Tycho Brahe's Observatory at Uraniborg
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Stephen Hawking (1942–2018) World-Renowned Physicist Who Defied the Odds
COMMENT OBITUARY Stephen Hawking (1942–2018) World-renowned physicist who defied the odds. hen Stephen Hawking was speech synthesizer processed his words and diagnosed with motor-neuron generated the androidal accent that became disease at the age of 21, it wasn’t his trademark. In this way, he completed his Wclear that he would finish his PhD. Against best-selling book A Brief History of Time all expectations, he lived on for 55 years, (Bantam, 1988), which propelled him to becoming one of the world’s most celebrated celebrity status. IAN BERRY/MAGNUM scientists. Had Hawking achieved equal distinction Hawking, who died on 14 March 2018, was in any other branch of science besides cos- born in Oxford, UK, in 1942 to a medical- mology, it probably would not have had the researcher father and a philosophy-graduate same resonance with a worldwide public. As mother. After attending St Albans School I put it in The Telegraph newspaper in 2007, near London, he earned a first-class degree “the concept of an imprisoned mind roaming in physics from the University of Oxford. He the cosmos” grabbed people’s imagination. began his research career in 1962, enrolling In 1965, Stephen married Jane Wilde. as a graduate student in a group at the Uni- After 25 years of marriage, and three versity of Cambridge led by one of the fathers children, the strain of Stephen’s illness of modern cosmology, Dennis Sciama. and of sharing their home with a team of The general theory of relativity was at that nurses became too much and they sepa- time undergoing a renaissance, initiated in rated, divorcing in 1995. -
Investing in the Future
CELEBRATING THE PAST INVESTING IN THE FUTURE Somerville College - Report for Donors FOR THE FINANCIAL PERIOD 01.08.11 – 31.07.12 Somerville College Contents CELEBRATING THE PAST From the Principal 3 Development Director’s Report 4 INVESTING The Somerville Campaign 6 IN THE FUTURE • Transforming Lives: Investing in Student Support 8 The Principal and Fellows of • Investing in Academic Excellence: Somerville College extend their Endowing Fellowships 10 most sincere thanks to the • Building for the Future: donors listed in this report for Improving our Facilities 12 their generous support of the The Indira Gandhi Centre College in 2011-12. for Sustainable Development 13 Every gift received makes The Annual Fund 14 a difference – 1,220 of you List of Donors 16 supported Somerville with During the financial period 01.08.11 - 31.07.12 restricted and unrestricted gifts Questions and Answers from 01.08.11 – 31.07.12. with Andrew Parker, Treasurer 22 Somerville College Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6HD E: [email protected] T: +44 (0) 1865 270600 (General) T: +44 (0) 1865 280626 (Development Office) www.some.ox.ac.uk/alumni Somerville is a registered charity. Charity Registration number: 1139440 From THE PRINCIPAL Thanks to your generosity, Somerville goes from strength to strength. CELEBRATING THE PAST INVESTING IN THE FUTURE he financial year covered by this report began with our Fellows and colleagues from across the University of a momentous occasion: the opening of our two new Oxford. Vitally important for Somerville’s graduate community, Taccommodation buildings on the University’s Radcliffe the generous grant from the Government of India will endow Observatory Quarter, next door to Somerville. -
History of Astrometry
5 Gaia web site: http://sci.esa.int/Gaia site: web Gaia 6 June 2009 June are emerging about the nature of our Galaxy. Galaxy. our of nature the about emerging are More detailed information can be found on the the on found be can information detailed More technologies developed by creative engineers. creative by developed technologies scientists all over the world, and important conclusions conclusions important and world, the over all scientists of the Universe combined with the most cutting-edge cutting-edge most the with combined Universe the of The results from Hipparcos are being analysed by by analysed being are Hipparcos from results The expression of a widespread curiosity about the nature nature the about curiosity widespread a of expression 118218 stars to a precision of around 1 milliarcsecond. milliarcsecond. 1 around of precision a to stars 118218 trying to answer for many centuries. It is the the is It centuries. many for answer to trying created with the positions, distances and motions of of motions and distances positions, the with created will bring light to questions that astronomers have been been have astronomers that questions to light bring will accuracies obtained from the ground. A catalogue was was catalogue A ground. the from obtained accuracies Gaia represents the dream of many generations as it it as generations many of dream the represents Gaia achieving an improvement of about 100 compared to to compared 100 about of improvement an achieving orbit, the Hipparcos satellite observed the whole sky, sky, whole the observed satellite Hipparcos the orbit, ear Y of them in the solar neighbourhood. -
