Download presentation
Presentation is loading. Please wait.
Published byRoberta Fox Modified over 9 years ago
2
"I started by failing," quips Jocelyn Bell. Born α Belfast, Northern Ireland, Susan Jocelyn Bell took an examination at age 11 as part of Britain's stringent requirements for pursuing higher education -- and failed. It spurred her family to send her to a boarding school α England for a second chance. The school had little α the way of science equipment, but it had a very inspiring physics teacher. Her family, too, encouraged her. Their heritage as Friends, or Quakers, included strong support of women's education. Her parents also had wide ranging interests. Her father, an architect, had been a finalist α a radio quiz show "Brain of Britain"! Of all his books, those on astronomy intrigued Bell the most.
3
Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where her father was an architect for the nearby Armagh Planetarium, she enjoyed a large library and was encouraged to read. She was especially drawn to the books on astronomy. At eleven, she failed the 11+ exam and her parents sent her to the Mount School, York, a Quaker girls' boarding school. There she was impressed by a physics teacher who taught her: Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where her father was an architect for the nearby Armagh Planetarium, she enjoyed a large library and was encouraged to read. She was especially drawn to the books on astronomy. At eleven, she failed the 11+ exam and her parents sent her to the Mount School, York, a Quaker girls' boarding school. There she was impressed by a physics teacher who taught her:BelfastNorthern Ireland Armagh Planetarium11+ examthe Mount School, YorkQuakerBelfastNorthern Ireland Armagh Planetarium11+ examthe Mount School, YorkQuaker "You don't have to learn lots and lots...of facts; you just learn a few key things, and...then you can apply and build and develop from those... He was a really good teacher and showed me, actually, how easy physics was." "You don't have to learn lots and lots...of facts; you just learn a few key things, and...then you can apply and build and develop from those... He was a really good teacher and showed me, actually, how easy physics was." She married Martin Burnell in 1968, and they have one son, Gavin, born in 1973, and a grandson, Matthew, born in 2005. She married Martin Burnell in 1968, and they have one son, Gavin, born in 1973, and a grandson, Matthew, born in 2005. She graduated from the University of Glasgow with a B.Sc. in physics in 1965 and received her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge in 1969. At Cambridge, she worked with Hewish and others to construct a radio telescope for using interplanetary scintillation to study quasars, which had recently been discovered (interplanetary scintillation allows compact sources to be distinguished from extended ones). Detecting a bit of "scruff" on her chart recorder papers that tracked across the sky with the stars, Bell Burnell found that the signal was regularly pulsing, about once each second. Temporarily dubbed "Little Green Man 1" the source was eventually identified as a rapidly rotating neutron star. She graduated from the University of Glasgow with a B.Sc. in physics in 1965 and received her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge in 1969. At Cambridge, she worked with Hewish and others to construct a radio telescope for using interplanetary scintillation to study quasars, which had recently been discovered (interplanetary scintillation allows compact sources to be distinguished from extended ones). Detecting a bit of "scruff" on her chart recorder papers that tracked across the sky with the stars, Bell Burnell found that the signal was regularly pulsing, about once each second. Temporarily dubbed "Little Green Man 1" the source was eventually identified as a rapidly rotating neutron star.University of GlasgowB.Sc.physicsPh.D.University of Cambridgeradio telescopescintillationquasarsneutron starUniversity of GlasgowB.Sc.physicsPh.D.University of Cambridgeradio telescopescintillationquasarsneutron star Her Life …
4
Bell studied physics at Glasgow University and entered Cambridge University as a graduate student, assisting Anthony Hewish with his research. Hewish and his research assistants built an enormous radio telescope to study quasars. In 1967 Bell, analyzing literally miles of print-outs from the telescope, noted a few "bits of scruff" that seemed to indicate radio signals too fast and regular to come from quasars. She and Hewish ruled out orbiting satellites, French television signals, radar, finally even "little green men." Looking back at some papers α theoretical physics, they determined that these signal must come from rapidly spinning, super-dense, collapsed stars. The media called these collapsed stars pulsars and jumped on the story.pulsars Her Life …
