John Tyndall: The Father of Climate Science Born: 2 August 1820 Died: 4 December 1893 (73yrs.)
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John Tyndall's Early Life and Beginnings
John Tyndall was born in Leighlinbridge, County Carlow, Ireland on 2 August 1820. He began his early education there and by his late teens was hired as a Surveyor for Ireland. He showed great talent at surveying and took his skill to Great Britain to work for the Railroad during their boom. After the Railroad dried up he went to work as a teacher for Queenwood College where he met Edward Frankland. The two ended up traveling to Germany to study experimental science under Hermann Knoblauch. -
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The Kick Start
Tyndall started his scientific work in the are of Physics with Hermann Knoblauch. Specifically with experiments on magnetism and diamagnetic polarity. Due to his success in his works he became a Fellow of The Royal Society in 1852. The following year he was appointed Professor of Natural Philosophy at the Royal Institution in London where he worked with Michael Faraday, the leader of magnetic research at the Royal Institution. Ten years later Tyndall would take his place as Director. -
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The Start of Something New
In 1856 John Tyndall traveled to the Alps for scientific purposes and became an avid mountain climber, retuning every year after. During his time in the Alps he studied Glaciers and how light bended and created flower designs in the ice. While conducting these experiments he was drawn to the absorption of heat by the water and vapors and that led him to research and experiment the Sun's heat penetrating the Earth more easily than infrared heat. -
"Greenhouse Effect"
1859 Tyndall started researching Thermal Radiation effects on different gases. Tyndall had to build his on equipment in order to conduct his experiments on this subject. After no significant breakthroughs, on May 26 he went to the Royal Institution with his subject then on 10 June, he demonstrated the research in a Royal Society lecture, noting that coal gas and ether strongly absorbed infrared heat, and his experimental confirmation of the concept. We now call this the greenhouse effect. -
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Down-Hill Slide
After making his major discovery and contributing to science with his works he continued working as a science teacher while devising better ways to demonstrate his work and revise and refine his subject well into the 1870's. John was married at 55 years old to Louisa Hamilton and they had a very happy marriage, but no children. He retired of the Royal Institution at 66 years old due to his health. Click here to view more in depth. link text -
John Tyndall's Death
John Tyndall died on 4 December 1893 due to an accidental overdose issued by his wife. He often took a narcotic to aid in his insomnia, and one night his wife had given him too much. She assumed the responsibility in writing his biography, but did not complete it by her death in 1940 at 95 years old. The book was found in 1945 and published.