'Science Spotlight' 1/12 Professor Heinz Wolff

I thought I would create a regular feature for this blog page. A feature I hope will be of interest to all. Each month I shall produce a fact file entitled ‘Science Spotlight’; that will feature someone of scientific interest. Presented in a simplistic style, reminiscent of traditional children’s education books and comics. They will provide a brief biography of that person.

Professor Heinz Siegried Wolff was born in 1928 and qualified in physiology and physics in 1954. Subsequently, whilst with the medical research council, he chose to work on the interface between engineering and the biological sciences, calling himself a bioengineer, thus giving a name to the new discipline. He became head of the divisions of bioengineering at the national institute for medical research and subsequently at the clinical research centre. Moving to Brunel University in 1983, he founded the Brunel institute for bioengineering, the only organisation in the United Kingdom to work on the instrumentation problems of conducting biological research in the weightless environment of a spacecraft. The institute holds contacts for work in space research, medical instrumentation and technology for the improvement of the quality of life for the elderly. In 1992 he was recipient of the Edinburgh medal, awarded in recognition of an outstanding contribution by a scientist to society. The professor is well known to a whole generation as a television personality, presenting scientific and engineering “entertainment”. Programmes such as ‘The Great Egg Race’, known to have started many young people on careers in science and technology.

Information source: the Brunel University
© Arfon Jones 2010. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.

Operation Bath Duck Update: Scout Duck: 006

The Operation Bath Duck experiment is going very well. I have Scout Ducks reporting back from all over the planet! Scout Duck:006 reported back from Huddersfield in West Yorkshire and is in the company of inventor, artist and visionary Wilf Lunn! Known to thousands for demonstrating his fantastic creations on such shows as Vision On, Jigsaw, Eureka and Fantastic Facts. Before working in television Wilf first started making miniature bicycles when he taught lip-reading & religious knowledge at Odsal House School For the Deaf It was during an exhibition of his bicycles he was invited to appear on television. Growing up in the 1980’s I adored Wilf’s work and I was mesmerised by the wonderful inventions that he demonstrated in his workshop. His invention for helping dog’s lose weight in the form of walking dog food still remains fresh in my subconscious to this very day! So, it was to my absolute delight that Scout Duck:006 found its way to Huddersfield and become a part of Wilf’s version of how man evolved! ladies and gentlemen of the World Wide Web I give you ‘Evolution Duck’ By Wilf Lunn! To find out more about Wilf and his brilliant creations visit his Official Web Site he also writes a Colum for the Huddersfield Daily Examiner. Oh, and be sure to order his fantastic book WILF LUNN - "MY BEST CELLAR" (autobiography up to the age of eleven & other stuff)
For a detailed account of the project please read 'Operation Bath Duck'
© Arfon Jones 2010. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.

Operation: Christmas Duck ‘CONCLUSION’

With Christmas 2009 still fresh in the memory I thought I would make the Christmas Ducks the topic of this the first blog of 2010 AD!
Launched in December, Christmas Ducks were created in the same manner as Scout Ducks only they were distributed as Christmas cards. A limited edition of 20, and guaranteed to not fall of the mantel if a sudden draft should occur. Recipients were invited to photograph the duck in a Christmas setting and then submit the photo to an online 'festive foto'’ gallery (for a detailed account Operation: Christmas Duck)

I can now report a 60% success rate for the project as 11 out of 20 ducks reported back. 90 photos were submitted and placed in specially created Facebook photo album. 1 photo for each duck was then added to the official Christmas Duck Gallery

Conclusion, The ducks were well received, they breached the void of the networking sites and provided a Christmas card with a difference. Friends otherwise unaware of each other’s existence were brought together to ‘play’ a festive game were they submitted unique, creative photographs personal to them sharing the endearing diversity of Christmas and how we all celebrate it. As I dearly thank them for joining in my experiment, I wonder how many of the ducks (seeing as this has been posted after the 12th night) have been stored away with the decorations?
© Arfon Jones 2009-2010. All images are copyrighted throughout the world.