AHMED H. ZEWAIL 26 February 1946 . 2 August 2016
AHMED H. ZEWAIL 26 february 1946 . 2 august 2016 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY VOL. 162, NO. 2, JUNE 2018 biographical memoirs t is often proclaimed that a stylist is someone who does and says things in memorable ways. From an analysis of his experimental Iprowess, his written contributions, his lectures, and even from the details of the illustrations he used in his published papers or during his lectures to scientific and other audiences, Ahmed Zewail, by this or any other definition, was a stylist par excellence. For more than a quarter of a century, I interacted with Ahmed (and members of his family) very regularly. Sometimes he and I spoke several times a week during long-distance calls. Despite our totally different backgrounds we became the strongest of friends, and we got on with one another like the proverbial house on fire. We collaborated scientifi- cally and we adjudicated one another’s work, as well as that of others. We frequently exchanged culturally interesting stories. We each relished the challenge of delivering popular lectures. In common with very many others, I deem him to be unforgettable, for a variety of different reasons. He was one of the intellectually ablest persons that I have ever met. He possessed elemental energy. He executed a succession of brilliant experiments. And, almost single-handedly, he created the subject of femtochemistry, with all its magnificent manifestations and ramifications. From the time we first began to exchange ideas, I felt a growing affinity for his personality and attitude. This was reinforced when I told him that, ever since I was a teenager, I had developed a deep interest in Egyptology and a love for modern Egypt. -
The Astronomers Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler
Ice Core Records – From Volcanoes to Supernovas The Astronomers Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler Tycho Brahe (1546-1601, shown at left) was a nobleman from Denmark who made astronomy his life's work because he was so impressed when, as a boy, he saw an eclipse of the Sun take place at exactly the time it was predicted. Tycho's life's work in astronomy consisted of measuring the positions of the stars, planets, Moon, and Sun, every night and day possible, and carefully recording these measurements, year after year. Johannes Kepler (1571-1630, below right) came from a poor German family. He did not have it easy growing Tycho Brahe up. His father was a soldier, who was killed in a war, and his mother (who was once accused of witchcraft) did not treat him well. Kepler was taken out of school when he was a boy so that he could make money for the family by working as a waiter in an inn. As a young man Kepler studied theology and science, and discovered that he liked science better. He became an accomplished mathematician and a persistent and determined calculator. He was driven to find an explanation for order in the universe. He was convinced that the order of the planets and their movement through the sky could be explained through mathematical calculation and careful thinking. Johannes Kepler Tycho wanted to study science so that he could learn how to predict eclipses. He studied mathematics and astronomy in Germany. Then, in 1571, when he was 25, Tycho built his own observatory on an island (the King of Denmark gave him the island and some additional money just for that purpose). -
The Past Decade and the Future of Cosmology and Astrophysics
Towards a New Enlightenment? A Transcendent Decade The Past Decade and the Future of Cosmology and Astrophysics Martin Rees Martin Rees is a cosmologist and space scientist. After studying at Cambridge University, he held various posts in the UK and elsewhere, before returning to Cambridge, where he has been a professor, Head of the Institute of Astronomy, and Master of Trinity College. He has contributed to our understanding of galaxy formation, black holes, high-energy phenomena in the cosmos, and the concept of the multiverse. He has received substantial international recognition for his research. He has been much involved in science-related policy, being a member of the UK’s House of Lords and (during 2005–10) President of the Royal Society, the independent scientific academy of the UK Martin Rees and the Commonwealth. Apart from his research publications, he writes and University of Cambridge lectures widely for general audiences, and is the author of eight books, the most recent being On the Future (2018). Recommended books: Universe, Martin Rees, Dorling Kindersley, 2012; On the Future, Martin Rees, Princeton University Press, 2018. In the last decade, there has been dramatic progress in exploring the cosmos. Highlights include close-up studies of the planets and moons of our Solar System; and (even more dramatic) the realization that most stars are orbited by planets, and that there may be millions of Earth-like planets in our Galaxy. On a still larger scale, we have achieved a better understanding of how galaxies have developed, over 13.8 billion years of cosmic history, from primordial fluctuations. -
