"I have always loved science more than money and because my occupation is almost entirely personal I cannot afford to get rich."

Michael Faraday (22 September 1791 – 25 August 1867) was an English chemist and physicist who contributed vastly to the study of electrochemistry and electromagnetism. His main discoveries include the principles underlying electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism, and electrolysis. Although Faraday received little formal education, as a self-made man, he was one of the most influential scientists in history.^[1] It was by his research on the magnetic field around a conductor carrying a direct current that Faraday established the concept of the electromagnetic field in physics. Faraday also established that magnetism could affect rays of light and that there was an underlying relationship between the two phenomena.^[2][3] He similarly discovered the principles of electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism, and the laws of electrolysis. His inventions of electromagnetic rotary devices formed the foundation of electric motor technology, and it was largely due to his efforts that electricity became practical for use in technology.^[4] The SI unit of capacitance, the farad, is named after him.^[5]

Albert Einstein kept a portrait of Faraday on his study wall, alongside those of Isaac Newton and Maxwell.^[10] Physicist Ernest Rutherford stated, "When we consider the magnitude and extent of his discoveries and their influence on the progress of science and of industry, there is no honour too great to pay to the memory of Faraday, one of the greatest scientific discoverers of all time."^[1] He founded the Royal Institution's Friday Evening Discourses and was the main popularizer of its Christmas Lecture Series.

Faraday devoted considerable time and energy to public service. He worked on optimising lighthouses and protecting ships from corrosion. With Charles Lyell, he produced a forensic investigation on a colliery explosion at Haswell, County Durham, indicating for the first time that coal dust contributed to the severity of the explosion, and demonstrating how ventilation could have prevented it.^[7] Faraday also investigated industrial pollution at Swansea, air pollution at the Royal Mint, and wrote to The Times on the foul condition of the River Thamesduring the Great Stink.^[8] He refused to work on developing chemical weapons for use in the Crimean War, citing ethical reservations. He declined to have his lectures published, preferring people to recreate the experiments for themselves, to better experience the discovery, and told a publisher:

When someone mentions a Faraday bag or cage they are referencing this great man. Talk about a man of principle put science over wealth. In 2026 it seems like those virtues are lost. Einstein himself had a portrait of Faraday and yet fools today want to compare Elon to these great men who moved humanity forward in more ways than we can imagine!