author
George Forbes
1849–1936
A Scottish engineer and astronomer who moved easily between the laboratory, the observatory, and the wider world, he helped shape early electric power systems while also writing about science for general readers. His life joined practical invention with curiosity about everything from planets to long-distance technology.
2 Audiobooks
History of Astronomy
by George Forbes
Adventures in Southern Seas: A Tale of the Sixteenth Century
by George Forbes
About the author
Born in Edinburgh on April 5, 1849, he was the son of the physicist James David Forbes and studied at Edinburgh Academy, St Andrews, and Cambridge. He went on to become a professor at Anderson's College in Glasgow while still quite young, and early in his career he joined the 1874 expedition to Hawaii to observe the transit of Venus.
His work ranged widely across astronomy and engineering. He advised on major electrical projects in the early age of power transmission, including work connected with hydroelectric development and the Niagara Falls scheme, and he also developed inventions of his own. Alongside this practical work, he wrote books and articles that brought scientific ideas to a broader audience.
That mix of hands-on engineering, exploration, and public writing makes him an especially interesting figure for readers today. He died in Worthing on October 22, 1936, remembered as a scientist who was just as comfortable explaining the heavens as helping build the modern electrical world.