The Last Man Who Knew Everything : Thomas Young, the anonymous polymath who proved Newton wrong, explained how we see, cured the sick, and deciphered the Rosetta Stone, among other feats of genius / Andrew Robinson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Robinson, Andrew, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Discoveries in science.

Physicians--Great Britain--Biography.

Physicians.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxx, 261 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

London, England : Open Book Publishers, 2023.

Summary:

"No one has given the polymath Thomas Young (1773-1829) the all-round examination he so richly deserves-until now. Celebrated biographer Andrew Robinson portrays a man who solved mystery after mystery in the face of ridicule and rejection, and never sought fame. As a physicist, Young challenged the theories of Isaac Newton and proved that light is a wave. As a physician, he showed how the eye focuses and proposed the three-colour theory of vision, only confirmed a century and a half later. As an Egyptologist, he made crucial contributions to deciphering the Rosetta Stone. It is hard to grasp how much Young knew. This biography is the fascinating story of a driven yet modest hero who cared less about what others thought of him than for the joys of an unbridled pursuit of knowledge-with a new foreword by Martin Rees and a new postscript discussing polymathy in the two centuries since the time of Young. It returns this neglected genius to his proper position in the pantheon of great scientific thinkers."--Publisher's website.

Contents:

Preface / Andrew Robinson

Introduction / Andrew Robinson

1. Child Prodigy / Andrew Robinson

2. Fellow of the Royal Society / Andrew Robinson

3. Itinerant Medical Student / Andrew Robinson

4. 'Phenomenon' Young / Andrew Robinson

5. Physician of Vision / Andrew Robinson

6. Royal Institution Lecturer / Andrew Robinson

7. Let There Be Light Waves / Andrew Robinson

8. 'Natural Philosophy and the Mechanical Arts' / Andrew Robinson

9. Dr Thomas Young, M.D., F.R.C.P. / Andrew Robinson

10. Reading the Rosetta Stone / Andrew Robinson

11. Waves of Enlightenment / Andrew Robinson

12. Walking Encyclopaedia / Andrew Robinson

In the Public Interest / Andrew Robinson

14. Grand Tour / Andrew Robinson

15. Duelling with Champollion / Andrew Robinson

A Universal Man / Andrew Robinson

Postscript: Polymathy Then-and Now? / Andrew Robinson.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.