Sir David Brewster (1781 1868) was a distinguished scientist and inventor who frequently turned the results of his research to practical ends; his work on the diffraction of light, for example, led to his developing improved reflectors for lighthouses and inventing two popular Victorian toys, the stereoscope and the kaleidoscope. He was also active as the editor of the Edinburgh Magazine and the Edinburgh Encyclopaedia (1808 1830) and contributed to the seventh and eighth editions of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, as well as writing many articles for a variety of philosophical and scientific...
Sir David Brewster (1781 1868) was a distinguished scientist and inventor who frequently turned the results of his research to practical ends; his wor...
After a brief career at sea, during which he tested Harrison's chronometer for the Board of Longitude, John Robison (1739 1805) became lecturer in chemistry at the University of Glasgow. In 1774, having spent a period teaching mathematics in Russia, he returned to Scotland as professor of natural philosophy at Edinburgh. Despite his busy schedule, he contributed major articles on the sciences to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, giving an overview of contemporary scientific knowledge for the educated layperson. After his death, these and other pieces of his scientific writing were edited by his...
After a brief career at sea, during which he tested Harrison's chronometer for the Board of Longitude, John Robison (1739 1805) became lecturer in che...
