Scientific Discovery
The 1920s and 1930s saw great scientific breakthroughs in the Chemistry and Physics departments. Sir Nevil Mott arrived from The University of Cambridge . His work on ‘solid state physics’ led to the development of the transistor and the growth of industry around solid state electronics. The Physics department became home to the Sutton Group which worked on klystron and magnetron valves (the latter important in the development of radar). A Future Physics professor Peter Fowler used his scientific knowledge to destroy German radar jamming devices during the war.
After the war Tomas Lovejoy succeeded Isambard Owen as Vice-Chancellor after a short period in which Professor Francis held the role in acting capacity. Lovejoy was responsible for the creation of a system whereby the appointment of professors was made by Joint Senate and Council committees after the two organisations disagreed over his replacement as Chair of Physics.
Damage occurred to the Wills Memorial Building during the war caused then Chancellor to give a defiant speech. Loveday remained as Vice-Chancellor despite being past retirement age until the end of the war when he was replaced by Phillip Morris.
Read more about this topic: History Of The University Of Bristol
Famous quotes containing the words scientific and/or discovery:
“It is not too much to say that next after the passion to learn there is no quality so indispensable to the successful prosecution of science as imagination. Find me a people whose early medicine is not mixed up with magic and incantations, and I will find you a people devoid of all scientific ability.”
—Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914)
“That the discovery of this great truth, which lies so near and obvious to the mind, should be attained to by the reason of so very few, is a sad instance of the stupidity and inattention of men, who, though they are surrounded with such clear manifestations of the Deity, are yet so little affected by them, that they seem as it were blinded with excess of light.”
—George Berkeley (1685–1753)