EVENTS to mark the 250th anniversary of Scottish engineer James Watt's world-changing inventions will be held at this year's Glasgow Science Festival.
Hailed as one of the fathers of the industrial revolution, Watt was working as a scientific instrument-maker at the University in May 1765 when he was struck with the inspiration for the separate steam condenser.
The device would go on to greatly improve the efficiency of steam engines, helping to kickstart their widespread use and change the course of history.
His achievement will be marked with a lecture and conference at the University, both of which involve Professor Colin McInnes, the James Watt Chair, Professor of Engineering Science in the University's School of Engineering.
Professor McInnes said: "Watt's quite brilliant insight was to improve the efficiency of steam power three-fold, arguably pushing Britain 60 years into the future. Through Watt and his contemporaries at the University of Glasgow, such as Adam Smith and Joseph Black, Scotland became a power-house not just of industry but of ideas. "
"Today, as we look to the future, we need to rediscover that enlightenment-era optimism and ensure that we are inspired by Watt's lasting impact on both scientific and societal progress.
"We should remember that Watt's initial is stamped on every light bulb not just to measure the power delivered, but reminding us of the intellectual light and sheer human progress he brought to the world."
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