John Desmond Bernal (1901-1971) was a prominent international scientist from Ireland. He did pioneering work in X-ray crystallography. Was a Professor of Physics and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He ranged widely in his intellectual interests and activities, also doing pioneering work in social studies of science or "science of science". He was by all accounts a dazzling thinker and talker. His contemporaries called him SAGE, as he was considered to be uncommonly wise. He was a Marxist in philosophy and a Communist in politics (say, what?). Led a complicated life, sitting on hundreds of committees and playing a leading role in many scientific and political organisations. He also led a somewhat unconventional domestic life of a notoriously non-monogamous nature;~)
During the WWII Bernal was scientific adviser to Lord Mountbatten (the great grandson of Queen Victoria, who was a captain of the destroyer Kelly) . Worked with Solly Zuckerman on the impact of bombing on people and buildings. In 1943 he helped to select the landing beachers for the D-Day invasion of France...
He believed that scientific cooperation between nations would help to mitigate the difficulties caused by the cold war and lead to better understanding between countries. Science for international cooperation and for a world without war - well, he's good in my books!
No comments:
Post a Comment