Having been born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, William Thomson (1824-1907) went on to study at the University of Glasgow, and then ended up being Professor of Physics at the same university from 1846, where he remained for fifty-three years. His great contribution to science was the formulation of the four Laws of Thermodynamics, which had a huge impact on the way we understand the universe. The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but can be changed from one form to another. The Second Law of Thermodynamics is often called Entropy, which means that all systems in the universe, in a closed system, tend to move from order to disorder. Both of these laws together are powerful evidence of the universe having a beginning, but pointing to an outside power that began the process in the first place. This, of course, has metaphysical implications, which Thomson clearly understood as a dedicated Christian.
Thomson’s discovery of the absolute temperature scale of -273.15 degrees, when gas particles stop moving and the volume of gas becomes zero, was also another significant advance in scientific understanding. The unit on this scale has been named Kelvin, after William Thomson, Lord Kelvin.
In 1844, the American Christian, Samuel Morse, had invented telegraph communication. Thomson was appointed to supervise the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable to America, for which he was knighted in 1866 by Queen Victoria. Besides this, he also patented about seventy inventions. During his lifetime he received twenty-one honorary doctorates and was appointed as President of the Royal Society in Edinburgh, with the later title of Baron Kelvin of Largs being granted to him in 1892. He is buried with honour in the nave of Westminster Abbey, as one of Britain’s most influential scientists, near to the grave of Sir Isaac Newton, another prominent Christian.
Thomson was a devout Christian and the Chairman of the Christian Evidence Society, who spoke out clearly against the rise of atheism in his day. As a Church of Scotland elder and leading scientist, his position was reported in The Times newspaper on 2nd May, 1903, in which he said: “Do not be afraid of being free thinkers. If you think strongly enough you will be forced by science to the belief in God, which is the foundation of all Religion. You will find science not antagonistic, but helpful to Religion.”
“Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them” (Psalm 111:2, KJV).
Image: William Thomson (1824-1907), Lord Kelvin: T. & R. Annan & Sons, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons