Thomas Young (scientist)
18th/19th-century English polymath / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Thomas Young FRS (13 June 1773 – 10 May 1829) was a British polymath who made notable contributions to the fields of vision, light, solid mechanics, energy, physiology, language, musical harmony, and Egyptology. He was instrumental in the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs, specifically the Rosetta Stone.
Thomas Young | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by Henry Perronet Briggs, 1822 | |
| Born | 13 June 1773 Milverton, Somerset, England |
| Died | 10 May 1829 (aged 55) London, England |
| Alma mater | University of Edinburgh Medical School University of Göttingen Emmanuel College, Cambridge |
| Known for | Wave theory of light Double-slit experiment Astigmatism Young–Dupré equation Young–Helmholtz theory Young–Laplace equation Young temperament Young's Modulus Young's rule |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics Physiology Egyptology |
| Influenced | William Herschel, James Clerk Maxwell, Albert Einstein, Augustin-Jean Fresnel, Jean-François Champollion |
| Signature | |
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Young has been described as "The Last Man Who Knew Everything".[1] His work influenced that of William Herschel, Hermann von Helmholtz, James Clerk Maxwell, and Albert Einstein. Young is credited with establishing Christiaan Huygens' wave theory of light, in contrast to the corpuscular theory of Isaac Newton.[2] Young's work was subsequently supported by the work of Augustin-Jean Fresnel.