Royal Society of Edinburgh
Encyclopedia
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy
of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland. Established in 1783, it has since then drawn upon the strengths and expertise of its Fellows, of which there are currently more than 1500.
The Society covers a broader selection of fields than the Royal Society of London including literature
and history
. Unlike similar organisations in the rest of the UK, the Fellowship includes people from a wide range of disciplines - science & technology, arts, humanties, medicine, social science, business and public service. This breadth of expertise makes the Royal Society of Edinburgh unique in the UK.
's intellectual climate fostered many clubs and societies (see Scottish Enlightenment
). Though there were several that treated the arts, sciences and medicine, the most prestigious was the Society for the Improvement of Medical Knowledge, commonly referred to as the Medical Society of Edinburgh, co-founded by the mathematician Colin Maclaurin
in 1731.
Maclaurin was unhappy with the specialist nature of the Medical Society, and in 1737 a new, broader society, the Edinburgh Society for Improving Arts and Sciences and particularly Natural Knowledge was split from the specialist medical organisation, which then went on to become the Royal Medical Society
.
The cumbersome name was changed the following year to the Edinburgh Philosophical Society. With the help of University of Edinburgh
professors like Joseph Black
, William Cullen
and John Walker
, this society transformed itself into the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1783 and in 1786 it issued the first edition of its new journal Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
As the end of the century drew near, the younger members like Sir James Hall
embraced Lavoisier's new nomenclature and the members split over the practical and theoretical objectives of the society. This resulted in the founding of the Wernerian Society (1808–1858), a parallel organisation that focused more upon natural history and scientific research that could be used to improve Scotland's weak agricultural and industrial base. Under the leadership of Prof. Robert Jameson
, the Wernerians first founded Memoirs of the Wernerian Natural History Society (1808–1821) and then the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal (1822), thereby diverting the output of the Royal Society's Transactions. Thus, for the first four decades of the 19th century, the RSE's members published brilliant articles in two different journals. By the 1850s, Jameson and his partner Sir David Brewster
lost their influence and the society once again could unify its membership under one journal.
During the 19th century the society produced many scientists whose ideas laid the foundation of the modern sciences. From the 20th century onward, the society functioned not only as focal point for Scotland's eminent scientists, but also the arts and humanities. It still exists today and continues to promote original research in Scotland.
The current president is Sir John Arbuthnott.
National academy
A national academy is an organizational body, usually operating with state financial support and approval, that co-ordinates scholarly research activities and standards for academic disciplines, most frequently in the sciences but also the humanities. Typically the country's learned societies in...
of science and letters. It is a registered charity, operating on a wholly independent and non-party-political basis and providing public benefit throughout Scotland. Established in 1783, it has since then drawn upon the strengths and expertise of its Fellows, of which there are currently more than 1500.
The Society covers a broader selection of fields than the Royal Society of London including literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
and history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
. Unlike similar organisations in the rest of the UK, the Fellowship includes people from a wide range of disciplines - science & technology, arts, humanties, medicine, social science, business and public service. This breadth of expertise makes the Royal Society of Edinburgh unique in the UK.
History
At the start of the 18th century, EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
's intellectual climate fostered many clubs and societies (see Scottish Enlightenment
Scottish Enlightenment
The Scottish Enlightenment was the period in 18th century Scotland characterised by an outpouring of intellectual and scientific accomplishments. By 1750, Scots were among the most literate citizens of Europe, with an estimated 75% level of literacy...
). Though there were several that treated the arts, sciences and medicine, the most prestigious was the Society for the Improvement of Medical Knowledge, commonly referred to as the Medical Society of Edinburgh, co-founded by the mathematician Colin Maclaurin
Colin Maclaurin
Colin Maclaurin was a Scottish mathematician who made important contributions to geometry and algebra. The Maclaurin series, a special case of the Taylor series, are named after him....
in 1731.
Maclaurin was unhappy with the specialist nature of the Medical Society, and in 1737 a new, broader society, the Edinburgh Society for Improving Arts and Sciences and particularly Natural Knowledge was split from the specialist medical organisation, which then went on to become the Royal Medical Society
Royal Medical Society
The Royal Medical Society is the oldest medical society in the United Kingdom . Known originally as 'the Medical Society' when it was established in 1737, it was granted a Royal Charter in 1778...
.
The cumbersome name was changed the following year to the Edinburgh Philosophical Society. With the help of University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
professors like Joseph Black
Joseph Black
Joseph Black FRSE FRCPE FPSG was a Scottish physician and chemist, known for his discoveries of latent heat, specific heat, and carbon dioxide. He was professor of Medicine at University of Glasgow . James Watt, who was appointed as philosophical instrument maker at the same university...
, William Cullen
William Cullen
William Cullen FRS FRSE FRCPE FPSG was a Scottish physician, chemist and agriculturalist, and one of the most important professors at the Edinburgh Medical School, during its heyday as the leading center of medical education in the English-speaking world.Cullen was also a central figure in the...
and John Walker
John Walker (naturalist)
John Walker was a Scottish minister and natural historian. He was Professor of Natural History at the University of Edinburgh from 1779 to 1803....
