NATURE|Vol 448|16 August 2007 NEWS & VIEWS peace and love and social harmony”. scientists have been established in their time and money. Its criticisms were so fierce McLaren and Michie had three children memories. as to cause a scandal. It was the only ‘internal’ together. Although they had divorced in Azim Surani and Jim Smith research-council report to be published, 1959, they remained good friends and Azim Surani and Jim Smith are at the Wellcome together with extensive rebuttals — including started to live together again in 2005. They Trust Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, nine pages from Michie. died together in a car accident on 7 July Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QN, UK. The Lighthill report stalled AI research 2007, while travelling from Cambridge to e-mails:
[email protected]; in Britain for a decade. Morale and funding London. Memorial funds in support of young
[email protected] reached a low ebb, with several prominent researchers fleeing to the United States. Michie was also sidelined at Edinburgh: a new Department of Artificial Intelligence was formed and inherited most of its predecessor’s resources, whereas Michie was Donald Michie (1923–2007) put in charge of an independent Machine Father of artificial intelligence in Britain. Intelligence Research Unit, and forbidden to work on robotics. Research in AI was officially rehabilitated Donald Michie was a man of many parts, virtually single-handed. ten years later, when in 1982 Japan launched irrepressible energy and great personal His first task was to overcome what he later its ‘Fifth Generation project’, a huge financial charisma.