A single discovery established Georg Ohm's claim to fame, though a disastrous decision nearly robbed him of it.

Ohm, who was born on March 16, 1789 in Erlangen, Bavaria, was the son of a self-educated locksmith. Ohm's father had a great interest in science, which he conveyed to his son. Ohm went on to study at the University of Erlangen in 1805, but left in the following year to become a teacher in Switzerland. He returned to the university in 1811 and received his Ph.D. Ohm's goal in life was to receive a university appointment. Unfortunately, his mathematical talents were not appreciated by academia, and he ended up teaching at the Erlangen "gymnasium" (secondary school).

Still determined to make an impression and receive an appointment, Ohm decided that producing important research work would better his situation. Knowing of the pioneering work of Alessandro Volta, Ohm became interested in studying electricity. Because...