Robert Symmer facts for kids
Robert Symmer (1707–1763) was a Scottish thinker and scientist. He was known for his ideas about electricity. He believed electricity was made of two different "fluids," an idea that scientists no longer use today.
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About Robert Symmer
Robert Symmer was born in a place called Galloway in Scotland. He went to the University of Edinburgh when he was 12 years old in 1719. He finished his studies and graduated in 1735.
Symmer's Ideas on Electricity
Symmer wrote a series of papers called "New Experiments and Observations concerning Electricity." These papers were published in a famous science journal, the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.
At the time, many scientists, like Benjamin Franklin, thought electricity was just one force. But Symmer suggested something different. He believed electricity came from two opposing forces. He thought these forces came from two separate "liquids" or "fluids."
Symmer made some interesting observations about static electricity. He noticed it happened when he took off his wool and silk stockings. Because of this habit, people in France called him "Philosophe Déchaussé." This means "Barefoot Philosopher."
How His Ideas Were Received
Symmer's ideas about two electrical fluids did not get much attention in Britain. However, scientists in other countries were more interested. People like Jean-Antoine Nollet and Franz Aepinus supported his "two-fluid" theory. They even thought he was the first to come up with it.
But this idea was actually similar to what Charles du Fay had suggested earlier, in 1733. Du Fay thought electricity had two types: "glass electricity" and "resin electricity."
Symmer's Later Life
In 1753, Robert Symmer became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a special honor for important scientists in Britain. He also worked as a head clerk for the King's Household, managing their money.
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