ABSTRACT
Faraday’s single-minded devotion to experimental science, surpassed only by his strong attachment to the Royal Institution, caused him to decline various prestigious posts that were offered to him. Faraday’s gratitude for the life given to him by the Royal Institution is evident. He had also undertaken a project to improve the formulation of optical glass for telescopes under contract with the Royal Society and the Board of Longitude. A superficial notion that such a life was narrow and constrained would neglect the intellectual delights that came from understanding complex matters revealed by experiment as described in two letters, respectively to John Lubbock in 1836. Apart from the British Association, Faraday rarely took part in scientific meetings, though he recognised the need that they fulfilled in bringing colleagues together, not only to discuss and confront one another’s ideas but to become acquainted on a more personal level.
