The Scientists

Who's who in the 'Scottish Science Hall of Fame'

From logarithms to pencillin and radar, Scottish scientists have made huge achievements over the last 300 years or so.

Discover interesting and little-known facts about our top 10 celebrated thinkers, who were chosen by public vote.

John Logie Baird

Used a coffin lid and biscuit tin to create his first television, produced jam and had very cold feet.

Read about John Logie Baird

Alexander Graham Bell

Invented the telephone, worked with deaf people and experimented with flight.

Read about Alexander Graham Bell

Joseph Black

Discovered carbon dioxide and investigated the the difference between heat and temperature.

Read about Joseph Black

Alexander Fleming

Found that nasal mucus could destroy bacteria, and called his discovery 'penicillin'.

Read about Alexander Fleming

James Hutton

Clashed with the Church over his belief that the Earth was millions of years old and founded modern geology.

Read about James Hutton

Lord Kelvin

Devised the absolute temperature scale and installed a telegraph cable under the Atlantic Ocean.

Read about Lord Kelvin

James Clerk Maxwell

Made discoveries about Saturn and about electricity and magnetism, and took the first colour photograph.

Read about James Clerk Maxwell

John Napier

Invented logarithms to simplify complicated calculations and was believed to be a wizard.

Read about John Napier

Robert Watson-Watt

Developed radar in a way that was crucial to Britain and her Allies winning the Second World War.

Read about Robert Watson-Watt

James Watt

Helped spark off the Industrial Revolution with his steam engine inventions.

Read about James Watt

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