The James Clerk Maxwell Foundation was formed in Scotland in 1977 to honour one of the greatest scientists who has ever lived: James Clerk Maxwell.

In 1993 the Foundation acquired James Clerk Maxwell's birthplace in Edinburgh. This elegant Georgian house, after period restoration, is now in active use as an international centre for mathematical sciences. On display is a growing collection of heritage material associated with James Clerk Maxwell, his associates and family circle.

The James Clerk Maxwell Foundation's objectives are:-

1.  To provide in the birthplace an attractive and stimulating environment for the
    mathematicians, scientists and engineers from all over the world to meet in
    seminars, symposia, workshops and courses.

2.  To advance the applications of mathematical sciences in science, industry and
    commerce through support in the birthplace for the International Centre for
    Mathematical Sciences (ICMS). ICMS was formed in 1990 by Edinburgh
    and Heriot-Watt Universities and works in collaboration with the worlds leading
    scientific societies.

3.  To develop programmes to encourage young students to become
    mathematicians, scientists and engineers. Research and travel grants are
    made to young scientists. James Clerk Maxwell prizes are awarded.

4.  To increase public awareness of the foundations laid by James Clerk Maxwell
    for the increasingly pervasive technologies of today, e.g. through meetings,
    exhibitions, lectures, and cultural events.

We welcome you to this web site and invite you to explore it, we hope that you will find something of interest about James Clerk Maxwell - The man who changed everything.
 

Mark Lazarowicz, Member of Parliament for Edinburgh North and Leith,
has tabled Early Day Motion 2048 in the UK Parliament as follows:

ANNIVERSARY OF BIRTH OF JAMES CLERK MAXWELL
That this House notes the 175th anniversary of the birth in Edinburgh on 13th June 1831 of the great Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell; notes that by discovering the nature of electromagnetic waves he paved the way for radio, television, radar and the mobile telephone; acknowledges the tributes paid to him by Max Planck who described his theory as `one of the greatest triumphs of human intellectual endeavour' and Einstein who said `One scientific epoch ended and another began with James Clerk Maxwell'; congratulates the James Clerk Maxwell Foundation on preserving his birthplace in Edinburgh and promoting the study of science by young people; further notes the programme of events to honour Maxwell in this anniversary year; and encourages all who wish to learn more to visit the website at www.maxwellyear2006.org

Click here for a list of the 108 MPs who support this motion.
 

Alex Fergusson, Member of Scottish Parliament for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, has
tabled Motion S2M-4337#, debated in The Scottish Parliament on June 28th, as follows: 

BIRTH OF JAMES CLERK MAXWELL
That the Parliament acknowledges the 175th anniversary of the birth of James Clerk Maxwell on 13 June 2006; recognises his great achievement in discovering the nature of electromagnetic waves which opened the way to the invention of television, radio, radar and the mobile phone; applauds his work on colour perception which enabled the successful development of colour television and colour photography, and believes that he is worthy of greater recognition throughout Scotland, given the acknowledgement of Albert Einstein, who said that “the special theory of relativity owes its origins to Maxwell’s equations of the electromagnetic field”, and of Ivan Tolstoy, who wrote “Maxwell’s importance in the history of scientific thought is comparable to Einstein’s (whom he inspired) and to Newton’s (whose influence he curtailed)”.

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