Sir David Brewster
| Sir David Brewster | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 11 December 1781 Canongate, Jedburgh, Roxburghshire |
| Died | 10 February 1868 (aged 86) Allerly House, Gattonside, Roxburghshire |
| Citizenship | Great Britain |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Fields | Physics, mathematics, astronomy |
| Alma mater | Edinburgh University |
| Known for | Invention of the kaleidoscope Diffraction of light optics |
| Influences | Isaac Newton |
| Influenced | James David Forbes |
| Notable awards |
Copley Medal (1815) Rumford Medal (1818) Keith Prize (1827–9, 1829–31) Royal Medal (1830) |
| Notes | |
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Founding Director of the Scottish Society of Arts (1821)
Principal of St Andrews University (1837–59) Principal of Edinburgh University (1859–68) |
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Sir David Brewster KH PRSE FRS FSA(Scot) FSSA MICE (11 December 1781 – 10 February 1868) was a Scottish physicist, mathematician, astronomer, inventor, writer, historian of science and university principal.
Most noted for his contributions to the field of optics, he studied the double refraction by compression and discovered the photoelastic effect, which gave birth to the field of optical mineralogy. For his work, William Whewell dubbed him the "Father of modern experimental optics" and "the Johannes Kepler of Optics."
He is well-recognized for being the inventor of the kaleidoscope and an improved version of the stereoscope applied to photography. He called it the "lenticular stereoscope", which was the first portable, 3D viewing device. He also invented the binocular camera, two types of polarimeters, the polyzonal lens and the lighthouse illuminator.
A prominent figure in the popularization of science, he is considered one of the founders of the British Association, of which he would be elected President in 1849. In addition, he became the public face of higher education in Scotland, acting as Principal of the University of St Andrews and then Edinburgh between 1837 and 1868. Brewster also edited the 18-volume Edinburgh Encyclopædia.
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