I Have An Idealistic View Of Science

My Parents Were Born In Norfolk And Spent Their Early Years Working In The Big Houses Of That Rural English County, My Mother As A Cook And My Father As A Handyman And Chauffeur.

I Felt Strongly That Since The Pursuit Of Good Science Was So Difficult It Was Essential That The Problem Being Studied Was An Important One To Justify The Effort Expanded.

I Am Still A Keen Mountain Walker And An Enthusiastic Glider Pilot.

Ever Since Sir Isaac Newton's Times, Scientists Have Worked In The Same Sort Of Way: They Show A Great Respect For Experiment And Observation, They Don't Cherry Pick Data, They Take A Skeptical Approach To What They Do. And Then Scientists Work Together To Get A Consensus As To What Should Be Believed And That Generates Very Reliable Knowledge And That Reliable Knowledge Drives Innovation

I Met My Wife Anne Who Was A Sociology Student, And Her Influence Together With Activities Associated With The Student Movement Of The Time Opened Up My Interests Amongst Other Things Into The Theatre, Art, Music, Politics And Philosophy.