James Clerk Maxwell

Already during Maxwell’s lifetime, it was found that the known values for [vacuum permittivity and vacuum permeability multiplied together] give c ≈ 2.998 × 10^8 m/s, then already known to be the speed of light in free space. This led him to propose that light and radio waves were propagating electromagnetic waves, since amply confirmed.

I find it incredible how measurement of seemingly unrelated universal constants led to new physics theory. I always got similar vibes from using Dimensional analysis, like I was somehow cheating.

I wonder if it’s not that speed of light is unbelievably “fast”, but by necessity all complex things such as life have to be much slower in comparison in order to be that way.

Photonics — a sexy word for optics