, this society transformed itself into the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1783 and in 1786 it issued the first edition of its new journal Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
As the end of the century drew near, the younger members like Sir James Hall
James Hall, 4th Baronet
Sir James Hall of Dunglass, 4th Baronet FRS FRSE was a Scottish geologist and geophysicist, born at Dunglass, Haddingtonshire, to Sir John Hall, 3rd Baronet , by his spouse, Magdalen daughter of Sir Robert Pringle, 3rd Baronet, of Stichill, Roxburghshire. Sir James was also Member of Parliament...
embraced Lavoisier's new nomenclature and the members split over the practical and theoretical objectives of the society. This resulted in the founding of the Wernerian Society (1808–1858), a parallel organisation that focused more upon natural history and scientific research that could be used to improve Scotland's weak agricultural and industrial base. Under the leadership of Prof. Robert Jameson
Robert Jameson
thumb|Robert JamesonProfessor Robert Jameson, FRS FRSE was a Scottish naturalist and mineralogist.As Regius Professor at the University of Edinburgh for fifty years, Jameson is notable for his advanced scholarship in natural history, his superb museum collection, and for his tuition of Charles...
, the Wernerians first founded Memoirs of the Wernerian Natural History Society (1808–1821) and then the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal (1822), thereby diverting the output of the Royal Society's Transactions. Thus, for the first four decades of the 19th century, the RSE's members published brilliant articles in two different journals. By the 1850s, Jameson and his partner Sir David Brewster
David Brewster
Sir David Brewster KH PRSE FRS FSA FSSA MICE was a Scottish physicist, mathematician, astronomer, inventor, writer and university principal.-Early life:...
lost their influence and the society once again could unify its membership under one journal.
During the 19th century the society produced many scientists whose ideas laid the foundation of the modern sciences. From the 20th century onward, the society functioned not only as focal point for Scotland's eminent scientists, but also the arts and humanities. It still exists today and continues to promote original research in Scotland.
The current president is Sir John Arbuthnott.
Awards
- Keith MedalKeith MedalThe Keith Medal is a prize awarded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy, for a scientific paper published in the society's scientific journals, preference being given to a paper containing a discovery, either in mathematics or earth sciences.The medal was inaugurated in...
- Gunning Victoria Jubilee Prize
- James Scott Prize LectureshipJames Scott Prize LectureshipThe James Scott Prize Lectureship is given every four years by the Royal Society of Edinburgh for a lecture on the fundamental concepts of Natural Philosophy. The prize was established in 1918 as a memorial to James Scott by trustees of his estate....
- Makdougall-Brisbane prize, named for Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane who gave 400 pounds in 1855 for the prize when he was president.
List of Presidents of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
- His Grace The Duke of BuccleuchHenry Scott, 3rd Duke of BuccleuchHenry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch and 5th Duke of Queensberry KG KT FRSE was a Scottish nobleman and long-time friend of the notable Sir Walter Scott...
(1783–1812) - Sir James Hall (1812–1820)
- Sir Walter ScottWalter ScottSir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
(1820–1832) - Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane (1832–1860)
- His Grace The Duke of ArgyllGeorge Campbell, 8th Duke of ArgyllGeorge John Douglas Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll KG, KT, PC, FRS, FRSE , styled Marquess of Lorne until 1847, was a Scottish peer, Liberal politician as well as a writer on science, religion, and the politics of the 19th century.-Background:Argyll was born at Ardencaple Castle, Dunbartonshire, the...
(1860–1864) - Principal Sir David BrewsterDavid BrewsterSir David Brewster KH PRSE FRS FSA FSSA MICE was a Scottish physicist, mathematician, astronomer, inventor, writer and university principal.-Early life:...
(1864–1868) - Sir Robert ChristisonRobert ChristisonSir Robert Christison, 1st Baronet FRSE FRCSE FRCPE was a Scottish toxicologist and physician who served as president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh , as president of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh , and as president of the British Medical Association .Christison was...
(1869–1873) - Sir William ThomsonWilliam Thomson, 1st Baron KelvinWilliam Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin OM, GCVO, PC, PRS, PRSE, was a mathematical physicist and engineer. At the University of Glasgow he did important work in the mathematical analysis of electricity and formulation of the first and second laws of thermodynamics, and did much to unify the emerging...
(later Lord Kelvin) (1873–1878) - Rev Philip KellandPhilip KellandPhilip Kelland PRSE FRS was an English mathematician. He was known mainly for his great influence on the development of education in Scotland.-Early life:Kelland was born in 1808 in Dunster, Somerset, England...
(1878–1879) - The Rt Hon Lord Moncreiff of TulliboleJames Moncreiff, 1st Baron MoncreiffJames Moncreiff, 1st Baron Moncreiff FRSE , was a Scottish lawyer and politician.The son of Sir James Wellwood Moncreiff, 9th Baronet, a Scottish judge, he was educated at Edinburgh University and was admitted to the Faculty of Advocates in 1833.He was appointed Solicitor General for Scotland in...
(1879–1884) - Thomas StevensonThomas StevensonThomas Stevenson PRSE MInstCE FRSSA FSAScot was a pioneering Scottish lighthouse designer and meteorologist, who designed over thirty lighthouses in and around Scotland, as well as the Stevenson screen used in meteorology...
(1884–1885) - Sir William Thomson (later Lord Kelvin) (1886–1890)
- Sir Douglas MaclaganDouglas MaclaganSir Andrew Douglas Maclagan PRSE FRCPE FRCSE FCS FRSSA was a Scottish surgeon, toxicologist and scholar of medical jurisprudence....
(1890–1895) - The Rt Hon Lord Kelvin (1895–1907)
- Principal Sir William TurnerWilliam Turner (University Principal)Sir William Turner was a British anatomist and was the Principal of the University of Edinburgh from 1903 to 1916....
(1908–1913) - Professor James GeikieJames GeikieJames Geikie was a Scottish geologist.He was born in Edinburgh, the son of James Stuart Geikie and younger brother of Sir Archibald Geikie...
(1913–1915) - Dr John HorneJohn HorneJohn Horne was a Scottish geologist. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1900. He was a pupil of Ben Peach....
