Engraving of 1840 showing a solitary wave experiment being conducted on the Union Canal by John Scott Russell. Courtesy of Professor J C Eilbeck at Heriot-Watt University

A single wave on this canal has informed the science behind our communication systems today. In 1834 John Scott Russell was experimenting with the design of canal boats. When a boat stopped suddenly he witnessed a single wave continue down the canal without changing shape or speed. He followed the wave on horse back for about a mile and later described it as a 'solitary wave of translation'. Scientists rediscovered his theory in the 1960s and have applied it to fibre optic technology.