Reasons to be proud to be Scottish

[Phil]

You know it wasn’t just kilts that were invented by Scots, although some would have us believe they were really invented by an Englishman!
That Englishman’s compatriots, however, probably wear a raincoat, patented by Charles Macintosh from Glasgow, Scotland. Maybe they set off for work on a bicycle – invented by Kirkpatrick Macmillan from Thornhill in Scotland with pneumatic tyres on it invented by John Boyd Dunlop of Dreghorn, Scotland on a tarmac road surface originated by John Macadam from Ayr, Scotland. Heaven forbid they should have an accident on this bicycle they may be rushed to hospital where they might have an anaesthetic discovered by Sir James Young Simpson of Bathgate, Scotland and later given penicillin discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming of Darvel, Scotland. When they get to work they will probably spend some time speaking on the telephone invented by Alexander Graham Bell, born in Edinburgh, Scotland and post a few letters with postage stamps invented by John Chalmers of Dundee, Scotland to their bank, the Bank of England, founded by William Paterson of Dumfries, Scotland. At home, after work, they will probably settle down to watch television, invented by John Logie Baird from Helensburgh, Scotland which with a much-needed drink and,of course the Scots make the best whisky in the world. They might watch a programme about the American navy founded by John Paul Jones of Kirkbean, Scotland. If this is just too much they may turn to the Bible for inspiration only to find the first man mentioned is another Scot, King James VI who authorised its translation. Now reaching desperation they might reach for their rifle to end it all only to find that the breech-loading rifle was invented by Captain Patrick Ferguson of Pitfours, Scotland.
All of this was brought to mind by the unveiling today in Edinburgh of a statue commemorating one of Scotland’s most important scientists, the physicist James Clerk Maxwell, whose work led to the development of the telephone and television.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7748533.stm

[slohairt]

Here, Here! Though as an Irishman, I might contend your claim to the best whiskey!

[Nick the DSM]

I didn't know most of that stuff...sweet.

[macwilkin]

All of this was brought to mind by the unveiling today in Edinburgh of a statue commemorating one of Scotland’s most important scientists, the physicist James Clerk Maxwell, whose work led to the development of the telephone and television.

Don't forget another Scot involved with the development of television, John Logie Baird:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/histori...rd_logie.shtml

http://www.bairdtelevision.com/

Cheers,

Todd

[Bugbear]

We should all be proud and humbled for Scotland that James Clerk Maxwell was Scottish.

[Southern Breeze]

Great post!

[Derek Conley]

What a phenomenal post!

[Howard Clark]

This is a good read. Lots of other such interesting things.

[Geoff Withnell]

My goodness, how in the world could we be on this topic and not mention James Watt? He didn't invent the steam engine, but his improvements on the idea first made it practical. Scotland was so much the home of the steam power that ran the Industrial revolution that the stereotypical engineer is a Scotsman, to the the point were the first engineer in Star Trek was "Scottie"!

Geoff Withnell

[thanmuwa]

... speaking on the telephone invented by Alexander Graham Bell, born in Edinburgh, Scotland

Afraid I can't give you that one . It was a guy called Meucci.

There are plenty of other Scots in the history of the sciences, William Thomson, (Lord Kelvin), Alexander Wilson (Wilson cloud chamber), Robert Brown (of Brownian motion fame ) to name but a few.

The use of asepsis in medicine was pioneered by Lister in the Glasgow Royal Infirmary (although Lister was English) and Ian Donald is credited as the originator of diagnostic ultrasound, again here in Glasgow. Glasgow Royal Infirmary is both a beautiful building and awe-inspiring due to the amount of pioneering in medicine that took place within it's walls.

And don't forget there would be rich people milling about everywhere, getting in everyone else's way, if the Scots hadn't invented golf!