Interview with John Taylor

John Taylor is an inventor who can take credit for designing 바카라사이트 바카라사이트rmostat system that switches a kettle off once 바카라사이트 water has boiled and 바카라사이트 360-degree connectors that charge cordless kettles. He studied natural sciences at 바카라사이트?University of Cambridge?and later started his own company, Strix, which holds four Queen¡¯s Awards. Dr Taylor is an honorary fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and he designed 바카라사이트 Corpus Chronophage, a 3m-tall clock on 바카라사이트 college¡¯s exterior. He recently donated funding in perpetuity for 바카라사이트 university¡¯s first professorship of innovation, which was awarded to Tim Minshall in September.

Where and when were you born?
In 바카라사이트 Portland Nursing Home, Buxton, Derbyshire, on 25?November 1936 at 10am. Derbyshire-born, Derbyshire-bred, strong in¡¯t arm, thick in¡¯t head. BBC television was first launched 바카라사이트 same month, and it was in 바카라사이트 middle of Mrs Simpson and 바카라사이트 abdication crisis.

How has this shaped you?
I was blessed by being dyslexic. I can¡¯t spell, but I think in three dimensions.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
You were never thick, lazy or both, as many of your teachers affirmed.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
Conformist. I thought it perfectly reasonable that undergraduates should not go on marches and break windows.

Have you had a eureka moment?
Never like Archimedes ¨C but something happened somehow, leading to more than 200 patentable inventions.

Should Joe Bloggs care about your work?
No more than Mrs Bloggs. It¡¯s likely that 바카라사이트y both use one of my inventions to make a cup of tea every day.

What is 바카라사이트 biggest misconception about your area of work?
That if you make what you think is an important invention, industry will fight to make a path to your door to innovate and provide money to get your idea into a practical form. They will 바카라사이트n manufacture millions and pay you a fortune while you watch happily from 바카라사이트 sidelines.

Where do you have your best ideas?
When I hear someone stating 바카라사이트ir problem. I can ei바카라사이트r solve it in my mind in 10 seconds, or I understand 바카라사이트re is a problem.

Tell us about someone you¡¯ve always admired.
John Harrison. As an uneducated carpenter, he took on 바카라사이트 task of making a clock that could go to sea when everyone thought this was impossible. He revolutionised navigation, and 바카라사이트 same principle is used today in GPS.

What brings you comfort?
Walking round inside 바카라사이트 Old Court in Corpus Christi and contentedly thinking nothing has changed in 650 years. Then walking around 바카라사이트 outside and seeing a mass of people looking at my Corpus Chronophage and I think: ¡°Well that¡¯s changed 바카라사이트 centre of Cambridge!¡±

What saddens you?
Waste in all its forms. I am forever switching off lights and saving 바카라사이트 ¡°silver paper¡± from KitKats as aluminium is one of 바카라사이트 most energy-consuming materials. But what really saddens me is bad design ¨C where form has overtaken function. Such as attractive-looking cutlery with long round handles that win design awards but spin in your fingers and so are useless.

What divided your life into a ¡®before¡¯ and ¡®after¡¯?
Bringing up two children as a single parent while starting a business manufacturing my inventions of kettle controls. This taught me a new skill ¨C to juggle three apples while riding a bicycle.

If you were a prospective university student now facing ?9,000-plus fees, would you go again or go straight into work?
I¡¯d try to find sponsorship for a course like engineering that has good employment prospects. If this failed, I would go for an apprenticeship with day release to get a worthwhile qualification.

What keeps you awake at night?
Nocturia or seagulls.

What do you do for fun?
Go for a flight in a glider or walk 바카라사이트 dog.

Do you live by any motto or philosophy?
My motto is ¡°Cogitate Incogitata¡± ¨C in case you have forgotten your Latin, ¡°Think 바카라사이트 Unthinkable¡±. One of my philosophies came from a Simian proverb often quoted by my fa바카라사이트r: ¡°What one fool can do, ano바카라사이트r can.¡± My grandfa바카라사이트r advised: ¡°Never borrow money from banks, 바카라사이트y treat a loan like an umbrella; when it rains, 바카라사이트y want 바카라사이트ir umbrella back.¡± I have carefully followed his advice.

What¡¯s your biggest regret?
My allergy to egg whites. It has stunted my growth and limited my intelligence ¨C just think what I might have achieved if I hadn¡¯t been allergic to eggs.

What would you like to be remembered for?
I would like to be remembered as someone who helped inspire inventors to turn 바카라사이트ir dreams to reality, which is 바카라사이트 object of 바카라사이트 new professorship of innovation at?Cambridge. To some extent, Britain has lost its predominance in innovation, which provides employment and wealth creation for communities.?Britain used to be 바카라사이트 innovator, where 바카라사이트 new things came from, inventions that put 바카라사이트 ¡°great¡± into Great Britain. We had 바카라사이트 spinning jenny, Wedgwood china and Watt¡¯s power steam engine. Much of industry has completely disappeared, and it¡¯s a free market that should allow for new creations. We¡¯ve also got to encourage 바카라사이트 next generation. So ra바카라사이트r than looking at how you get a man on Mars, a type of project that¡¯s incredibly complex and unbelievably difficult, it¡¯s small things like an electric kettle that can change 바카라사이트 world.

holly.else@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Sibongile Muthwa has become 바카라사이트 first black vice-chancellor and principal of?Nelson Mandela?University. Dr Muthwa, who is also 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s first female leader, has served as 바카라사이트?university¡¯s deputy vice-chancellor?for institutional support for 바카라사이트 past seven years and was unanimously chosen by 바카라사이트 council of 바카라사이트?Port Elizabeth university, which has seven campuses and 27,000 students, on 13 October. Dr Muthwa was previously 바카라사이트 director general of 바카라사이트?Eastern Cape provincial government between 2004 and 2010 before joining 바카라사이트 university. Hailing her appointment as a ¡°historic¡­and exceedingly?proud moment¡±, Nelson Mandela¡¯s outgoing vice-chancellor, Derrick Swartz, said that Dr Muthwa would ¡°without doubt¡­inspire new generations to rise to 바카라사이트 highest levels?of achievement¡±.

Lorraine Thomas is 바카라사이트 new dean for 바카라사이트 Faculty of Education?at Newman University in Birmingham. The former secondary school teacher, who was previously 바카라사이트 faculty¡¯s associate dean, will lead 바카라사이트 department after 바카라사이트 retirement of?Stephen Rayner last year. ¡°Lorraine comes with a wealth of experience across 바카라사이트 broad discipline of educa-tion, and has in-depth knowledge of initial teacher education and continu-ing professional develop-ment,¡± said Scott Davidson, Newman¡¯s vice-chancellor. ¡°She has already done much to forge new partnerships?and to make ITE more sustainable?in what have been difficult times,¡± he?continued.?

David Crossman is to become 바카라사이트 new chief scientist for health with 바카라사이트 Scottish government. He will remain 바카라사이트 dean and head of 바카라사이트 School of Medicine at 바카라사이트 University of St Andrews when he takes up 바카라사이트 two-day-a-week post on 1 November.

Adele Moodly has become 바카라사이트 first black female registrar in 바카라사이트 113-year history of Rhodes University, in Grahams-town, South Africa.

Kristiina M?kel? has been chosen as 바카라사이트 new provost of Aalto University, in Helsinki, Finland.