Jodrell Bank: 'Towering figure' in radio astronomy dies at 102
Tributes have been paid to a "towering figure in British astronomy" who has died aged 102. Sir Francis Graham-Smith was believed to be the world's oldest active radio astronomer, according to Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire. Known to his friends as Graham, he served as the observatory's second director and was the Astronomer Royal - a title bestowed upon the UK's most eminent astronomer - between 1982 and 1990. In a tribute shared on social media, Jodrell Bank said Sir Francis had an article published only a few months ago in the Royal Astronomical Society's magazine, Astronomy & Geophysics.
Andrew Lyne, emeritus professor of radio astronomy at The University of Manchester, said: "Sir Francis was a towering figure in British astronomy, whose career spanned much of the history of radio astronomy itself, and as a teacher and mentor he enhanced the lives of many scientists, myself included."Sir Francis was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society and was a former President of the Royal Astronomical Society before being knighted in 1986.
He made "foundational contributions to the understanding of the interstellar medium, pulsars, and the development of radio telescopes", Jodrell Bank said. The University of Manchester said Sir Francis interrupted his university studies in Cambridge during World War Two to work on the development of radar. At the end of the war, he returned to Cambridge and began working alongside Martin Ryle, another wartime radar expert. Sir Francis played a key role in pioneering the new science of radio astronomy, providing some of the most accurate positions for the newly discovered sources of cosmic radio waves using devices called interferometers.In 1964, he was appointed as a professor of radio astronomy at the University of Manchester and moved to Jodrell Bank.
'Immeasurable contribution'
In 1982 he succeeded Sir Bernard Lovell, who founded Jodrell Bank, as its director.The observatory said Sir Francis's leadership had ensured its "continued international scientific excellence". "His contribution to the field was immeasurable," it added. Sir Francis technically retired in 1988 but continued to be an "active member" of Jodrell Bank's pulsar research group until very recently. The University of Manchester said Sir Francis and Elizabeth, his wife of 76 years who died in 2021, had four children.Away from astronomy, he was a keen gardener and an "avid" bee-keeper, a hobby which he enjoyed well into his 90s.
Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
‘Super humans' fears as scientists aim to create first human genome in a lab
Synthetic Human Genome (SynHG) project sparks fears that rogue scientists could create enhanced 'super humans' in decades to come British scientists are launching a controversial project to create the first synthetic human DNA in a lab. While they insist there is no intention to create a full synthetic human, researchers from universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Kent, Manchester and Imperial College London aim to write the first human genome from scratch. Some fear that opening this area of research could lead to rogue scientists seeking to create enhanced 'super humans' in decades to come. The Synthetic Human Genome (SynHG) project is being led by the Wellcome Trust, the world's largest medical research charity, and aims to boost health and treat incurable diseases. Michael Dunn, research director at Wellcome said: 'Our DNA determines who we are and how our bodies work and with recent technological advances the SynHG project is at the forefront of one of the most exciting areas of scientific research. Through creating the necessary tools and methods to synthesise a human genome we will answer questions about our health and disease that we cannot even anticipate yet, in turn transforming our understanding of life and wellbeing.' A leading genetic scientist has warned that creating human genetic material could lead to enhanced humans or even creatures that have human DNA. Prof Bill Earnshaw, of Edinburgh University, told the BBC: "The genie is out of the bottle. We could have a set of restrictions now, but if an organisation who has access to appropriate machinery decided to start synthesising anything, I don't think we could stop them. If we manage to create synthetic body parts or even synthetic people, then who owns them. And who owns the data from these creations?" How will it work? The human genome is the genetic information that makes us physically who we are. It is made up of DNA which is contained in every cell in our body and carries the genetic information it needs to do its job. Between 1990 and 2003 an international team of scientists took part in the Human Genome Project (HGP) to identify all human genes and sequence the three billion DNA base pairs. Now this information means scientists could take our understanding on another giant leap by not just reading DNA - but creating it. The team behind it insist the work of the SynHG (Synthetic Human Genome) project will be confined to test tubes and petri dishes and there will be no attempt to create synthetic life. They will first build blocks of DNA to create a whole human chromosome which decide how our cells develop and repair themselves. By experimenting on these chromosomes scientists could learn why some DNA reacts a certain way and how to modify it. This could help tackle inherited diseases which occur when genes go wrong. Prof Matthew Hurles, director of the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: "Building DNA from scratch allows us to test out how DNA really works and test out new theories, because currently we can only really do that by tweaking DNA in DNA that already exists in living systems". The team hope to first create a fully synthetic human chromosome, which makes up approximately 2% of our total DNA. Professor Jason Chin, of Oxford University, will lead the SynHG project. He said: 'The ability to synthesize large genomes, including genomes for human cells, may transform our understanding of genome biology and profoundly alter the horizons of biotechnology and medicine. With SynHG we are building the tools to make large genome synthesis a reality, and at the same time we are pro-actively engaging in the social, ethical, economic and policy questions that may arise as the tools and technologies advance.' The Wellcome Trust cautions that building a complete synthetic human genome to help change and treat human health could take decades. Prof Robin Lovell-Badge, of the Francis Crick Institute, said the project could create 'synthetic cells that can be grown in a lab'. He added: 'If these were to ever be used in humans, it would be important to design them carefully so that they can't lead to tumours or produce novel infectious particles. I would urge incorporating a genetic 'kill switch' to eliminate them from any location in the body or at least to make them easy for the immune system to find and destroy. There is no suggestion to make synthetic humans. We have no idea how to do this and it is likely to be very unsafe.' Such research has been taboo until now because of concerns it could lead to designer babies or unforeseen changes for future generations. Sarah Norcross, Director of the Progress Educational Trust (PET), said: 'We must recognise that this sort of work is not without controversy, and that is vital for researchers and the public to be in communication with one another. The public must have a clear understanding of what this research entails, while researchers and funders must have a thorough understanding of where the public wants to go with this science.' Dr Tom Collins, research lead at Wellcome, told the BBC: "We asked ourselves what was the cost of inaction. This technology is going to be developed one day, so by doing it now we are at least trying to do it in as responsible a way as possible and to confront the ethical and moral questions in an upfront way as possible".