(1915–1919) - Professor Frederick Orpen BowerFrederick Orpen BowerFrederick Orpen Bower FRS was a British botanist. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1891. He was awarded the Gold Medal of the Linnean Society in 1909 and the Darwin Medal of the Royal Society in 1938....
(1919–1924) - Sir Alfred Ewing (1924–1929)
- Sir Edward Sharpey Schafer (1929–1934)
- Sir D'Arcy Wentworth ThompsonD'Arcy Wentworth ThompsonSir D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson CB FRS FRSE was a Scottish biologist, mathematician, and classics scholar. A pioneering mathematical biologist, he is mainly remembered as the author of the 1917 book On Growth and Form, written largely in Dundee in 1915...
(1934–1939) - Professor Sir Edmund Whittaker (1939–1944)
- Professor Sir William Wright SmithWilliam Wright SmithSir William Wright Smith FRS FRSE DèsSc FLS VMH was a Scottish botanist and horticulturalist....
(1944–1949) - Professor James KendallJames KendallJames Pickering Kendall FRS FRSE was an English chemist.He was born in Chobham, Surrey to soldier William Henry Kendall and his second wife Rebecca. He attended the local village school and then from 1900 Farnham Grammar School...
(1949–1954) - Professor James Ritchie (1954–1958)
- Professor J. Norman DavidsonJ. Norman DavidsonJames Norman Davidson CBE FRS FRSE was a Scottish biochemist, pioneer molecular biologist and textbook author. He served as President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh from 1958-59.-Sources:*-External links:...
(1958–1959) - Professor Sir Edmund HirstEdmund HirstSir Edmund Langley Hirst CBE FRS FRSE , was a British chemist.He held the Forbes Chair of Organic Chemistry at Edinburgh University and was head of department there from 1959 to 1964....
(1959–1964) - Professor J. Norman Davidson (1964–1967)
- Professor Norman FeatherNorman FeatherNorman Feather FRS FRSE PRSE , was an English physicist.He was Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh from 1945 to 1975, then Emeritus Professor...
(1967–1970) - Sir Maurice YongeMaurice YongeSir Charles Maurice Yonge CBE FRS was a British zoologist. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1946 and won its Darwin Medal in 1968. He was born and later educated at Silcoates School, where his father was headmaster....
(l970-1973) - The Hon Lord CameronJohn Cameron, Lord CameronJohn Cameron, Lord Cameron KT DSC PRSE FBA was a Scottish judge, and President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh from 1973 to 1976.He was elected a Senator of the College of Justice on 5 July 1955....
(1973–1976) - Professor R. A. Smith (1976–1979)
- Sir Kenneth Blaxter (1979–1982)
- Sir John Atwell (1982–1985)
- Sir Alwyn WilliamsAlwyn Williams (geologist)Sir Alwyn Williams Kt, FRS, FRSE, MRIA, FGS was a Welsh geologist, who was Principal of the University of Glasgow from 1976 to 1988, and President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh from 1985 to 1988.-Early life:...
(1985–1988) - Professor Charles Kemball (1988–1991)
- Professor Sir Alastair Currie (1991–1993)
- Dr Thomas L. JohnstonThomas L. JohnstonThomas Lothian Johnston FRSE was a Scottish economist. He was professor of Economics at Heriot-Watt University in 1966–1976. He was the...
(1993–1996) - Professor Malcolm JeevesMalcolm JeevesProf Malcolm Jeeves CBE FRSE is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of St. Andrews, and was formerly President of The Royal Society of Edinburgh. He established the Department of Psychology at St...
(1996–1999) - Sir William StewartWilliam Stewart (scientist)Sir William Duncan Paterson Stewart, FRS, FRSE was President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh from 1999–2002 and Chairman of the Microbiological Research Authority...
(1999–2002) - Lord Sutherland of Houndwood (2002–2005)
- Michael AtiyahMichael AtiyahSir Michael Francis Atiyah, OM, FRS, FRSE is a British mathematician working in geometry.Atiyah grew up in Sudan and Egypt but spent most of his academic life in the United Kingdom at Oxford and Cambridge, and in the United States at the Institute for Advanced Study...
(2005–2008) - Lord Wilson of Tillyorn (2008–2011)
- Sir John Peebles ArbuthnottJohn Peebles ArbuthnottSir John Peebles Arbuthnott is a Scottish microbiologist, and was Principal of the University of Strathclyde. He succeeded Lord Wilson of Tillyorn as President of The Royal Society of Edinburgh in October 2011....
(2011–present)
Notable Fellows
Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, denoted by the use of the initialism or post-nominal FRSE in official titles, have included:- Leonard Schmitz, Ph.D., Rector of the High School of Edinburgh
- Alexander AitkenAlexander AitkenAlexander Craig Aitken was one of New Zealand's greatest mathematicians. He studied for a PhD at the University of Edinburgh, where his dissertation, "Smoothing of Data", was considered so impressive that he was awarded a DSc in 1926, and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh...
, New Zealand mathematician - Jack AllenJohn F. Allen (physicist)John "Jack" Frank Allen was a Canadian-born physicist. Along with Pyotr Leonidovich Kapitsa and Don Misener, Allen discovered the superfluid phase of matter in 1937 using liquid helium in the Royal Society Mond Laboratory in Cambridge, England...
, Canadian physicist who helped discover the superfluidSuperfluidSuperfluidity is a state of matter in which the matter behaves like a fluid without viscosity and with extremely high thermal conductivity. The substance, which appears to be a normal liquid, will flow without friction past any surface, which allows it to continue to circulate over obstructions and...
phase of matter in 1937 using liquid heliumLiquid heliumHelium exists in liquid form only at extremely low temperatures. The boiling point and critical point depend on the isotope of the helium; see the table below for values. The density of liquid helium-4 at its boiling point and 1 atmosphere is approximately 0.125 g/mL Helium-4 was first liquefied...