Living with New Developments in Jericho and Walton Manor
LIVING WITH NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN JERICHO AND WALTON MANOR A discussion paper examining the likely impacts upon the neighbourhood of forthcoming and expected developments Paul Cullen – November 2010 1. Introduction 2. Developments approved or planned 3. Likely effects of the developments 3.1 More people living in the area. 3.2 More people visiting the area daily 3.3 Effects of construction 4. Likely outcomes of more residents and more visitors 4.1 More activity in the neighbourhood every day 4.2 More demand for shops, eating, drinking and entertainment 4.3 More vehicles making deliveries and servicing visits to the area 4.4 More local parking demand 4.5 Demand for places at local schools will grow 5. Present day problems in the neighbourhood 5.1 The night-time economy – and litter 5.2 Transient resident population 5.3 Motor traffic congestion and air pollution 5.4 Narrow and obstructed footways 6. Wider issues of travel and access 6.1 Lack of bus links between the rail station and Woodstock Road 6.2 Lack of a convenient pedestrian/cycle link to the rail station and West End 6.3 The need for travel behaviour change 7. The need for a planning led response 7.1 Developer Contributions 7.2 How should developers contribute? 7.3 What are the emerging questions? 8. Next steps – a dialogue between the community, planners and developers 1 LIVING WITH NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN JERICHO AND WALTON MANOR A discussion paper examining the likely impacts upon the neighbourhood of forthcoming and expected developments 1. Introduction Many new developments are planned or proposed in or near Jericho and these will have a substantial impact on the local community. -
TRINITY COLLEGE Cambridge Trinity College Cambridge College Trinity Annual Record Annual
2016 TRINITY COLLEGE cambridge trinity college cambridge annual record annual record 2016 Trinity College Cambridge Annual Record 2015–2016 Trinity College Cambridge CB2 1TQ Telephone: 01223 338400 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.trin.cam.ac.uk Contents 5 Editorial 11 Commemoration 12 Chapel Address 15 The Health of the College 18 The Master’s Response on Behalf of the College 25 Alumni Relations & Development 26 Alumni Relations and Associations 37 Dining Privileges 38 Annual Gatherings 39 Alumni Achievements CONTENTS 44 Donations to the College Library 47 College Activities 48 First & Third Trinity Boat Club 53 Field Clubs 71 Students’ Union and Societies 80 College Choir 83 Features 84 Hermes 86 Inside a Pirate’s Cookbook 93 “… Through a Glass Darkly…” 102 Robert Smith, John Harrison, and a College Clock 109 ‘We need to talk about Erskine’ 117 My time as advisor to the BBC’s War and Peace TRINITY ANNUAL RECORD 2016 | 3 123 Fellows, Staff, and Students 124 The Master and Fellows 139 Appointments and Distinctions 141 In Memoriam 155 A Ninetieth Birthday Speech 158 An Eightieth Birthday Speech 167 College Notes 181 The Register 182 In Memoriam 186 Addresses wanted CONTENTS TRINITY ANNUAL RECORD 2016 | 4 Editorial It is with some trepidation that I step into Boyd Hilton’s shoes and take on the editorship of this journal. He managed the transition to ‘glossy’ with flair and panache. As historian of the College and sometime holder of many of its working offices, he also brought a knowledge of its past and an understanding of its mysteries that I am unable to match. -
Galileo in Early Modern Denmark, 1600-1650
1 Galileo in early modern Denmark, 1600-1650 Helge Kragh Abstract: The scientific revolution in the first half of the seventeenth century, pioneered by figures such as Harvey, Galileo, Gassendi, Kepler and Descartes, was disseminated to the northernmost countries in Europe with considerable delay. In this essay I examine how and when Galileo’s new ideas in physics and astronomy became known in Denmark, and I compare the reception with the one in Sweden. It turns out that Galileo was almost exclusively known for his sensational use of the telescope to unravel the secrets of the heavens, meaning that he was predominantly seen as an astronomical innovator and advocate of the Copernican world system. Danish astronomy at the time was however based on Tycho Brahe’s view of the universe and therefore hostile to Copernican and, by implication, Galilean cosmology. Although Galileo’s telescope attracted much attention, it took about thirty years until a Danish astronomer actually used the instrument for observations. By the 1640s Galileo was generally admired for his astronomical discoveries, but no one in Denmark drew the consequence that the dogma of the central Earth, a fundamental feature of the Tychonian world picture, was therefore incorrect. 1. Introduction In the early 1940s the Swedish scholar Henrik Sandblad (1912-1992), later a professor of history of science and ideas at the University of Gothenburg, published a series of works in which he examined in detail the reception of Copernicanism in Sweden [Sandblad 1943; Sandblad 1944-1945]. Apart from a later summary account [Sandblad 1972], this investigation was published in Swedish and hence not accessible to most readers outside Scandinavia. -