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
New womb lining test can help women who have miscarriages, UK scientists say
A new test that reveals an abnormal womb lining can help women who have repeated unexplained miscarriages, UK scientists have said. They say the findings are set to pave the way for new treatments for some women who experience recurrent pregnancy loss. Researchers said they discovered that miscarriage risk can be traced back to a problem with the womb lining before pregnancy, after previous studies mostly focused on the quality of the embryo, overlooking the role of the womb. Around one in six pregnancies are lost, mostly before 12 weeks, and each miscarriage increases the risk of another pregnancy loss. Pregnancy and baby charity Tommy's said the discoveries are set to provide explanations for pregnancy loss as well as treatments to prevent the 'trauma and devastation of recurrent miscarriage'. Lead author Dr Joanne Muter said: 'This is about identifying preventable miscarriages. Many women are told they've just had 'bad luck', but our findings show that the womb itself may be setting the stage for pregnancy loss, even before conception takes place.' The study – led by the University of Warwick and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust with funding from pregnancy charity Tommy's – was published in Science Advances on Thursday, after over 1,500 biopsies from more than 1,300 women were analysed. The team found that an essential biological process called the 'decidual reaction', which prepares the womb lining for pregnancy each month, often does not progress properly in women with a history of miscarriage. This creates an unstable environment that, while still allowing embryos to implant, increases the risk of bleeding and early pregnancy loss. The scientists have consequently developed a test that can measure the womb lining response, which is being piloted to support more than 1,000 patients at Tommy's National Centre for Miscarriage Research at UHCW. Senior author Professor Jan Brosens said: 'It is well-established that chromosomal errors in embryos account for the rise in miscarriage rates in women older than 35 years. This study shows that each miscarriage increases the risk of an embryo implantation in an abnormal womb lining, regardless of age. 'Thus, the frequency of one of two events – abnormal embryo or abnormal decidual reaction – happening over hundreds of menstrual cycles determines the likelihood of miscarriage in each individual woman. Importantly, we now have the tools to screen for the risk of preventable miscarriage and to evaluate treatments that improve the womb lining before pregnancy.' Holly Milikouris, who has had five miscarriages, described the new test as 'life changing'. After it was revealed that her womb lining prepared abnormally for pregnancy, she underwent treatment and went on to have two healthy children, three-year-old George and 17-month-old Heidi, with her husband Chris. Ms Milikouris, a civil servant from Cheshire, said: 'My miscarriages were all 'missed', which means there were no symptoms to let us know there was a problem. We found out when I went for a scan and a grew to dread having scans. 'We felt lost and were beginning to accept that I might never successfully carry a pregnancy. The treatments that typically can help women who have experienced miscarriages hadn't worked for us and each time we tried again we felt like we were rolling a dice with the baby's life. 'Being given the opportunity to take part in this trial was life changing. For the first time the results of my biopsy were normal, and we went on to have not one, but two successful pregnancies. We will never be able to thank Professor Brosens enough and are hopeful that the results of this groundbreaking study will help many other families.'
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Telegraph
Dune director Denis Villeneuve is the best thing to happen to James Bond in a long time
Who's going to be the new James Bond? After five and a half years of fevered speculation, we finally have something approaching an answer: pretty much anyone Denis Villeneuve likes. Earlier this morning, the blockbuster auteur behind the Dune films and Arrival was announced as the director of the 26th Bond film, which remains – for now – untitled and un-cast. These two further puzzle pieces will doubtless slot into place soon enough, though Villeneuve's appointment offers a tantalising glimpse of what the future direction of 007 under his new owners at Amazon might be, as well as granting the tech giant's handling of the franchise a much-needed PR boost. After Amazon's acquisition of Bond has cost them the crazy total of $9.5 billion, and a creative falling out with Barbara Broccoli's Eon Productions - the keepers of the Bond flame since the Sean Connery years - the stakes have never felt higher for appointing the right director for the franchise. But securing Villeneuve quiets complaints from every direction imaginable – this is a director whose work has screened at Venice and Cannes, is a four-time Oscar and five-time Bafta nominee, and has taken almost $2 billion at the global box office. (His two Dune films alone grossed just over $1.1 billion, despite the first being semi-nobbled by Covid.) It's also a move that Broccoli herself could have never taken issue with, since she herself tried to do the same around 10 years ago, during the search for a director for No Time to Die, the last instalment in the Daniel Craig run. Back then, Villeneuve recused himself as he was busy with the first instalment of Dune – and indeed he's currently consumed with part three, Dune: Messiah, which is expected to shoot later this summer then land in cinemas by the end of next year. (This means that even with a Ridley Scott-like work ethic, we won't be seeing Villeneuve's Bond until the summer of 2027 at the earliest.) Yet Broccoli's smartest directorial hirings were always journeymen rather than visionaries – think Martin Campbell of GoldenEye and Casino Royale, and Sam Mendes of Skyfall and Spectre. These were filmmakers who would bend to Bond's will, rather than vice versa. Villeneuve is known to be quite a different kettle of fish, and known to be bloody-minded when tangling with executives on stylistic matters. The first major scenes he shot for Dune: Part Two were nightmarish monochrome infrared sequences, which led to frantic calls from studio heads who wanted to 'put the colours back in' in the edit. (Because Villeneuve had shot them on infrared cameras, this was impossible.)