, Professor of Physics at the University of St AndrewsUniversity of St AndrewsThe University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between... - Sir William Eric Kinloch AndersonWilliam Eric Kinloch AndersonSir William "Eric" Kinloch Anderson, , was Provost of Eton College from September 2000 – 30 January 2009.Anderson was educated at George Watson's College, Edinburgh and gained a MA degree in English at the University of St. Andrews...
, ProvostProvost (education)A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
of Eton CollegeEton CollegeEton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor".... - John Arbuthnott, 16th Viscount of ArbuthnottJohn Arbuthnott, 16th Viscount of ArbuthnottJohn Campbell Arbuthnott, 16th Viscount of Arbuthnott, is a Scottish peer, and was Lord Lieutenant of Kincardineshire...
, Scottish soldier and businessman - Struther ArnottStruther ArnottStruther Arnott CBE FRS FRSE FIBiol FRSC is a Scottish molecular biologist and chemist who specialises in cancer research...
, Scottish molecular biologist and Vice-chancellor of the University of St AndrewsUniversity of St AndrewsThe University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between... - Robert BaldRobert BaldRobert Bald FRSE was a Scottish surveyor, civil and mining engineer, and antiquarian. He was born in Culross, Scotland, the son of Alexander Bald , a colliery agent of Alloa...
, surveyor and mining engineer - Sir Derek Barton, chemist, winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry
- Sir John Carruthers BeattieJohn Carruthers BeattieSir John Carruthers Beattie was the first principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Town from 1918 to 1937. He was born on 21 November 1866 in Waterbeck, Scotland. He graduated from Edinburgh University having studied at Munich, Vienna, Berlin and Glasgow...
, physicist and first Vice-chancellor of the University of Cape TownUniversity of Cape TownThe University of Cape Town is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.-History:The roots of... - Sir James W. BlackJames W. BlackSir James Whyte Black, OM, FRS, FRSE, FRCP was a Scottish doctor and pharmacologist. He spent his career both as researcher and as an academic at several universities. Black established the physiology department at the University of Glasgow, where he became interested in the effects of adrenaline...
, Scottish pharmacologist who invented Propranolol, synthesised CimetidineCimetidineCimetidine INN is a histamine H2-receptor antagonist that inhibits the production of acid in the stomach. It is largely used in the treatment of heartburn and peptic ulcers. It is marketed by GlaxoSmithKline under the trade name Tagamet...
, and received the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1988 - Robert Black, Queen's CounselQueen's CounselQueen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, Professor of Scots LawScots lawScots law is the legal system of Scotland. It is considered a hybrid or mixed legal system as it traces its roots to a number of different historical sources. With English law and Northern Irish law it forms the legal system of the United Kingdom; it shares with the two other systems some...
at the University of Edinburgh - Walter Biggar BlaikieWalter Biggar BlaikieWalter Biggar Blaikie FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, printer, historian and astronomer.Son of William Garden Blaikie...
- Norman BorlaugNorman BorlaugNorman Ernest Borlaug was an American agronomist, humanitarian, and Nobel laureate who has been called "the father of the Green Revolution". Borlaug was one of only six people to have won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal...
, American agricultural scientist, winner of the Nobel Peace PrizeNobel Peace PrizeThe Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
in 1970, father of the Green RevolutionGreen RevolutionGreen Revolution refers to a series of research, development, and technology transfer initiatives, occurring between the 1940s and the late 1970s, that increased agriculture production around the world, beginning most markedly in the late 1960s.... - L.J.F. BrimbleL.J.F. BrimbleLionel John Farnham Brimble was a botanist, author, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and editor of Nature magazine.-Early life:...
, botanist and editor of NatureNature (journal)Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
magazine - Sarah Broadie, philosopher specialising in metaphysicsMetaphysicsMetaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
and ethicsEthicsEthics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
, Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of St Andrews - John Campbell BrownJohn Campbell BrownJohn Campbell Brown FRSE is an astronomer, Regius Professor at University of Glasgow, Astronomer Royal for Scotland, and is an honorary professor at both University of Edinburgh and University of Aberdeen....
, Astronomer Royal for ScotlandAstronomer Royal for ScotlandAstronomer Royal for Scotland was the title of the director of the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh until 1995. It has since been an honorary title.The following have served as Astronomers Royal for Scotland:* 1834–1844 Thomas Henderson...
, Regius ProfessorRegius ProfessorRegius Professorships are "royal" professorships at the ancient universities of the United Kingdom and Ireland - namely Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dublin. Each of the chairs was created by a monarch, and each appointment, save those at Dublin, is approved by the...
of AstronomyAstronomyAstronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
at the University of GlasgowUniversity of GlasgowThe University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the... - Sir Samuel Brown, engineer and suspension bridgeSuspension bridgeA suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...
pioneer - John M. Caie, civil servant and poet. Author of The Puddock
- Sir Kenneth CalmanKenneth CalmanSir Kenneth Charles Calman, KCB, DL, FRSE is a Scottish cancer researcher and former Chief Medical Officer of Scotland, and then England. He was Warden and Vice-Chancellor of Durham University from 1998 to 2006, before becoming Chancellor of the University of Glasgow. He has held the position of...
