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Birth
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Earning his Doctorate
Tyndall earned his doctorate in experimental chemistry at Marburg Germany. -
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Renowned society man
Tyndall became a familiar scientist within the growing number of scientific clubs and societies within London. He became a fellow of the Royal Society and was later a member of its' council. He was also a member of the Philosophical Club and Alpine Club and was elected to the Athaneum which was one of London's leading clubs for public intellectuals. -
Beginning Professional Career
Tyndall was invited by Michael Faraday to give a series of discourses at the Royal Institution in London. -
Professional Career
Tyndall began his tenure as an appointed professor of Natural Philosophy at the Royal Institution. Under Faraday's patronage, Tyndall would develop and hone his talent for experimental science across a variety of subjects over the years. Hulme, M. (2009, April 27). RMetS Journals. Retrieved November 22, 2020, from https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/wea.386 -
Blossoming Interest in Glaciers
Tyndall became a member of the newly founded Alpine Club to which he had a keen curiosity for glaciers and their mass balance. It was here that he was brought into the ideas of De Saussure, Pouillet, and Hopkins who had previously studied the differential passage of solar and terrestrial radiation through the atmosphere. It was here that Tyndall began his experimental work on radiant heat. -
First Successful Discovery
John Tyndall experimented with the properties of gases and vapors and discovered that the different gases in the atmosphere absorbed different amounts of radiant heat. This was the idea that could help explain the temperature of our planet and others were regulated. Kellogg, W., & Stehr, N. (1999). Earth Sciences History, 18(1), 91-98. Retrieved November 22, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/24137443 -
First Public Account
Tyndall had a meeting with Prince Albert at the Royal Institution offering his first public account of what is now known as the greenhouse effect. This physical basis for the global warming effect was discovered six months before Charles Darwin published his famous book outlining his theory on evolution. -
Return to Work
Tyndall returned to his experimental work on radiant heat after turning down a professorship at the University of Edinburgh and publishing his first book on the glaciers of the Alps. He tried to improve upon the accuracy of his measurements and to extend the range of gases and vapors tested. John Tyndall. (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2020, from https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/Tyndall -
Tyndall's Experiments on Resonance
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Death
