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Research suggests social factors behind higher schizophrenia rate in British African-Caribbeans

June 19, 2002

Throughout a long and distinguished career stretching over six decades, the astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle FRS sought to answer some of the biggest questions in science. How did the Universe originate? How did life begin? What are the eventual fates of planets, stars and galaxies?

Hoyle believed that, as a general rule, solutions to major unsolved problems had to be sought by exploring radical hypotheses, whilst at the same time not deviating too far from well-attested scientific tools and methods. His scientific work served as an inspiration to three generations of astronomers. He also became one of the greatest popularisers of science in the 20th century, never failing to captivate huge audiences on radio, on television, in public lectures as well as through his popular books.

To celebrate his contributions to astronomy, astrophysics and astrobiology, former colleagues and students of Hoyle will gather at Cardiff University (where he was an Honorary Research Professor from 1975 until his death in 2001) from 24-26 June 2002, to highlight the important aspects of his life and work.

Topics under discussion include:
Fred Hoyle`s World View Stellar Nucleosynthesis and the Life and Death of Stars Big-Bang vs Steady-State Cosmology Quasi-Steady State Cosmology The role of the creation field from Mach`s principle Origin of Chemical Elements Anomalous redshifts of Quasars Interstellar molecules Interstellar dust Stellar evolution Cosmical electrodynamics High-energy astrophysics Iron whiskers in space Extragalactic dust Origin of Microwave Background The nature of dark matter Fred Hoyle`s contributions to biology The modern theory of panspermia Search for micro-organisms in the atmosphere Evolution of species according to Hoyle Science fiction as a vehicle of scientific communication Fred Hoyle as a science populariser

Speakers at the event include:
·Eight Fellows of the Royal Society
·The Astronomer Royal, Sir Martin Rees
·Sir John Maddox, Emeritus Editor of Nature
·Geoffrey and Margaret Burbidge, whose work with Hoyle led to our present-day understanding of the origin of chemical elements in stars.
·Arthur C Clarke (via video link in Sri Lanka)
·Hermann Bondi, former Chief Scientific Advisor to the Government and Chair of the European Space Agency, with whom Hoyle founded the theory of accretion (the mechanism by which stars "suck in" nearby interstellar matter) and the Steady State Theory of the Universe.

Royal Astronomical Society (RAS)