, Scottish doctor, Chief Medical Officer for Scotland then EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Vice-chancellor of Durham UniversityDurham UniversityThe University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
; Chancellor of Glasgow University - Andy ClarkAndy ClarkAndy Clark is a Professor of Philosophy and Chair in Logic and Metaphysics at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Before this he was director of the Cognitive Science Program at Indiana University in Bloomington. Previously, he taught at Washington University at St. Louis and the University...
- Roger CowleyRoger CowleyRoger Arthur Cowley, FRS, FRSE, FInstPhys is an English physicist who has specialised in the excitations of solids. He obtained a B.A. in physics from Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge in 1960 and a Ph.D. in 1963...
, physicist, Professor of Experimental Philosophy at OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096... - Tom DevineTom DevineThomas Martin "Tom" Devine OBE FRSE FRHistS FBA is a Scottish historian. His main research interest is the history of the Scottish nation since c.1600 and its global connections and impact....
, historian - Kenneth DoverKenneth DoverSir Kenneth James Dover, FRSE, FBA was a distinguished British Classical scholar and academic, who was head of an Oxford college and from 1981 until his retirement in December 2005 was Chancellor of the University of St Andrews....
- Professor Sir David EdwardSir David EdwardSir David Alexander Ogilvy Edward, KCMG, QC, FRSE, PC is a Scottish lawyer and academic, and former Judge of the Court of Justice of the European Communities.-Early life:Edward was born in 1934 in Perth...
- James Alfred EwingJames Alfred EwingSir James Alfred Ewing KCB FRS FRSE MInstitCE was a Scottish physicist and engineer, best known for his work on the magnetic properties of metals and, in particular, for his discovery of, and coinage of the word, hysteresis.It was said of Ewing that he was 'Careful at all times of his appearance,...
, Scottish physicist and engineer, discoverer of hysteresisHysteresisHysteresis is the dependence of a system not just on its current environment but also on its past. This dependence arises because the system can be in more than one internal state. To predict its future evolution, either its internal state or its history must be known. If a given input alternately...
, Vice-chancellor of the University of Edinburgh - Ian FellsIan FellsIan Fells CBE, PhD, FREng, FRSC, FInstE, FIChemE, FRSE is Emeritus Professor of Energy Conversion at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and former chairman of the "New and Renewable Energy Centre" at Blyth, Northumberland, England.-Education and career:...
- David FergussonDavid FergussonDavid A. S. Fergusson is a Scottish theologian. He is Professor of Divinity at New College in the University of Edinburgh. He is a minister of the Church of Scotland.He was born in Glasgow....
, Professor of Divinity at New College, University of Edinburgh - John FinchamJohn FinchamJohn Robert Stanley Fincham FRS FRSE was a noted British geneticist who made important contributions to biochemical genetics and microbial genetics. Perhaps most notably, he obtained the first direct evidence for the "one gene-one enzyme" hypothesis...
- James David ForbesJames David ForbesJames David Forbes was a Scottish physicist and glaciologist who worked extensively on the conduction of heat and seismology. Forbes was a resident of Edinburgh for most of his life, educated at the University and a professor there from 1833 until he became principal of the United College of St...
- Alexander GrayAlexander Gray (poet)Professor Sir Alexander Gray CBE, FRSE was a Scottish civil servant, economist, academic, translator writer and poet.-Life and work:...
, Scottish economist, translator and poet, Professor of Political EconomyPolitical economyPolitical economy originally was the term for studying production, buying, and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government, as well as with the distribution of national income and wealth, including through the budget process. Political economy originated in moral philosophy...
at the University of AberdeenUniversity of AberdeenThe University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
and the University of Edinburgh - William GreenfieldWilliam Greenfield (Minister)William Greenfield was a Scottish minister, literary critic, author and mathematician whose career ended in scandal, resulting in him being excommunicated from the Church of Scotland, having his university degrees withdrawn, and his family assuming the name Rutherfurd.He served as joint-minister...
, Professor of Rhetoric and Belles Lettres at Edinburgh University, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of ScotlandModerator of the General Assembly of the Church of ScotlandThe Moderator of the General Assembly of Church of Scotland is a Minister, Elder or Deacon of the Church of Scotland chosen to "moderate" the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every May.... - William Michael Herbert GreavesWilliam Michael Herbert GreavesWilliam Michael Herbert Greaves FRS was a British astronomer.He was born in Barbados, West Indies to Dr. E. C. Greaves, a medical doctor trained at Edinburgh University. William Greaves was educated first at Lodge School and Codrington College in Barbados then travelled to England to study at St...
- John Currie GunnJohn Currie GunnSir John Currie Gunn CBE, FRSE was an influential Scottish scientist.Gunn was born in Glasgow and educated at the University of Glasgow, and St John's College, Cambridge....
- James E. TalmageJames E. TalmageJames Edward Talmage born in Hungerford, Berkshire, England, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1911 until his death in 1933....
, Geologist, Chemist, prolific author (see Jesus the Christ (book)), President of the University of Utah, Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Peter HiggsPeter HiggsPeter Ware Higgs, FRS, FRSE, FKC , is an English theoretical physicist and an emeritus professor at the University of Edinburgh....
- Right Reverend Richard HollowayRichard HollowayRichard F. Holloway is a Scottish writer and broadcaster and was formerly Bishop of Edinburgh in the Scottish Episcopal Church....
, writer, broadcaster, Bishop of EdinburghBishop of EdinburghThe Bishop of Edinburgh is the Ordinary of the Scottish Episcopal Diocese of Edinburgh.The see was founded in 1633 by King Charles I. William Forbes was consecrated in St. Giles' Cathedral as its first bishop on 23 January 1634 though he died later that year...
in the Scottish Episcopal ChurchScottish Episcopal ChurchThe Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 17th century, it has had an identity distinct from the presbyterian Church of Scotland.... - James HuttonJames HuttonJames Hutton was a Scottish physician, geologist, naturalist, chemical manufacturer and experimental agriculturalist. He is considered the father of modern geology...
