David BrewsterSir David Brewster, KH, FRS, FSA Scot FSSA MICE was a British scientist, inventor, author, and academic administrator who lived from 11 December 1781 to 10 February 1868. In science, he is most known for his experimental work in physical optics, whic was primarily concerned with the study of light polarization and included the discovery of Brewster's angle. He found photoelasticity while studying the birefringence of crystals under compression, so establishing the subject of optical mineralogy. For his contributions to optics, William Whewell labeled him the "father of modern experimental optics" and "the Johannes Kepler of optics." Brewster, a pioneer in photography, produced an improved stereoscope called the "lenticular stereoscope," which became the first portable 3D-viewing gadget. He also created two types of polarimeters, the polyzonal lens, the lighthouse illuminator, and the kaleidoscope. Brewster was a staunch Presbyterian who marched beside his brother during the 1843 Disruption, which resulted in the founding of the Free Church of Scotland. Brewster specialized in the life and work of his hero, Isaac Newton, as a science historian. Brewster published a full biography of Newton in 1831 and was the first scientific historian to analyze several of Newton's Nachlass works. Read More Read Less