Pioneer 2 of 21 · 1791-1867
Michael Faraday
Contribution. Discovered electromagnetic induction, the basis of generators and motors.
Factor coverage
Favorable entries (helped or barrier absent) and adverse entries (barrier or not overcome) by factor. Factor tags are this site's classification.
Barriers faced
| Factors | Statement |
|---|---|
| Economic Educational | A poor family and schooling only until 13. |
What helped
| Factors | Statement |
|---|---|
| Educational | Access to books through work. Apprenticed to bookbinder George Riebau from 1805 to 1812, he read the scientific books that passed through his hands, with Riebau's encouragement. |
| Social | A lucky connection. In 1812 a customer, William Dance, gave him tickets to four Humphry Davy lectures at the Royal Institution. |
| Psychological | Initiative. He wrote up and bound his notes from the lectures and sent them to Davy. |
| Social | Timing. Davy fired his assistant for fighting and hired Faraday in 1813. |
| Environmental | A productive field. Discoveries by Oersted, Biot, and Ampère around 1820 linked electricity and magnetism. |
Not overcome
| Factors | Statement |
|---|---|
| Educational | He never learned advanced mathematics. Maxwell later formalized his ideas. |
Pattern summary
| Element | In this case |
|---|---|
| Door-opener | Riebau, Davy |
| Knowledge source | Books he bound, Davy's lectures |
| Institutional support | Royal Institution |
| Built on recent work | Oersted, Ampère |
| Setback overcome | Poverty, no schooling |
| Barrier not overcome | No advanced math |
Not independently verified. Maxwell's formalization of Faraday's work was not independently verified.
Sources
Also relevant: Bell, A., Chetty, R., Jaravel, X., Petkova, N., & Van Reenen, J. (2019). Who becomes an inventor in America? Quarterly Journal of Economics, 134(2), 647-713. All references