Michael Faraday

Michael Faraday is our longest established character, first set up by commission from National Grid plc. His demonstrations of how electrons work, what an electric force is and how it powers our modern world, is a model of educational clarity and simplicity. This experience alone, changes for ever the basic understanding of electricity and it's potential, for a great many students.

Faraday is the supreme example for young people, of what can be achieved against impossible odds. Known as The Father of electricity, at the outset, there seemed nothing in his favour, with poor education, family support and social background. Michael's father died when he was an infant. His mother took him from school to prevent him being beaten and he was educated at home. While apprenticed to a bookbinder, he read a school chemistry book and then became interested in science. He saw Sir Humphry Davy lecturing and remembered every single word. He wrote at all down and bound Davy's lectures into a book and presented it to the great man. Davy eventually gave him a job as the lowlyest lab assistant.

Faraday toured Europe as Davy's valet, meeting many of the great scientists of the day. In 1821 he experimented with a magnet in an electrical circuit. Faraday discovered that a suspended magnet would revolve around a current bearing wire and produced the first permanent movement caused by electricity. By 1825 he had taken Davy's place as director of the Royal Institution and introduced the Christmas Lectures which continue to this day.

In 1831 he discovered the first dynamo and electro-magnetic induction, which lead to the transformer, which today enables our whole electrical world to function. He produced many theories on electricity, but as he had no mathematics, he could not lay them down as scientific truths. This was achieved by James Clarke Maxwell, a generation later.

However, Faraday was the greatest chemical experimentor of his day. He layed down the laws of electrolysis, produced the first toughened glass (with Dolland who'se name still appears in our high streets), the first stainless steel, the first rubber balloons, the first research into foodstuffs and the first bottled gas, from which he discovered Benzene which lead to the petro-chemical industry.

His books and simple explanations, inspired Edison, Tesla and many other future scientists. He refused a Knighthood and fellowship of the Royal Society, always remaining totally modest.

Our Faraday lectures are always immensely popular.