Review of the Year 2009/10
Invest in future scientific leaders and in innovation Review of the year 2009/10 1 Celebrating 350 years Review of the year 2009/10 02 Review of the year 2009/10 President’s foreword Executive Secretary’s report Review of the year 2009/10 03 Contents President’s foreword ..............................................................02 Inspire an interest in the joy, wonder Executive Secretary’s report ..................................................03 and excitement of scientific discovery ..................................16 Invest in future scientific leaders and in innovation ..............04 Seeing further: the Royal Society celebrates 350 years .......20 Influence policymaking with the best scientific advice ........08 Summarised financial statements .........................................22 Invigorate science and mathematics education ...................10 Income and expenditure statement ......................................23 Increase access to the best science internationally ..............12 Fundraising and support ........................................................24 List of donors ..........................................................................25 President’s Executive foreword Secretary’s report This year we have focused on the excellent This has been a remarkable year for the Society, our opportunity afforded by our 350th anniversary 350th, and we have mounted a major programme not only to promote the work of the Society to inspire minds, young and old alike, with the but to raise the profile of science -
Lick Observatory Records: Photographs UA.036.Ser.07
http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c81z4932 Online items available Lick Observatory Records: Photographs UA.036.Ser.07 Kate Dundon, Alix Norton, Maureen Carey, Christine Turk, Alex Moore University of California, Santa Cruz 2016 1156 High Street Santa Cruz 95064 [email protected] URL: http://guides.library.ucsc.edu/speccoll Lick Observatory Records: UA.036.Ser.07 1 Photographs UA.036.Ser.07 Contributing Institution: University of California, Santa Cruz Title: Lick Observatory Records: Photographs Creator: Lick Observatory Identifier/Call Number: UA.036.Ser.07 Physical Description: 101.62 Linear Feet127 boxes Date (inclusive): circa 1870-2002 Language of Material: English . https://n2t.net/ark:/38305/f19c6wg4 Conditions Governing Access Collection is open for research. Conditions Governing Use Property rights for this collection reside with the University of California. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. The publication or use of any work protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use for research or educational purposes requires written permission from the copyright owner. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user. Preferred Citation Lick Observatory Records: Photographs. UA36 Ser.7. Special Collections and Archives, University Library, University of California, Santa Cruz. Alternative Format Available Images from this collection are available through UCSC Library Digital Collections. Historical note These photographs were produced or collected by Lick observatory staff and faculty, as well as UCSC Library personnel. Many of the early photographs of the major instruments and Observatory buildings were taken by Henry E. Matthews, who served as secretary to the Lick Trust during the planning and construction of the Observatory. -
Copernicus and Tycho Brahe
THE NEWTONIAN REVOLUTION – Part One Philosophy 167: Science Before Newton’s Principia Class 2 16th Century Astronomy: Copernicus and Tycho Brahe September 9, 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. The Copernican Revolution .................................................................................................................. 1 A. Ptolemaic Astronomy: e.g. Longitudes of Mars ................................................................... 1 B. A Problem Raised for Philosophy of Science ....................................................................... 2 C. Background: 13 Centuries of Ptolemaic Astronomy ............................................................. 4 D. 15th Century Planetary Astronomy: Regiomantanus ............................................................. 5 E. Nicolaus Copernicus: A Brief Biography .............................................................................. 6 F. Copernicus and Ibn al-Shāţir (d. 1375) ……………………………………………………. 7 G. The Many Different Copernican Revolutions ........................................................................ 9 H. Some Comments on Kuhn’s View of Science ……………………………………………... 10 II. De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelstium (1543) ..................................................................................... 11 A. From Basic Ptolemaic to Basic Copernican ........................................................................... 11 B. A New Result: Relative Orbital Radii ................................................................................... 12 C. Orbital