While 19th-century London was a place
where dreams often met dead ends, one boy's curiosity would light up the world. We take electricity for granted today, but have you ever wondered who
made these discoveries possible? Michael Faraday came from the
slums and revolutionized physics. Born in 1791, Faraday grew up
in a poor neighborhood south of the River Thames, the son of an
apprentice to the village blacksmith. Life was incredibly harshlargely
due to the Industrial Revolution, which brought a massive influx
of people into the city, leading to severe overcrowding and abysmal sanitary
conditions. (referring to poop on the street) Faraday recalled being given one loaf of
bread that had to last him for a week, hardly enough to sustain him. But he received plenty of spi ritual sustenance
from his family’s small Christian sect. Faraday learned to read and write at Sunday
school - he barely had a primary school education. What he lacked in money and education, he
made up for with an insatiable curiosity. He started working as a bookbinder at the age of
13, binding books hour after hour, day after day. The only perk was his ability to read
every book he could get his hands on. The more he read, the more he
understood what he lacked in education. He tried his best to speak well and made sure
his friends corrected him when he didn’t. One of his favorite books emphasized
the importance of critical thinking and the crucial role of observation
in understanding the world around him. The book deeply impacted Faraday,
teaching him to rely on careful observation during his groundbreaking experiments. Growing up, he had heard about the discovery in
Italy by Alessandro Volta of the voltaic cell, or battery, which, for the first time ever,
provided a continuous flow of electricity. Before that, devices like
tin foil-lined glass jars stored electricity but released
their charge in a single burst. The idea of a continuous stream of
electricity ignited a fire within Faraday. How could he choose any career
other than one in science? Faraday managed to snag a ticket to
attend a lecture by Sir Humphry Davy at the Royal Institution, where eminent
scientists presented their research. A customer at the bookshop
where he worked, William Dance, had been impressed with Faraday’s passion
for science and offered him a free ticket. Faraday was mesmerized by the lecture,
neatly recording every word in his notes. He hoped to get a job at the esteemed
scientific academy, the Royal Society. Only to later find out that when he wrote
to its president, Sir Joseph Banks, Banks, or perhaps his secretary, had written on
the letter he sent: “No answer required.” Faraday wondered if he was destined to
bind books for the rest of his life. But then…he got a break. The bookshop customer who had given Faraday the
ticket to see Humphrey Davy suggested Davy hire Faraday when Davy was temporarily blinded
by an explosion in his lab and needed help. This was just a temporary position. The only permanent opening Davy had at the Royal
Institution was for a bottle washer..he had to fire the one he had for fighting….it was the
lowest of low positions at the Institution. But it was a foot in the door. And Faraday accepted. Davy recognized his talents, and
soon, he became a lab assistant, helping with experiments like
extracting sugar from beetroot. Working for Davy afforded him a unique
opportunity to travel across Europe, mingle with leading scientists,
and open his eyes to the world. Quite the journey for the son of a blacksmith
who had never ventured outside of London. He built a reputation as a proficient
chemist, then the frontier of science. He analyzed the gases emitted by aging eggs. Tested methods of drying various
meats and fish as food for sailors. And isolated the organic
chemical compound benzene. Then came bombshell news that turned his
attention to another domain in science. Hans Christian Oersted in Denmark
had put a magnetic compass near his battery and was surprised to
see that the compass needle moved. His discovery revealed that an electric
current could generate a magnetic field. At that time, few scientists thought there was
any connection between electricity and magnetism. The French physicist André-Marie
Ampère then described the intricate link between electricity and magnetism through
a detailed tapestry of mathematical formulas. These math models were completely foreign
to Faraday because of his limited education. It was akin to reading Chinese. Yet, his lack of education may
have been a blessing in disguise. Since Faraday couldn't lean
on formulas and equations, he leaned into his intuition
and powers of observation. He had to do his own experiments to
understand a topic which pushed him to design experiments that
others hadn't dreamed of. One of his early experiments showed how
electricity and magnetism could produce motion. He stuck a magnet at the
bottom of a glass container. Then filled the glass with a conductive liquid, mercury in his case, water
with table salt in our case. He dangled a wire over the cup. When he passed an electric current through
the wire, the wire rotated around the magnet. This rotational motion was due to the
interaction between the magnetic field produced by the electric current in the
wire and the magnetic field of the magnet. Faraday had built the
world’s first electric motor. Fast forward to today, and the legacy of this principle can be seen every time a
Tesla glides past you on the road. EVs are descendants of Faraday's foundational
work of turning electrical energy into motion. His friend and brother-in-law George
helped with the experiment and recalled: “I shall never forget the enthusiasm expressed
in his face and the sparkling in his eyes.” Faraday, on the other hand, wrote in his journal, simply, “Very satisfactory, but
make a more sensible apparatus.” He published his work in a scientific
journal, catapulting him to fame. Much to the apparent jealousy of Sir Humphry Davy, who was now being overshadowed
by his former bottle cleaner. Faraday became a fellow of the Royal Society. His Friday evening lectures at the
Royal Institution became hugely popular. He also began to give Christmas lectures for kids
at a time when education for children was rare. The tradition continues today. Faraday emerged as England’s
leading lecturer on science. He was offered numerous opportunities in
consulting that would have made him very wealthy. But, he chose the pursuit of
science over financial gain. While his professional life took off,
his personal life blossomed, too. He fell in love with George’s
sister, 19-year-old Sarah. They were devoted to one
another their whole lives. Which was an about-face for someone who
was once pessimistic about love, writing: What is the pest and plague of human life?
