Young, Thomas

Young, Thomas (1773-1829), British physicist, doctor, and Egyptologist, best known for his outstanding contributions in the field of optics. Young was born in Milverton, Somerset, and educated at the Universities of Edinburgh, Göttingen, and Cambridge. In 1796 he obtained a medical degree at Göttingen, and in 1799 he began to practise medicine in London. From 1802 until his death he was foreign secretary of the Royal Society. In 1811 Young was appointed to the staff of St George's Hospital, London. He served on several official scientific commissions, and after 1818 he was secretary to the Board of Longitude and editor of Nautical Almanac.

In the science of optics, Young discovered the phenomenon of interference, which helped to establish the wave nature of light. He was the first to describe and measure astigmatism and to develop a physiological explanation of colour sensation. Young is also noted for his work on the theories of capillarity and elasticity. He assisted in deciphering the Egyptian hieroglyphs inscribed on the Rosetta Stone. Among his important writings are works on medicine, Egyptology, and physics.