Devon’s Pioneering Technologists : A coterie of influential mathematicians and engineers. Talk by Colin White.
Admission fee £3.00 payable on the door.
Devon has had many scientific pioneers but some are more well known than others. In this entertaining presentation, Colin White will highlight the life and innovations of four of the less well-known Devon scientists: George Bidder of Moretonhampstead, Thomas Fowler of Great Torrington, William Froude from Dartington and John Lethbridge from Newton Abbot. Come and hear about their contribution to our scientific heritage, still impacting us today.
Colin White began his career as a Senior Engineer at Standard Telephone and Cables (ITT/Nortel) in Paignton, Devon, where he worked on microwave communication equipment and the associated antenna design. He spent much of his time writing software to automatically test the products, both on the assembly line and when deployed in the field. Later, he became an academic, working in the Physics Department of Portsmouth University. Here, his teaching focussed on microwave circuit design, while researching into the computer modelling of microwave networks and antennas. After the Physics Department was forced to close, he moved into Sport Science where he primarily taught biomechanical movement in sport. His research activities again involved computer modelling, whether it was the modelling of sport projectile trajectories, such as javelins, shuttlecocks and balls, or the movement of women’s breasts while carrying out a range of sports, in order to improve bra design. Prior to retirement, as Principal Lecturer and Director of Learning, he was responsible for ensuring the quality of the learning and teaching practices throughout the Faculty of Science.
He is the author of ‘Projectile Dynamics in Sport – Principles and Applications’ published by Routledge. Since retirement he has worked as a STEM ambassador on outreach activities; lecturing, demonstrating and entertaining at schools, science clubs and festivals.
Talk in partnership with the Devonshire Association.
