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History

Famous faces

Since its establishment in 1900, NPL has been home to a stream of exceptional scientists who have made major and varied contributions to the world.

Alan Turing

Alan Turing

1912 – 1954

Alan Turing's work was instrumental in placing NPL at the forefront of computer technology

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Bryan Kibble

Bryan Kibble

1938 – 2016

Bryan Kibble's pioneering work on the Kibble balance has enabled accurate measurements of numerous physical constants and will aid in redefining the SI kilogram

 

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Donald Davies

Donald Davies

1924 – 2000

Donald Davies' work on packet-switched data communication heavily influenced the development of the Internet

 

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Donald McLean

Donald McLean

1915 – 2017

Donald McLean had an important and enduring influence on the science and engineering of materials for structural applications

 

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Dr Margaret Stedman

Dr Margaret Stedman

1936-2021

Dr Margaret Stedman's work facilitated the birth of nanotechnological atomic-scale investigation

 

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Dr Martin Seah

Dr Martin Seah

1941 - 2021

Dr Martin Seah MBE was an inspirational scientist who pioneered metrology for surface chemical analysis

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George Clarkson Kaye

George Clarkson Kaye

1880 – 1941

Kaye played a leading role in protecting workers from the harmful effects of radiation

 

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Jim Wilkinson

Jim Wilkinson

1919 – 1986

Jim Wilkinson led the team that built the Pilot ACE

 

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Louis Essen

Louis Essen

1908 – 1997

Louis Essen built the world's first working caesium clock and paved the way for a new and better definition of the second

 

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Olga Taussky-Todd

Olga Taussky-Todd

1906 – 1995

Olga Taussky-Todd was a "torchbearer for matrix theory"

 

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Paul Vigoureux

Paul Vigoureux

1903 – 1999

Paul Vigoureux's work on the International System of Units had a profound effect on the exactness of science

 

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Sir Robert Watson-Watt

Sir Robert Watson-Watt

1892 – 1973

Sir Robert's work resulted in radar design and installation on the coasts of England

 

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Sir Thomas Stanton

Sir Thomas Stanton

1865 – 1931

Sir Thomas was a pioneer in the science of wind tunnel testing

 

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Sir Walter Stanley Stiles

Sir Walter Stanley Stiles

1901 – 1985

Sir Walter was one of the greatest visual scientists of the twentieth century

 

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Walter Rosenhain

Walter Rosenhain

1875 – 1934

Rosenhain established NPL as one of the world's leading research labs in the field of metallurgy

 

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