Foucault, Jean Bernard LéonFou‧cault, Jean Ber‧nard Lé‧on /ˈfuːkəʊ $ fuːˈkəʊ, ʒɒn ˈbeənɑː ˈleɪɒnǁʒɑːn berˈnɑːr leɪˈɑːn/(1819–68) a French scientist who studied the speed of light. He is known for inventing Foucault’s Pendulum, an object that swings on a wire and shows how the Earth spins around. He also invented the gyroscope.