight years old. The little boy grew up to be a bright and intelligent young man whose works would one day greatly influence 20th century physics. Regarded as one of the brightest minds of his time, he also made significant contributions to mathematics, astronomy and engineering. The life of this brilliant scientist was tragically cut short by cancer which claimed him when he was just 48.