George Forbes (scientist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Forbes
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| Born | 5 April 1849 Edinburgh, Scotland
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| Died | 22 October 1936 (aged 87) Worthing, England
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George Forbes (1849–1936) was a brilliant Scottish electrical engineer, astronomer, and inventor. He was also an explorer and author. Some of his inventions are still used today, showing how important his work was.
Contents
Early Life and Education
George Forbes was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on April 5, 1849. His father, James David Forbes, later became the head of St Andrews University. George went to school at Edinburgh Academy. He then studied at the University of St Andrews, Christ's College, and St Catharine's College, Cambridge.
A Career in Electrical Power
In 1873, George Forbes became a professor at Anderson's University in Glasgow. This university is now part of the University of Strathclyde. He taught about natural philosophy, which included physics. He believed that electricity could be used to power transportation. His main research at this time was about how fast light travels.
Engineering Hydroelectric Power
One of Forbes's most important jobs was helping with early hydroelectric projects. These projects use the power of moving water to create electricity. From 1891 to 1895, he was a consultant for the famous Niagara Falls hydroelectric scheme. He also gave advice for similar projects in other countries, like India (1893), South Africa (1895), New Zealand (1896), and Egypt (1898).
Powering London's Railways
In 1880, Forbes left his teaching job and moved to London. For the next 20 years, he focused on electrical power engineering. He was asked to figure out how to power the City and South London Railway. He suggested using electricity, and soon the entire London Underground followed his advice. In 1881, he was a judge at a big electricity exhibition in Paris. He was later given the French Legion of Honour, a special award from France.
Building a Home and Observatory
In 1906, Forbes built a house near Pitlochry in Scotland. He called it The Shed. It was a large wooden building with an observatory on the top floor. An observatory is a place for looking at stars and planets. This house overlooked a valley that would later become Loch Faskally. This loch was created for a hydroelectric scheme that Forbes himself had suggested years before. While living in Pitlochry, he gave lectures on astronomy in Glasgow.
Exploring and Discovering the Cosmos
George Forbes was also an explorer and a keen astronomer.
Journey to Observe Venus
In 1874, he was the lead astronomer for an expedition to Hawai'i. The goal was to observe the 1874 Transit of Venus. This is when the planet Venus passes directly in front of the Sun. After the expedition, he traveled back to Scotland through Peking (now Beijing) and St Petersburg. He crossed the Gobi Desert and Siberia in 1875. This was a very long and difficult journey that few Western explorers had made.
War Correspondent and Planet Predictions
Because of his contacts from this journey, Forbes became the only British war correspondent (a reporter covering a war) with the Russian army during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877. He reported for The Times newspaper and received the Russian Order of St George for his work.
Forbes wrote and lectured a lot about astronomy. He even predicted that there was a planet beyond Neptune, 50 years before Pluto was discovered! In 1880, he was the first to suggest the existence of these "trans-Neptunian planets." He based his ideas on how certain comets moved.
Groundbreaking Inventions
Forbes was a talented inventor whose ideas changed technology.
The Carbon Brush
In 1882, Forbes became a manager at the British Electric Light Company. He worked with carbon filaments and arc lamps. He experimented with using carbon for the brushes in electric motors. Before this, wire or gauze was used. In 1885, he patented his idea for "Improved Means for Establishing Electric Connection between Surfaces in Relative Motion Applicable to the Collectors of Dynamo Machines." This invention, known as the carbon brush, was a huge success. It is still used in electricity generation all over the world today!
Forbes could have become very rich from this invention. However, he sold his American patent rights to Westinghouse Electric for only £2,000. He didn't seem to get any money from its use in the UK. One friend said Forbes was very modest about this work.
Military Inventions
After 1900, Forbes started working on military technology. He studied how to improve gunnery. Between 1903 and 1906, he worked with the British Navy. He developed a rangefinder, a device used to measure distances. This rangefinder was still used by the Navy at the start of the Second World War. During the First World War, he also helped create new ways for submarines to send signals.
Awards and Recognition
George Forbes received many honors for his work.
- He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1887.
- He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Royal Astronomical Society.
- He was a member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers.
- He received an honorary law degree (LLD) from St Andrews University.
In 1987, the University of Strathclyde named a new student residence hall after him to honor his memory. In 2021, he was inducted into the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame.
Later Life and Legacy
George Forbes never married. In his later years, he became quite private. He felt disappointed that his great talents had not brought him fame or wealth. He lived in increasing poverty, though friends helped him get assistance in 1928. Pitlochry was his home for most of his life. Eventually, friends insisted he move south to be cared for more easily. He died in an accident at his home in Worthing, England, on October 22, 1936.
People who knew George Forbes described him as a man with strong principles. They said he cared more about his work than about getting rewards. A friend, Samuel Mavor, called him "the best type of Scottish gentleman." He described Forbes as tall, handsome, and having a "singularly attractive personality, fine character, a brilliant intellect and the manners of a courtier."
