A recording of David Kerridge’s talk on James Clerk Maxwell can now be seen in ‘Stories of the Esk’

James Clerk Maxwell ranks alongside Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein as one of the founding fathers of modern physics.

James Clerk Maxwell was the nephew of Sir George Clerk, 6th Baronet of Penicuik, whose brother John, James’ father, appended ‘Maxwell’ to his name when he inherited the family estate of Middlebie, Kirkcudbrightshire, in 1793. James grew into a pre-eminent physicist developing theories underpinning many modern technologies – and ranked by many alongside Newton and Einstein as a founding father of modern physics. The inspiring life, career, character and many achievements of this Scottish genius are discussed in Dr David Kerridge’s excellent talk.

David  is the current Chair of the James Clerk Maxwell Foundation. After a degree in physics at Cambridge University, and postgraduate research into the origins of the Earth’s magnetic field at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, he joined the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh in 1983. At BGS he worked with academia, industry and the UK Government on projects mostly related to geophysical hazards, including seismology, volcanology and space weather. He became a Trustee of the James Clerk Maxwell Foundation in 2022.

To watch a recording of the talk, given on February 6 2025, click here.

There is a slight hiccup at the beginning of the recording but be patient for a few seconds and you will enjoy a superb presentation.