A self-educated genius, Michael Faraday’s groundbreaking discoveries in physics and chemistry revolutionized the scientific world and laid the groundwork for Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity nearly a century later.
Recently unearthed from the Royal Institution’s archives, Faraday’s notebooks are being digitized and made permanently accessible online for the first time, sheding light on the mind of this lesser-known Victorian scientist.
These notebooks include handwritten notes by Faraday on a series of lectures given by Sir Humphry Davy in 1812. Charlotte New, head of heritage for the Royal Institution, notes that these notebooks have been largely unexplored and unknown to the public.
Left school at 13 and working as an apprentice bookbinder when he attended Davy’s lectures, Faraday penned meticulous notes and presented one of his notebooks to Davy in hopes of securing a job at the Royal Institution, despite his working-class background and limited education.
The notebooks reveal Faraday’s intricate drawings he made to visualize the scientific experiments and principles he was learning. They show his dedication to understanding the science, even at a time when paper was taxed, as he created indexes for each notebook for his own use and personal research.
When Faraday gifted Davy his notebook, expressing his “desire to escape from trade, which I thought vicious and selfish, and enter into the service of Science”, Davy recognized Faraday’s potential and, after initially declining assistance, offered him a job at the Institution following the firing of a lab assistant.
Accepting the job despite a pay cut, Faraday’s decision was pivotal for science. Over the next 55 years, he made several fundamental discoveries in physics and chemistry, including his law of electromagnetic induction in 1831, which illuminated the relative motion of charged particles and paved the way for Einstein’s theory of relativity.
Through his innovative experiments, Faraday discovered electromagnetic rotation and made significant contributions to the development of the electric motor, benzene, likified gas, electric generator, and the laws of electrolysis; he also proved that a magnetic field could influence polarised light, illustrating the interconnectedness of light and electromagnetism.
Faraday’s law of induction is credited for enabling Einstein’s development of his theory of relativity, with Einstein reportedly keeping a framed picture of Faraday on his wall.
Throughout his career, Faraday continued to document his discoveries with detailed illustrations in his notebooks, showcasing his innovative approach to science.
A curated selection of key pages from these notebooks will be available online starting on 24 March to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Faraday’s founding of the Royal Institution’s annual Christmas lectures. These lectures were inspired by Davy’s talks and intended to inspire future generations of scientists from diverse backgrounds.
Eventually, every page of Faraday’s notebooks will be digitized and made searchable online, adding to our understanding of this pivotal figure in the scientific world.
