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The Gregorian telescope; James Gregory (1638-1675)
The telescope has affirmed hundreds of theories that have been in force for hundreds of years. 50 years after the discovery of Galileo, a new design on a telescope revolutionizes the world, the image inside the telescope is reflected in two mirrors and gave us many advantages when looking through it. It gave the possibility to look through a smaller tube, from a more comfortable position, getting better results. -
Anestesia quirúrjica. Sir James Young Simpson (1811-1870)
James Young Simpson was a Scottish physician and an important figure in the history of medicine. He discovered the anesthetic properties of chloroform and successfully introduced it for general medical use. Simpson was the first to use anesthetic to help relieve pain during childbirth. -
The first permanent colour photograph; James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879)
James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) was one of the greatest scientists ever to exist. To him we owe the most significant discovery of our time: the theory of electromagnetism. He is rightly hailed as the father of modern physics. He also made fundamental contributions to mathematics, astronomy and engineering. -
Inflatable tire, John Boyd Dunlop (1840-1921)
John Boyd Dunlop was born in Dreghorn in 1840 and invented the air-chamber tire in 1888.
His son had trouble walking the streets with the tricycle when it was all frozen, invented for him in 1888 pneumatic wheels with air chamber. When he saw how useful they were, he decided to market them.
The company that bought the rights from Dunlop was a major multinational until 1985 and is still one of the best tire brands in the world. -
Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922)
Alexander Graham Bell was born in Edinburgh in 1847, although most of his career was in the USA.
His mother and wife were deaf. Graham Bell and his father focused their studies on elocution, speech and hearing, thanks to this, he ended up inventing the phone and other devices to facilitate and measure listening such as the photophone or the hearing aid. -
Fingerprint as criminal evidence: Henry Faulds (1843-1930)
Henry Faulds was born in the small town of Beith in 1843.
In adolescence, Henry Faulds left his studies in Beith to go to work in Glasgow and raise money to support his family.
One day, looking at an archaeological excavation, he noticed that fingerprints of great antiquity had been preserved on the ceramics.
His thesis came to London by Francis Galton and ended up being the basis of a new forensic fingerprint identification system. -
The first operating television and the first colour television. John Logie Baird (1888-1946)
John Logie Baird was born in Helensburgh, in 1888. Inventor of television.
In 1924 Baird developed a technology that produced black and white images that moved live, thanks to reflection. In 1928 Baird achieved the world’s first broadcast of color television.
In 2006, John Logie Baird was named one of the ten most important scientists in the history of Scotland.