And what is the curse that often brings a wife? ‘tis love. They had no children of their
own yet lived rich lives. Sarah supported him in any way she
could, ensuring he ate nourishing food and making sure he had time to relax
after hard work in his laboratory. Ten years had passed since his
famous electric motor experiment. Though he made other discoveries in
between, something was nagging at him. If an electric current could produce a
magnetic field, could the reverse be true: could amagnetic field induce an electric current? Many had tried, all had failed. Yet Faraday persisted. His observations led him to a critical
insight: it wasn't just the presence of a magnetic field that could induce an electric
current, but the change in the magnetic field. Electricity only forms when the magnet is moved. When he moved a magnet inside a coil of
wire, he induced an electric current. But when the magnet was stationary,
no current was observed. This groundbreaking work demonstrated a
two-way relationship: while electric currents can produce magnetic fields, the converse
is also true: A changing magnetic field leads to the creation of electric currents—a
principle known as electromagnetic induction. Consider Niagara Falls. The falling water turns big turbines, which
then spin magnets around coils of wire. This creates shifting magnetic fields in the
coils. And just as Faraday discovered, these changing magnetic fields
generate electric currents. From there, the electricity is transmitted
through power lines straight to your home. While Faraday's experiments were groundbreaking, it took serious math skills, which he
lacked, to realize their true potential. Enter James Clerk Maxwell. He took the findings of Faraday (and others)
and translated their pioneering work into a set of comprehensive mathematical formulas,
now recognized as Maxwell's Equations. These equations elegantly express how
electric and magnetic fields are intertwined, ultimately leading to the identification
of electromagnetic waves like radio waves, microwaves, visible light, and X-rays. This understanding later played a
pivotal role in the creation of radios, TVs, and, in due course, cellular communication. So, Faraday's hands-on experiments, combined with Maxwell's theoretical mastery, laid
the foundation for today's technological era. Faraday was deeply interested in understanding the fundamental nature of forces and finding
a unifying explanation for them all. His faith drove his deep curiosity, as he saw
the laws of nature as the handiwork of God, and by studying them, he was studying the divine. He speculated about the possible relationship
between electricity and gravity…to no avail. Some of his peers thought his limited math skills
made him ill-equipped for advanced theorizing. As the years passed, Faraday's
cognitive abilities began to decline, making it challenging to produce work at the
same intensity that once brought him renown. The strain on his physical and
mental well-being showed in the untamed whiteness of his hair as he grew older. Nevertheless, he did what he could. He served as scientific
advisor to the Trinity House, a historic institution responsible for
mariner safety around the British Isles. During Faraday’s time, lighthouses served
as vital guides, quite literally signaling the difference between life and death for sailors. Under his guidance, electric lighting began
to replace traditional oil and gas lamps. He was so committed to his work
that even at the age of 70, he personally went to sea to test
the reliability of the new lights! In recognition of his profound
impact on science, Faraday was offered a knighthood, which he turned down. He felt that he should remain
“plain Mr. Faraday to the end." Faraday did, however, accept a gift
of a house from Queen Victoria, spending the last years of his life
in a house at Hampton Court in London. On August 25, 1867, Michael Faraday died
of natural causes. He was 75 years old. His gravestone in London's Highgate Cemetery
is modest, mirroring his lifelong humility, yet standing in stark contrast to
his immense contributions to science. Despite his challenges with math, Faraday shined through his deep understanding and
intuition about the natural world. Like Faraday, many of us face
hurdles in areas we wish to excel in. If you’d like to improve your skills in math or
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unlocking all of the Brilliant courses. Thanks for watching, I’m Cindy Pom.
