Lord Kelvin : his life and work / by Alexander Russell.

  • Russell, Alexander, 1861-1943.
Date:
[1912]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Lord Kelvin : his life and work / by Alexander Russell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    read Sir John Herschel’s, not because it was the most accurate or contained the latest discoveries, but because of its Hterary charm. The first paragraph of the intro- duction especially excited his admiration. “ In entering upon any scientific pursuit, one of the student’s first endeavours ought to be to prepare his mind for the reception of truth, by dismissing, or at least loosening his hold on, all such crude and hastily adopted notions respecting the objects and relations he is about to examine as may tend to embarrass or mis- lead him ; and to strengthen himself, by something of an effort and a resolve, for the unprejudiced admission of any conclusion which shall appear to be supported by careful observation and logical argument, even should it prove of a nature adverse to notions he had previously formed for himself, or taken up, without examination on the credit of others. Such an effort is, in fact, a commencement of that intellectual discipline which forms one of the most important ends of all science. It is the ‘ euphrasy and rue ’ with which we must ‘ purge our sight ’ before we can receive and con- template as they are the lineaments of truth and nature.” Sir John Herschel was another of the long list of dis- tinguished senior wranglers. It is highly probable that Sir Isaac Newton was firsts in his degree examination, but no record of his place has survived. Thomson regarded a knowledge of Newton’s Principia and Her- schel’s Astronomy as essential to a hberal education. It is interesting to remember that his grave in West- minster Abbey is very near the graves of the two men whose works he delighted to praise.