5
After finishing her PhD, Bell Burnell worked at the University of Southampton (1968-73), University College London (1974- 82) and the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh (1982-91). In addition, from 1973 to 1987 she was also a tutor, consultant, examiner and lecturer for the Open University. In 1991 she was appointed Professor of Physics at the Open University, a position she held for ten years. She was also a visiting professor at Princeton University. Before retiring Bell Burnell was Dean of Science at the University of Bath between 2001 and 2004,[4] and was President of the Royal Astronomical Society between 2002 and 2004. After finishing her PhD, Bell Burnell worked at the University of Southampton (1968-73), University College London (1974- 82) and the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh (1982-91). In addition, from 1973 to 1987 she was also a tutor, consultant, examiner and lecturer for the Open University. In 1991 she was appointed Professor of Physics at the Open University, a position she held for ten years. She was also a visiting professor at Princeton University. Before retiring Bell Burnell was Dean of Science at the University of Bath between 2001 and 2004,[4] and was President of the Royal Astronomical Society between 2002 and 2004.University of SouthamptonUniversity College LondonRoyal Observatory, EdinburghOpen UniversityPrinceton University of Bath20012004[4]Royal Astronomical Society20022004University of SouthamptonUniversity College LondonRoyal Observatory, EdinburghOpen UniversityPrinceton University of Bath20012004[4]Royal Astronomical Society20022004 She is currently Visiting Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Mansfield College. She is currently Visiting Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Mansfield College. University of OxfordMansfield College University of OxfordMansfield College
6
Her Life … She is the house patron of Burnell House at Cambridge House Grammar School in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. She is the house patron of Burnell House at Cambridge House Grammar School in Ballymena, Northern Ireland.Cambridge House Grammar SchoolBallymenaCambridge House Grammar SchoolBallymena She is on the Advisory Board of the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion. She is on the Advisory Board of the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion.Faraday Institute for Science and ReligionFaraday Institute for Science and Religion She has campaigned to improve the status and number of women in professional and academic posts in the fields of physics and astronomy. She has campaigned to improve the status and number of women in professional and academic posts in the fields of physics and astronomy. She has remained an active Quaker from her school days. She has remained an active Quaker from her school days.Quaker She delivered a Swarthmore Lecture under the title Broken for life, at Yearly Meeting in Aberdeen on August 1, 1989. She delivered a Swarthmore Lecture under the title Broken for life, at Yearly Meeting in Aberdeen on August 1, 1989.Swarthmore LectureYearly MeetingAberdeenAugust 11989Swarthmore LectureYearly MeetingAberdeenAugust 11989 She served as Clerk to the sessions of Britain Yearly Meeting in 1995, 1996 and 1997. She served as Clerk to the sessions of Britain Yearly Meeting in 1995, 1996 and 1997.Clerk She revealed her personal religious history and beliefs in an interview with Joan Bakewell in 2006. She revealed her personal religious history and beliefs in an interview with Joan Bakewell in 2006.Joan BakewellJoan Bakewell She served on the Quaker Peace and Social Witness Testimonies Committee, which produced Engaging with the Quaker Testimonies: a Toolkit in February 2007 and wrote the introductory essay. She served on the Quaker Peace and Social Witness Testimonies Committee, which produced Engaging with the Quaker Testimonies: a Toolkit in February 2007 and wrote the introductory essay.Quaker Peace and Social WitnessTestimoniesQuaker Peace and Social WitnessTestimonies
8
Our opinion We believe that Jocelyn Bell Burnell is a very intelligent because she accomplished all the objectives that that she put in her life.
9
Thekla Soutzi Doria Tappa Maria Petrou Ege Tek
Similar presentations
© 2025 SlidePlayer.com. Inc.
All rights reserved.