Folk Fae Fife

The Fife Science Festival

The star cluster Messier 69 in the constellation Sagittarius was photographed by the Hubble telescope. The image appears courtesy of NASA and ESA.

E-mail:

folkfaefife@st-andrews.ac.uk

Scientists utilise their knowledge of many aspects of mathematics and science in their work. It was common, certainly up to the 20th century, for scientists to make advances in several departments, as such some Fife figures may be associated with more than one discipline.

· 17 Feb 1916 - 9 May 2008, Cupar

A specialist in radar, Atkinson worked to develop infra-red wave detectors for guided missile systems. Later in charge of the nuclear reactor at DOUNREAY. His work during World War II was significant at the chain home radar stations.

James Robert Atkinson,MA, FInstP, FRSE, FRMetS

Archibald "Archie" Howie

Gregory’s knowledge led to his placement as the first Regius Chair for Mathematics at St Andrews by Charles II. There he described the first reflecting telescope. As he lacked the skill to manufacture his design, it was a decade before the first Gregorian telescope was produced by Robert Hooke.

· Nov 1638 – Oct 1675, University of St Andrews professor

Leslie gave the first modern account of capillary action in 1802 and froze water using an air-pump in 1810, the first artificial production of ice. In 1804, he experimented with radiant heat using a cubical vessel filled with boiling water, showing that that radiation was greatest from the black side and negligible from the polished side. The apparatus is known as a Leslie cube.

James Gregory

Known for his pioneering work on the interpretation of transmission electron microscope images of crystals, Howie began his education in Kirkcaldy, attending Kirkcaldy High School then the University of Edinburgh. See Electron Microscopy of Thin Crystals, published in 1977.

Sir John Leslie

· Born 1934, Kirkcaldy

· 10 Apr 1766 – 3 Nov 1832, Largo, Leven and University of St Andrews alumnus

Forbes worked extensively on the conduction of heat, seismology and glaciology. He was the first to describe mathematically the behaviour of a seismic instrument in an "earthquake". A series of earthquakes in Comrie, Perthshire led to his invention of a seismometer in 1844.

James David Forbes, FRS

· 20 April 1809 – 31 Dec 1868,  University of St Andrews Principal

Gray worked primarily on electromagnetism, dynamics and Bessel functions. He taught at the newly formed University College of North Wales and then assumed the chair held by Lord Kelvin, the Professor of Natural Philosophy at Glasgow, until 1923.

Andrew Gray

· 1847– 10 Oct 1925, Born in Lochgelly

Anneila Sargent

Sargent specializes in star formations and won the NASA Public Service Medal in 1998. Sargent studied physics at Edinburgh before emigrating to the United States. She is currently the Benjamin M. Rosen Professor of Astronomy at Caltech and has served as director of the Owens Valley Radio Observatory.

· Born 1945, Burntisland, Kirkcaldy High School

· Living, University of St Andrews Professor

Wilson Sibbett, FRS

Sibbett is a pioneer of ultra-fast lasers, which are rapid pulses of light that last only a few femtoseconds and which have important applications for medicine. Sibbett was Scotland’s first chief advisor on science and remains the Wardlaw Professor of Physics at the University of St Andrews. Sibbett was awarded a CBE in 2000.

Watson-Watt is most noted for developing radar [radio detection and ranging] at Bawdsey Manor. Born in Brechin, he studied at University College in Dundee, then part of the University of St Andrews. Professor William Peddie encouraged Watson-Watt to study wireless telegraphy, which is how radio was then known.

Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt, KCB, FRS, FRAeS

· 13 Apr 1892 – 5 Dec 1973, University of St Andrews alumnus

· 11 Dec 1781 to 10 Feb 1868, University of St Andrews Principal 1838-59

Brewster invented the kaleidoscope and was interested in the polarization of light. His description of the “Brewster Angle” contributes significantly to current research on laser optics. He also was a key figure in early photography like John Adamson (q.v.). He was awarded all three major Royal Society medals for his scientific research.

Sir David Brewster, FRS, FRSE