The most shocking discovery in physics: Speed of Light from Electricity and Magnetism | Don Lincoln

Don Lincoln opens by describing one of the most striking results in physics: when Maxwell's equations combining electricity and magnetism are worked through with calculus, they produce a wave equation. The speed of those electromagnetic waves turns out to equal the speed of light — a result he describes as highly persuasive evidence that light itself is an electromagnetic phenomenon. He also notes that electromagnetism is fundamental to atomic structure and chemistry, holding atoms together alongside the additional complexity of quantum mechanics.

Lincoln then pivots to the practical consequences of understanding electromagnetism, pointing out that the entire modern technological society — computers, the internet, podcasts — depends on humanity's ability to harness electricity. He uses this to make a broader argument: that fundamental, curiosity-driven science, often dismissed as impractical at the time, can produce enormous technological spin-offs a century or two later.

In the final portion, Lincoln extends this argument to nuclear physics. He explains that early 20th-century research into how protons and neutrons interact, split, and combine eventually led to nuclear power. Regardless of personal opinions about nuclear energy, he frames it as a powerful option for humanity's future energy needs as the world moves away from fossil fuels. He concludes that this pattern — mysterious, seemingly irrelevant scientific inquiry yielding transformative results — justifies continued investment in deep fundamental research, including his own work on quarks and the interior of atoms.