13 June 13

James Clerk Maxwell was born on this date in 1831. He is best known as the 3rd greatest physicist of all time, following Newton and Einstein. His home in Scotland has the wonderful name Middlebie, Kirkcudbrightshire. The pleasing alignment of patterns on my tie symbolizes Maxwell's accomplishment in showing the underlying unity of light, electricity and magnetism. Many of the objects in my office, such as the refrigerator, microwave oven and computer equipment, have their "theoretical foundations" in the work of James Clerk Maxwell.