William Henry Bragg on the Essence of Science

"The important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them."

-- William Henry Bragg

(Featured image sourced from Top British Innovations.)

William Henry Bragg's Biography

William Henry Bragg was a professor of physics and mathematics, and was known for making important contributions to many scientific disciplines. Born in Westward, Cumberland in the United Kingdom on July 2, 1862, Bragg was thoroughly educated while attending Market Harborough Grammar School and King William's College in the Isle of Man. He later went on to study physics at the Cavendish Laboratory, as well as becoming elected to the Professorship of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Adelaide, in Southern Australia. Bragg's career continued to flourish, and he was subsequently appointed Cavendish Professor of Physics at Leeds, Quain Professor of Physics at the University College London, and Fullerian Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Institution.

Bragg had numerous research interests, but the work that earned him a rank as one the great leaders in science was his historic advancements in X-ray crystallography....

Bragg turned his attention to detection of sound in water during the First World War, and spent several years conducting research on the detection and measurement of sound with the intention of locating submarines. Following the war, Bragg was knighted and earned the Order of Merit in 1931. He was elected president of the Royal Society in 1935. His reputation earned Bragg honorary doctorate degrees from over 15 universities, and he was a distinguished member of many leading foreign science societies. Bragg was awarded the Royal Society's Rumford Medal in 1916 and the highest award, the Copley Medal in 1930. After a lifetime of achievement, Bragg died quietly on March 10, 1942.

(Biography sourced from Florida State University.)

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