Statue in Lincoln of George Boole, FRS, 1815-1864.
If you're reading this on a computer, or even a smart phone or tablet, then you owe it in no small part to this man, what he devised which became known as Boolean Logic.
Boole was born in Silver Street, Lincoln. He never studied at University but became a teacher at the age of 16. With local mentors, Boole taught himself mathematics to the highest level and in 1844 was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Society. In 1849 he was appointed Professor of Mathematics at Queen's College, Cork.
In Lincoln in 1847, he published "Mathematical Analysis of Logic' followed in 1854 by his most famous and influential treatise, Practical Concepts for an Algebra of Logi.'
It wasn't unitl 1937 that engineer Claud Shannon built electronic logic gates with relays processing Boole's logic theory, using valves and then transistors. Boolean logic became the processors. Memory and programming methods now used in every mobile phone, computer and digital device uses his work. There are millions of logic gates inside every processor, they compare the binary digits 0 and 1, millions of times each second to power every piece of magic we see on the screen, every internet search, every internet website and indeed, every digital photograph on this site.
Fascinating stuff indeed, even more so, that he came from humble beginnings & obviously was never aware of what he had created. I do wonder however what possessed the powers that be, to put this rather nice statue outside the train station!! I’m sure he should be in a much more prominent place!