, regarded as the founder of modern geologyGeologyGeology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates... - John Mackintosh HowieJohn Mackintosh HowieJohn Mackintosh Howie, CBE, FRSE , Scottish mathematician, is a prominent semigroup theorist.Howie was educated at Robert Gordon's College, Aberdeen, the University of Aberdeenand Balliol College, Oxford....
- John JamiesonJohn JamiesonJohn Jamieson FRSE was a Scottish minister of religion, lexicographer, philologist and antiquary.The son of the Rev John Jamieson, Minister of the Associate Congregation, Duke Street, Glasgow, he was educated at Glasgow Grammar School.He was educated at the University of Glasgow, and subsequently...
- Fleeming JenkinFleeming JenkinHenry Charles Fleeming Jenkin was Professor of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, remarkable for his versatility. Known to the world as the inventor of telpherage, he was an electrician and cable engineer, economist, lecturer, linguist, critic, actor, dramatist and artist...
- Mstislav KeldyshMstislav KeldyshMstislav Vsevolodovich Keldysh was a Soviet scientist in the field of mathematics and mechanics, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences , President of the USSR Academy of Sciences , three times Hero of Socialist Labor , fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh . He was one of the key figures...
- Cargill Gilston KnottCargill Gilston KnottCargill Gilston Knott was a Scottish physicist and mathematician who was a pioneer in seismological research. He spent his early career in Japan...
- Chris J. LeaverChris J. LeaverChristopher J. Leaver CBE FRS FRSE is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford and an Emeritus Fellow, of St John's College, Oxford, England....
, Professor of Plant Sciences at the University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096... - Sir Neil MacCormickNeil MacCormickSir Neil MacCormick, QC, FBA, FRSE , or just Neil MacCormick, was a legal philosopher and Scottish politician. He was Regius Professor of Public Law and the Law of Nature and Nations at the University of Edinburgh from 1972 until 2008...
, Regius ProfessorRegius ProfessorRegius Professorships are "royal" professorships at the ancient universities of the United Kingdom and Ireland - namely Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dublin. Each of the chairs was created by a monarch, and each appointment, save those at Dublin, is approved by the...
of Public LawPublic lawPublic law is a theory of law governing the relationship between individuals and the state. Under this theory, constitutional law, administrative law and criminal law are sub-divisions of public law...
at the University of EdinburghUniversity of EdinburghThe University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
and Vice-president of the Scottish National PartyScottish National PartyThe Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom.... - Professor David W. Macdonald, zoologistZoologyZoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
- Alexander MacfarlaneAlexander MacfarlaneAlexander Macfarlane was a Nova Scotia lawyer and political figure. He was a member of the Canadian Senate from 1870 to 1898. His surname also appears as McFarlane in some sources....
, physicist, mathematician, and secretary of the Quaternion Society - Neil MackieNeil MackieNeil Mackie CBE, CStJ, FRSE, FRCM, FRSAMD is a Scottish classical tenor and Professor at the Royal Academy of Music. During his 30 year international career as a singer, he was closely associated with the works of 20th century composers, particularly Benjamin Britten, and Peter Maxwell Davies...
, Scottish tenorTenorThe tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
, Head of Vocal Studies at the Royal College of MusicRoyal College of MusicThe Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry... - Aubrey ManningAubrey ManningProfessor Aubrey William George Manning OBE FRSE FIBiol is a distinguished English zoologist and broadcaster.-Life:...
, English zoologist and broadcaster, Professor of Natural HistoryNatural historyNatural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
at the University of Edinburgh - James Napier, Scottish writer
- Cyril OffordCyril OffordAlbert Cyril Offord FRS was a British mathematician. He received two Ph.D.s in mathematics: from the University of London in 1932, and from Oxford in 1936....
- Professor Hugh PenningtonHugh PenningtonHugh Pennington FRCPath, FRCP FMedSci, FRSE is emeritus professor of bacteriology at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. Outside academia, he is best known as the chair of the Pennington Group enquiry into the Scottish Escherichia coli outbreak of 1996 and as Chairman of the Public Inquiry...
, Microbiologist - John PlayfairJohn PlayfairJohn Playfair FRSE, FRS was a Scottish scientist and mathematician, and a professor of natural philosophy at the University of Edinburgh. He is perhaps best known for his book Illustrations of the Huttonian Theory of the Earth , which summarized the work of James Hutton...
, Scottish mathematician and physicist, Professor of MathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and the Natural PhilosophyNatural philosophyNatural philosophy or the philosophy of nature , is a term applied to the study of nature and the physical universe that was dominant before the development of modern science...
at the University of Edinburgh - Lyon Playfair, 1st Baron PlayfairLyon Playfair, 1st Baron PlayfairLyon Playfair, 1st Baron Playfair GCB, PC, FRS was a Scottish scientist and Liberal politician.-Background and education:...
- Juda Hirsch QuastelJuda Hirsch QuastelJuda Hirsch Quastel, CC, FRS, FRSE was a British-Canadian biochemist who pioneered diverse research in neurochemistry, soil metabolism, cellular metabolism, and cancer....
- John RandallJohn Randall (physicist)Sir John Turton Randall, FRS, FRSE, was a British physicist and biophysicist, credited with radical improvement of the cavity magnetron, an essential component of centimetric wavelength radar, which was one of the keys to the Allied victory in the Second World War. It is also the key component of...
