Thomas Young

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Thomas Young

Thomas Young, English physician and physicist, was born on June 13, 1773, in Milverton, Somerset; and died May 10, 1829, in London. Young was the son of a banker, who at the tender age of two learned how to read. He attended boarding schools between 1780 and 1786, where he became fluent in several different languages. Young was also greatly knowledgeable in the fields of mathematics and natural sciences, and in 1793 he entered St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London to study medicine, and by 1796 Young had obtained a medical doctorate.

After receiving his doctorate, Young went to Emmanuel College in Cambridge, where he directed his attention to scientific matters. However, Young left Emmanuel College in 1799 and set up a medical practice in London. During this time Young's primary focus was sense perception, it was during this time that Young concluded that astigmatism results from an improperly curved cornea. It was also during this time that he turned to the study of light.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the nature of light was one of the mo...

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