William Thomson (Lord Kelvin), born in Belfast, was one of the most famous natural philosophers of the Victorian age, contributing to thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, and developing inventions and technological applications. William’s older brother James, was Professor of Engineering at Queen’s College Belfast before joining William at Glasgow University, and their father, James Thomson Snr, taught mathematics at the Belfast Academical Institution before moving to Glasgow as the Chair of Mathematics, and writing popular textbooks on mathematics.

Three experts on the Thomsons (Professor Crosbie Smith, Professor Andrew Whitaker and Dr Mark McCartney) will consider their lives and contributions, placing their work in the context of both Victorian Britain and Victorian Belfast.