The contributions of Scotland to science and philosophy are outstanding. There’s a long list of scientists and thinkers putting Scotland at the forefront of the development of human knowledge. Let’s check out some of the most important.
Philosopher and economist, Adam Smith, is especially regarded for his book “The Wealth of Nations”. He is considered the father of modern capitalism, as he synthesised and prepared the principles that would guide further political and economic developments, up to this day. “The Wealth of Nations” is considered by many the first modern work on economics.
Born in 1711, David Hume is considered a major name of the Enlightenment period. He left contributions in the fields of philosophy, history and economics. Hume is more known as the philosopher of empiricism, which opened new ways in general science areas, regarding scepticism and naturalism. Hume lived in Edinburgh for most of his life and died in 1776; the year his good friend Adam Smith published his most famous book, and also the year of the American Declaration of Independence which he foresaw several years before.
History tells us that wallpapers were standard across the Western world at the beginning of the 20th century but later went out of fashion. Today, thanks to the effort of designers and services such as https://www.familywallpapers.co.uk/, they are becoming mainstream again. But we could wonder if the invention by John Logie Baird had not something to do with this.
Born in 1888, Baird was the first to demonstrate a working television in 1926 and is considered one of the main contributors to the development of modern TV. Perhaps people felt less need to have large images covering the walls of their homes due to the appearance of the animated images of television.
Also in 1776 came the biggest invention by James Watt; the steam engine, a clear upgrade over previous works. Watt’s steam engine would be one of the driving forces of the Industrial Revolution.
It may have been by luck or accident. Still, it took years of practising, studying and working in biology and medicine before Fleming was able to discover penicillin, the first antibiotic. His discovery revolutionised the way the world treats all kinds of injuries and diseases.
His work may have been done mostly in the United States. Still, Bell was born in Scotland and only moved to North America, (first to Canada and only then to the USA), in his adulthood. After the patented invention of the telephone in 1876, he went on to create the Bell Telephone Company and then the famous American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) in 1885.
The United Kingdom and the free world owe a big thanks to Watson-Watt and his work in the development of radar. It was crucial during the Blitz, allowing the Royal Air Force to efficiently stop the German Luftwaffe and avoid further air bombings and an eventual land invasion.
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