Inspiring Brilliance: Celebrating Maxwell's Genius and Legacy

James Clerk Maxwell ranks alongside Newton and Einstein as one of the world’s great physicists. In designating this year as the International Year of Light, UNESCO explicitly highlight the importance of 2015 as marking the 150th anniversary of the publication of Maxwell’s Equations. Maxwell’s impact extends well beyond this outstanding contribution; to enabling developments in colour theory, colour photography, statistical physics, information theory, Saturn’s rings, mechanical stress analysis and control theory. In this meeting, we bring together many eminent speakers to explore the legacy of Maxwell’s genius today, which continues to impact on many scientific and technological aspects of our modern society, from mobile phones and cybernetics to the discovery of the Higgs boson. The talks will be accessible to a wide audience.

The evening will close with a reception and the official unveiling of a new Maxwell plaque at the University of Edinburgh's Playfair Library Hall, Old College, South Bridge, EH8 9YL. There will also be guided tours of the James Clerk Maxwell House on India Street on the morning of the 10 November.