Dionysius Lardner

Dionysius Lardner (1793–1859) was an Irish writer on science and mathematics and one of the great popularizers of the nineteenth century. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, he became the first professor of natural philosophy and astronomy at University College London and edited the Cabinet Cyclopaedia, a vast series of volumes on science, history and the arts. His books on the steam engine, railway economy and natural philosophy were widely read. Lardner was also known for confident predictions that proved wrong and for a scandalous elopement, after which he spent years lecturing in America.