A geologist and optical instrument inventor associated with the Nicol prism. His birth year is disputed in historical records; no exact year is asserted here.
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William Nicol (1790–1879) was a Scottish geologist and a notable figure in the field of geology during the 19th century. He is primarily known for his contributions to the study of mineralogy and geology, particularly through his work on polarized light and the invention of the Nicol prism. The Nicol prism, invented in 1828, is an optical device used to split light into its component colors, which allows for the study of minerals under polarized light.