Kelvin and Stokes: A Comparative Study in Victorian Physics

Kelvin and Stokes were key members of that nineteenth-century group of British physicists which ranks as one of the most important collections of scientists in the whole history of science. Almost exact contemporaries, they were friends whose ideas and careers intertwined for over half a century, as documented by their surviving correspondence of over 650 letters. Both were seminal figures in the history of physics and in the history of Victorian science. This volume places them in both contexts. It examines not only their views of physical theory, but also institutional, theological, and methodological themes. This book will appeal to readers from many different fields. An elementary understanding of physics and a familiarity with Victorian science would be helpful, but not necessary. The author has aimed to make the book accessible not only to physicists and historians of science, but also to those with an interest in science education, science methodology, and the interplay between science and religion.