Resumen de Thomas Young and the Rosetta Stone
Thomas Young (1773–1829) is best known in the physics community for his double-slit experiment demonstrating the wave property of light and for his work on the tensile properties of solids (Young’s modulus). His reputation as a physicist was built almost entirely upon a short, three-year period (1801–1803) of intense work as an instructor in physics and philosophy at the Royal Institution. The culmination of his work at the Royal Institution is described in A Course in Lectures on Natural Philosophy and Mechanical Arts (1807), a two-volume set containing a wide diversity of topics, including his double-slit experiments. Physics teachers and their students should be aware that Thomas Young’s contributions went far beyond these two accomplishments. Little known is that, despite having a reputation as a physicist, Young never took degrees in natural philosophy (physics). He studied to become a physician by attending prestigious medical schools in London, Edinburgh, and Göttingen. To become certified as a physician, he completed a bachelor’s and doctorate degrees at Cambridge University in physic (medicine).
