John Scott Russell (1808-1882),Scottish engineer. During experiments into the feasibility of steam-powered canal boats Russell observed a prow wave that that,when the boat stopped,continued at great speed and distance without losing its form. This type of wave,which Russell called a wave of translation,is now known as a Russell solitary wave,or soliton. Later,Russell became the director of a ship-building company,and built the Great Eastern with Isambard Kingdom Brunel,the largest moveable object ever built at its launch in 1858 |