How Inspiring - Eureka Moments FromTen Britons Who Shaped Our World!
A Fabulous article appeared in the Independent as 'A celebration of Science in the UK' which show how people can have that 'Eureka Moment' and really make a difference.
Two examples below plus a link to the full article
Helen Muir
Eureka moment: Emergency procedures in aircraft.
How has it changed our lives? Muir's research at Cranfield University has helped aircraft designers and operators to improve safety procedures by assessing how survivors of aircraft accidents react. Her research team was the first to reproduce real human behaviour in an emergency. Researchers used a large simulator of a smoke-filled aircraft cabin and, to get an accurate representation of the panic that occurs during an emergency, volunteers were offered £5 if they got out of the aircraft first. In this way Muir could pinpoint weaknesses in evacuation procedures and the design of the aircraft. She discovered, for example, that extra space is needed next to the aeroplane exits, and this finding has been incorporated into planes around the world.
What next? Muir, head of the department of human factors at Cranfield, still works in the field of passenger safety - including trains as well as planes.
George Gray
Eureka moment: Creating the first stable liquid crystals suitable for liquid crystal displays.
How has it changed our lives? Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are used in everything from pocket calculators and watches to mobile phones and laptop computers. Scientists had been aware of the potential for using liquid crystals in displays for many years, but the materials that were available were insufficiently stable at room temperature, and could be destroyed when exposed to moisture, air or light. Working with the Ministry of Defence in 1973, Gray and his colleagues at the University of Hull discovered a new class of liquid crystalline material which was stable at room temperature. This was seized upon by the electronics industry and consumer products that contained small LCDs, such as watches and calculators, rapidly became ubiquitous. Liquid-crystal technology now forms the basis of an industry estimated to be worth some £20bn worldwide.
What next? Gray is now retired from the University of Hull but continues to play an active role in liquid crystal matters around the world.
Full article can be found at
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article1160983.ece
Two examples below plus a link to the full article
Helen Muir
Eureka moment: Emergency procedures in aircraft.
How has it changed our lives? Muir's research at Cranfield University has helped aircraft designers and operators to improve safety procedures by assessing how survivors of aircraft accidents react. Her research team was the first to reproduce real human behaviour in an emergency. Researchers used a large simulator of a smoke-filled aircraft cabin and, to get an accurate representation of the panic that occurs during an emergency, volunteers were offered £5 if they got out of the aircraft first. In this way Muir could pinpoint weaknesses in evacuation procedures and the design of the aircraft. She discovered, for example, that extra space is needed next to the aeroplane exits, and this finding has been incorporated into planes around the world.
What next? Muir, head of the department of human factors at Cranfield, still works in the field of passenger safety - including trains as well as planes.
George Gray
Eureka moment: Creating the first stable liquid crystals suitable for liquid crystal displays.
How has it changed our lives? Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are used in everything from pocket calculators and watches to mobile phones and laptop computers. Scientists had been aware of the potential for using liquid crystals in displays for many years, but the materials that were available were insufficiently stable at room temperature, and could be destroyed when exposed to moisture, air or light. Working with the Ministry of Defence in 1973, Gray and his colleagues at the University of Hull discovered a new class of liquid crystalline material which was stable at room temperature. This was seized upon by the electronics industry and consumer products that contained small LCDs, such as watches and calculators, rapidly became ubiquitous. Liquid-crystal technology now forms the basis of an industry estimated to be worth some £20bn worldwide.
What next? Gray is now retired from the University of Hull but continues to play an active role in liquid crystal matters around the world.
Full article can be found at
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article1160983.ece
posted by POL Northern England Update at
1:29 AM
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