, physicist - Archie RoyArchie Roy- Career :Professor Archie Edminston Roy , was educated at Hillhead High School and the University of Glasgow. He is married to Frances with three sons; Dr. Archie W N Roy, Ian Roy and David Roy....
, Professor of astronomyAstronomyAstronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
at the University of GlasgowUniversity of GlasgowThe University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
and former president of the Society for Psychical ResearchSociety for Psychical ResearchThe Society for Psychical Research is a non-profit organisation in the United Kingdom. Its stated purpose is to understand "events and abilities commonly described as psychic or paranormal by promoting and supporting important research in this area" and to "examine allegedly paranormal phenomena... - Daniel Fox SandfordDaniel Fox SandfordDaniel Fox Sandford was the Bishop of Tasmania from 1883 until 1889. Educated at Glasgow University and ordained in 1854 he was Chaplain to the Bishop of Edinburgh, during which time he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Subsequently a vicar, then canon within the area he was...
Former Bishop of TasmaniaAnglican Diocese of TasmaniaThe Anglican Diocese of Tasmania includes the entire Tasmanian archipelago and is an extraprovincial diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia. The cathedral church of the diocese is St David's Cathedral in Hobart. The current Bishop of Tasmania, ordained as bishop and also installed on 25 July...
1883-89 - Sir Walter ScottWalter ScottSir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
, romantic and historical novelist (IvanhoeIvanhoeIvanhoe is a historical fiction novel by Sir Walter Scott in 1819, and set in 12th-century England. Ivanhoe is sometimes credited for increasing interest in Romanticism and Medievalism; John Henry Newman claimed Scott "had first turned men's minds in the direction of the middle ages," while...
, Rob RoyRob Roy (novel)Rob Roy is a historical novel by Walter Scott. It is narrated by Frank Osbaldistone, the son of an English merchant who travels first to the North of England, and subsequently to the Scottish Highlands to collect a debt stolen from his father. On the way he encounters the larger-than-life title...
, The Lady of the Lake, WaverleyWaverley (novel)Waverley is an 1814 historical novel by Sir Walter Scott. Initially published anonymously in 1814 as Scott's first venture into prose fiction, Waverley is often regarded as the first historical novel. It became so popular that Scott's later novels were advertised as being "by the author of...
, The Heart of MidlothianThe Heart of MidlothianThe Heart of Midlothian is the seventh of Sir Walter Scott’s Waverley Novels. It was originally published in four volumes on 25 July 1818, under the title of Tales of My Landlord, 2nd series, and the author was given as "Jedediah Cleishbotham, Schoolmaster and Parish-clerk of Gandercleugh"...
and others) - Richard SillittoRichard SillittoRichard M. Sillitto was an optical physicist who wrote a useful text on quantum mechanics. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Fellow of the Institute of Physics as well as a past president of the Scottish branch of the Institute of Physics. Sillitto was Reader and Reader...
- John Sinclair, writer
- Adam SmithAdam SmithAdam Smith was a Scottish social philosopher and a pioneer of political economy. One of the key figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, Smith is the author of The Theory of Moral Sentiments and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations...
, classical economist; philosopher of the Scottish EnlightenmentScottish EnlightenmentThe Scottish Enlightenment was the period in 18th century Scotland characterised by an outpouring of intellectual and scientific accomplishments. By 1750, Scots were among the most literate citizens of Europe, with an estimated 75% level of literacy... - Alexander McCall SmithAlexander McCall SmithAlexander "Sandy" McCall Smith, CBE, FRSE, is a Rhodesian-born Scottish writer and Emeritus Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh. In the late 20th century, McCall Smith became a respected expert on medical law and bioethics and served on British and international committees...
, Rhodesia-born Scottish novelist (The No. 1 Ladies' Detective AgencyThe No. 1 Ladies' Detective AgencyThe No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a series of twelve novels by Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith. The agency is located in Gaborone, capital of Botswana. Its founder is a Motswana woman, Mma Precious Ramotswe, who features as the stories' protagonist and main detective...
, Portuguese Irregular VerbsPortuguese Irregular Verbs (novel)Portuguese Irregular Verbs is a short comic novel by Alexander McCall Smith, and the first of McCall Smith's Professor Dr von Igelfeld novels. It was first published in 2003....
, The Sunday Philosophy ClubThe Sunday Philosophy ClubThe Sunday Philosophy Club is the first of the Sunday Philosophy Club series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith, set in Edinburgh, Scotland, and featuring the protagonist Isabel Dalhousie. It was first published in 2004.-Plot synopsis:...
, 44 Scotland Street44 Scotland Street44 Scotland Street is an episodic novel by Alexander McCall Smith, the author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. The story was first published as a serial in The Scotsman, starting 26 January 2004, every weekday, for six months. The book retains the 100+ short chapters of the original...
and others), Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh - Christopher SmoutChristopher SmoutThomas Christopher Smout CBE, FBA, FRSE, is a Scottish academic, historian, author and Historiographer Royal in Scotland.-Career:Smout taught at the University of Edinburgh, from 1959 until 1980...
- Sir John StruthersJohn Struthers (anatomist)Sir John Struthers, LRCSE, MD, LLD, FRCSE, FRSE was Professor of Anatomy at the University of Aberdeen....
, anatomist and the first Regius Professor of AnatomyRegius Professor of Anatomy (Aberdeen)The Regius Professor of Anatomy is a Regius Professorship at the University of Aberdeen....
at the University of AberdeenUniversity of AberdeenThe University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world... - Stewart Sutherland, Baron Sutherland of HoundwoodStewart Sutherland, Baron Sutherland of HoundwoodStewart Ross Sutherland, Baron Sutherland of Houndwood, is a British academic and public servant and one of the UK's most distinguished philosophers of religion.He was educated at Robert Gordon's College...
