George Frederick Charles Searle facts for kids

George Frederick Charles Searle (born December 3, 1864 – died December 16, 1954) was a smart British scientist and teacher. He was also a really good cyclist and even raced while studying at the University of Cambridge.

Life and Work of George Searle

George Searle was born in Oakington, a small village in Cambridgeshire, England. His father was William George Searle.

When George was a child, he actually knew a famous scientist named James Clerk Maxwell. George thought Maxwell was a very funny person! In 1888, George Searle started working at the Cavendish Laboratory. This lab is famous for many important discoveries in physics. He worked there for an amazing 55 years, helping with many experiments and teaching students. Even after World War II, he was still in charge of the labs where university students learned. Some of the equipment he used to measure electricity in the 1890s was still being used by students decades later!

Searle's Scientific Discoveries

George Searle is best known for his important work on how the mass of an object changes when it moves very fast. This idea, called electromagnetic mass, was a big step towards Albert Einstein's famous theory of special relativity.

Searle built on the ideas of another scientist, Oliver Heaviside. He described something called the "Heaviside ellipsoid." This idea helped explain how an object's electric field might change shape when it moves quickly. These early ideas, even though they were later updated, were very important for developing the theory of special relativity, which explains how space and time are connected.

Personal Life and Hobbies

George Searle was married to Alice Mary Edwards. During World War I, he became ill but recovered. After this, he became a Christian Scientist, which is a type of religious belief. He loved cycling and often traveled around, sharing his beliefs with others.