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Lifetime
John Tyndall was born on August 8th, 1820, and died on December 4th, 1893. He is known for his work in atmospheric physics and for his scientific views that were controversial to the church. Many of Tyndall's ideas are contained in the book "Fragments of Science", which is a collection of his various works. The Tyndall effect, named after him, has been used in numerous scientific advancements and is one of his most well-known achievements. The attached video demonstrates the Tyndall effect. -
Discovery of the greenhouse effect
In 1853, after becoming a professor of natural philosophy at the Royal Institution in London, Tyndall discovered how water vapor and carbon dioxide create the greenhouse effect. (Barton, "John Tyndall") This discovery by Tyndall has since been connected to how humans are harming the earth, and greenhouse gases have been the subject of countless debates dealing with pollution and environmental ethics. -
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The X Club
Along with eight others, Tyndall was a member of the X Club, a private club that promoted science over theology. They used their positions and networks to greatly influence scientific societies and governments. (Barton, "X Club") The X Club was important for science and the world in general because the group put science above what the church was saying at the time, paving the way for future scientists to make discoveries that contradicted their current system of beliefs. -
Scientific Use of the Imagination
Recorded in "Fragments of Science", in Tindall's speech at the British Association in Liverpool in 1870 he states, “without the exercise of this power, our knowledge of nature would be a mere tabulation of co-existences and sequences” in relation to using a scientific imagination. (112) In this quote, Tyndall is describing how having a scientific imagination is important to understand why things happen not just that they happen, which is an important part of truly understanding the world. -
Science vs Theology
In 1874, Tyndall spoke at a meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science and said that cosmology was a scientific matter not a theological one. He also stated that matter by itself could produce life. He was later accused of materialism and atheism. (Barton, "John Tyndall")
These claims were an important part of the philosophy of science because a the time, religion was seen as the answer to many scientific questions, and saying otherwise was controversial, but necessary.