, Scottish Academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor and Principle for the University of EdinburghUniversity of EdinburghThe University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university... - Peter Guthrie TaitPeter Guthrie TaitPeter Guthrie Tait FRSE was a Scottish mathematical physicist, best known for the seminal energy physics textbook Treatise on Natural Philosophy, which he co-wrote with Kelvin, and his early investigations into knot theory, which contributed to the eventual formation of topology as a mathematical...
- Thomas TelfordThomas TelfordThomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
, First President of the Institution of Civil Engineers - George Thomson, Baron Thomson of MonifiethGeorge Thomson, Baron Thomson of MonifiethGeorge Morgan Thomson, Baron Thomson of Monifieth, KT, PC, DL, FRSE, was a journalist and British politician belonging to the Labour Party. In the 1980s, he joined the Social Democratic Party. Following the SDP's merger with the Liberal Party, he became a Liberal Democrat and sat as a Liberal...
, Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
minister and European CommissionerEuropean CommissionerA European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each Member within the college holds a specific portfolio and are led by the President of the European Commission... - William Thomson, 1st Baron KelvinWilliam Thomson, 1st Baron KelvinWilliam Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin OM, GCVO, PC, PRS, PRSE, was a mathematical physicist and engineer. At the University of Glasgow he did important work in the mathematical analysis of electricity and formulation of the first and second laws of thermodynamics, and did much to unify the emerging...
, IrishIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
-born BritishUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and IrelandThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
mathematical physicistMathematical physicsMathematical physics refers to development of mathematical methods for application to problems in physics. The Journal of Mathematical Physics defines this area as: "the application of mathematics to problems in physics and the development of mathematical methods suitable for such applications and...
and engineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,... - Ronald Pearson TrippRonald Pearson TrippRonald Pearson Tripp was a British paleontologist specializing in trilobites. Born in England in 1914, Tripp was self-taught in paleontology, but became an authority in the taxonomy of the trilobite families Encrinuridae, Lichidae, and Lichakephalidae – the latter of which he named...
, paleontologist - Colin VincentColin VincentColin Angus Vincent, OBE, FRSE, is a British electrochemist with a specific interest in high energy batteries. He attended Oban High School and Glasgow University where he was medallist in Chemistry and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree, a Ph.D. and later a D.Sc...
- Conrad Hal WaddingtonConrad Hal WaddingtonConrad Hal Waddington CBE FRS FRSE was a developmental biologist, paleontologist, geneticist, embryologist and philosopher who laid the foundations for systems biology...
- James WattJames WattJames Watt, FRS, FRSE was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer whose improvements to the Newcomen steam engine were fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.While working as an instrument maker at the...
, Scottish inventor and engineer whose improvements to the steam engineSteam engineA steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
were fundamental to the Industrial RevolutionIndustrial RevolutionThe Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times... - John Bainbridge WebsterJohn Bainbridge WebsterProfessor John B. Webster, MA, PhD, DD, FRSE is a notable contemporary British theologian of the Anglican communion writing in the area of systematic, historical and moral theology...
, Chair of Systematic Theology at King's College, University of AberdeenUniversity of AberdeenThe University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world... - John WishartJohn Wishart (statistician)John Wishart was a Scottish mathematician and agricultural statistician.He worked successively at University College London with Karl Pearson, at Rothamsted Experimental Station with Ronald Fisher, and then as a reader in statistics in the University of Cambridge where he became the first...
(statistician) - Charles W. J. WithersCharles W. J. WithersProfessor Charles W. J. Withers FBA, FRSE is professor of historical geography at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.- Education :...
- Ronald Selby WrightRonald Selby WrightRonald William Vernon Selby Wright CVO TD JP FRSE FSAScot was a Church of Scotland minister....
, minister of the Canongate Kirk, Edinburgh - Crispin WrightCrispin WrightCrispin Wright is a British philosopher, who has written on neo-Fregean philosophy of mathematics, Wittgenstein's later philosophy, and on issues related to truth, realism, cognitivism, skepticism, knowledge, and objectivity....
- Hideki YukawaHideki Yukawané , was a Japanese theoretical physicist and the first Japanese Nobel laureate.-Biography:Yukawa was born in Tokyo and grew up in Kyoto. In 1929, after receiving his degree from Kyoto Imperial University, he stayed on as a lecturer for four years. After graduation, he was interested in...
, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese theoretical physicist who predicted the pionPionIn particle physics, a pion is any of three subatomic particles: , , and . Pions are the lightest mesons and they play an important role in explaining the low-energy properties of the strong nuclear force....
and K-capture, the first Japanese to win a Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895... - Derick Thompson, Gaelic poet, academic, president of the Scottish Poetry LibraryScottish Poetry LibraryThe Scottish Poetry Library was founded in 1984 by the poet Tessa Ransford. It originally had two staff members, including Scottish poet, Tom Hubbard, and 300 books, but has since expanded considerably to containing 30,000 items of Scottish and international poetry...
- M. M. Pattison MuirM. M. Pattison MuirMatthew Moncrieff Pattison Muir, FRSE, FCS was a chemist and author. He taught chemistry at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and was head of the Caius Laboratory there...
, chemist and historian of science
External links
- Royal Society of Edinburgh Website
- MacTutor: Royal Society of Edinburgh
- MacTutor: Mathematician fellows
- Notes on the Royal Society of Edinburgh from the Scholarly Societies project, University of Waterloo Library (includes information on the journals of the society)
- List of award winners