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The Revolutionary Road of the Giant Michael Faraday
"If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants" was what Newton wrote in a letter to Robert Hook trying to explain his great discoveries based on the Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler work [1]. This is how a genius recognize the invaluable progress of his predecessors. In the same way there was a portrait of a giant hanging on the wall in the office of the most recognized scientist Albert Einstein. This giant was Michel Faraday, a genius due to his discoveries in electromagnetism and efforts in scientific disclosure.
Portrait of Michael Faraday, 1826. Credits Wikipedia.
According to BBC achievements [2], Michael Faraday was born in the core of a poor family. When he was a child he had pronunciation problems, as his professor thought he had learning troubles, Faraday was treated with no patient; his mother took him out of elementary school finishing his formal education. At the age of 14, Faraday started a job as bookbinder assistance, however, he continued studying science books by himself every night. When he was 20 years old, he assisted to a Humphry Davy's lectures and took detailed notes of his presentation. Faraday would later send his notes to Davy causing him a great impression, this made Faraday worthy of a position to work with Davy as his assistance. It was here, at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, where Faraday's reputation as the best experimental research began. After going on through many difficulties and after Davy's death, Faraday made the experiments in which electromagnetic induction was discovered [3]. He found that when a magnet is passing through a wire loop an electric current would flow through the wire. This important experiment demonstrated the relation between electricity and magnetism, and also was the base for electric motor. His genius and also his endless curiosity took him to discover that Coulomb's law had a visible part. While he was trying to understand the force between charges he observed the magnetic force lines formed around a magnet drawn by magnesium filing. Faraday had been created the concept of field lines. As can be seen, even when Faraday had not formal superior education he was persistent enough to reach his dream and became one of the best scientist in history.
Davy Humphry and Micheal Faraday. Credits lookandlearn.
Experiments of induction. Credits Wikipedia.
Michael Faraday's diagram of magnetic lines of force, from his “Experimental Researches in Electricity”, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Vol. 142, 1 January 1852, pp. 25–56. Credits bweslake.
By the time Faraday reach popularity between the scientific world he was also worried about people like him who had not formal education. He made many efforts to share the knowledge and passion he felt to others to follow the same steps as him in science. Faraday gave start to the Friday Evenings discourses at the Royal Institution [4]. This conferences were performed between the scientific community and family and friends with no regular interactions with science. The idea was to provide eloquent and colloquial explanations of the frontier problems in science and its applications, all in a relaxing and comfortable environment. It is said that Faraday was an excellent speaker with domain and overflowing passion. He also was part of the Christmas lectures of scientific disclosure for all public but special for children and young people [5]; with this lectures Faraday tried to share the surprising facts that give answer to the reality that surrounds us. As a real genius should be, Faraday showed his deep understanding of the importance in sharing to all the people what science is and what science is doing for humanity.
Michael Faraday delivering a Christmas Lecture at the Royal Institution in 1856. Credits Wikipedia.
In conclusion, the giant Michael Faraday was an exceptional genius capable to follow his passion in experimentation science even when he had not received formal education; which took him to found the relationship between electricity and magnetism with the discover of electromagnetic induction as well as create the concept of magnetic field force lines between many other discoveries. Even more, he understood the importance of sharing science with public and overall with children and young people.
Michael Faraday statue in Savoy Place, London. Sculptor John Henry. Credits Wikipedia.
References
[1] Isaac Newton quotations. https://es.wikiquote.org/wiki/Isaac\_Newton\#cite\_ref-3
[2] BBC Michel Faraday biography achievements. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic\_figures/faraday\_michael.shtml
[3] The Genius of Michael Faraday by Sit John Meurig Thomas. Engineering & Science (Summer 1992). http://calteches.library.caltech.edu/619/2/Thomas.pdf
[4] The Genius of Michael Faraday by Sit John Meurig Thomas. Engineering \& Science (Summer 1992). http://calteches.library.caltech.edu/619/2/Thomas.pdf
[5] Williams, L. Pierce. "Michael Faraday: una biografía". The Da Capo series in science. New York: Basic Books, 1965. http://wwwprof.uniandes.edu.co/bgomez/faraday.html