Wade Allison
Encyclopedia
Wade Allison is Emeritus Professor
of Physics
at Oxford University. Author of Radiation and Reason: The Impact of Science on a Culture of Fear.
pilot serving with arctic convoys.
He left Rugby School
in 1959 for Trinity College, Cambridge
with an Open Exhibition in Natural Science. There he gained a First Class in Part I of the Tripos
, before taking Part II in Physics and Part III in Mathematics in 1963. At Oxford he studied for a DPhil in Particle Physics, on the way becoming the last student permitted to operate Oxford University's thermionic valve Ferranti Mercury
computer. He was elected to a Research Lecturership (JRF) at Christ Church, Oxford
in 1967 and a Fellow of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. He spent two years at the Argonne National Laboratory
before returning to Oxford in 1970.
In 1976 he was appointed a University Lecturer in the Physics Department at Oxford, later with the title of Professor. At the same time he was elected to a Tutorial Fellowship at Keble College. He was a Visiting Professor at the University of Minnesota
in 1995. During his career he served periods as Associate Chairman of the Oxford Physics Department, Senior Tutor and Sub-Warden of Keble College. He retired officially in 2008, since when he has continued to teach, lecture and study. He was elected to an Emeritus Fellowship at Keble College in 2010.
, Transition Radiation
and other mechanisms of energy loss, dEdx. As a result of initiating some years ago an optional student course on applications of nuclear physics, his interests moved sideways into medical physics
, in particular safety, therapy and imaging across the full spectrum: ionizing radiation
, ultrasound
and magnetic resonance
. He spent 3 years writing an advanced student text book Fundamental Physics for Probing and Imaging (2006), before starting work on his new publication, Radiation and Reason (2009). Since the Fukushima
accident this book has been translated into Japanese and published by Tokuma Shoten (Tokyo), July 2011.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at Oxford University. Author of Radiation and Reason: The Impact of Science on a Culture of Fear.
Early life
Wade Allison was born in 1941 in wartime Britain, the son of a fleet air armFleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
pilot serving with arctic convoys.
He left Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
in 1959 for Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
with an Open Exhibition in Natural Science. There he gained a First Class in Part I of the Tripos
Tripos
The University of Cambridge, England, divides the different kinds of honours bachelor's degree by Tripos , plural Triposes. The word has an obscure etymology, but may be traced to the three-legged stool candidates once used to sit on when taking oral examinations...
, before taking Part II in Physics and Part III in Mathematics in 1963. At Oxford he studied for a DPhil in Particle Physics, on the way becoming the last student permitted to operate Oxford University's thermionic valve Ferranti Mercury
Ferranti Mercury
The Mercury was an early 1950s commercial computer built by Ferranti. It was the successor to the Ferranti Mark 1, adding a floating point unit for improved performance, and increased reliability by replacing the Williams tube memory with core memory and using more solid state components...
computer. He was elected to a Research Lecturership (JRF) at Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
in 1967 and a Fellow of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. He spent two years at the Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory is the first science and engineering research national laboratory in the United States, receiving this designation on July 1, 1946. It is the largest national laboratory by size and scope in the Midwest...
before returning to Oxford in 1970.
In 1976 he was appointed a University Lecturer in the Physics Department at Oxford, later with the title of Professor. At the same time he was elected to a Tutorial Fellowship at Keble College. He was a Visiting Professor at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
in 1995. During his career he served periods as Associate Chairman of the Oxford Physics Department, Senior Tutor and Sub-Warden of Keble College. He retired officially in 2008, since when he has continued to teach, lecture and study. He was elected to an Emeritus Fellowship at Keble College in 2010.
Research interests
His background is in experimental Particle Physics. In earlier years he developed new experimental methods with their theory, and applied these in experiments on quarks at CERN and on neutrinos in the USA. He made special studies on the fields of relativistic charged particles in matter including Cherenkov RadiationCherenkov radiation
Cherenkov radiation is electromagnetic radiation emitted when a charged particle passes through a dielectric medium at a speed greater than the phase velocity of light in that medium...
, Transition Radiation
Transition radiation
Optical Transition radiation is produced by relativistic charged particles when they cross the interface of two media of different dielectric constants. The emitted radiation is the homogeneous difference between the two inhomogeneous solutions of Maxwell's equations of the electric and magnetic...
and other mechanisms of energy loss, dEdx. As a result of initiating some years ago an optional student course on applications of nuclear physics, his interests moved sideways into medical physics
Medical physics
Medical physics is the application of physics to medicine. It generally concerns physics as applied to medical imaging and radiotherapy, although a medical physicist may also work in many other areas of healthcare...
, in particular safety, therapy and imaging across the full spectrum: ionizing radiation
Ionizing radiation
Ionizing radiation is radiation composed of particles that individually have sufficient energy to remove an electron from an atom or molecule. This ionization produces free radicals, which are atoms or molecules containing unpaired electrons...
, ultrasound
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is thus not separated from "normal" sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is...
and magnetic resonance
Magnetic resonance
Magnetic resonance can mean:*Nuclear magnetic resonance*Electron spin resonance*Magnetic resonance imaging *Functional magnetic resonance imaging *Muon spin spectroscopy...
. He spent 3 years writing an advanced student text book Fundamental Physics for Probing and Imaging (2006), before starting work on his new publication, Radiation and Reason (2009). Since the Fukushima
Fukushima
may refer to:*Fukushima City – the capital city of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan*Fukushima Prefecture – a Japanese prefecture*Two nuclear power plants located in Fukushima Prefecture:**Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant...
accident this book has been translated into Japanese and published by Tokuma Shoten (Tokyo), July 2011.
Academic biography
- Emeritus Fellow, Keble College, Oxford (2010)
- Fellow by Special Election and Senior College Lecturer, Keble College, Oxford (2008)
- Visiting Professor, Dept of Physics & Astronomy, University of Minnesota (1995)
- Tutorial Fellow of Keble College, Oxford (1976–2008)
- University Lecturer in Physics, Oxford (1976–2008)
- Research Officer, Nuclear Physics Lab., Oxford (1970–1975)
- Post-doctoral appointment, Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois, USA (1968–1970)
- Research Lecturer, Christchurch College, Oxford (1966–1971)
- Christchurch College, Oxford, D Phil (1963–1968)
- Trinity College, Cambridge, Open Exhibitioner, Nat. Sci. Pt I (First), Physics Pt II (Second) Maths Pt III (1959–1963)
External links
- http://www.radiationandreason.com
- http://www.keble.ox.ac.uk/academics/about/professor-w-w-m-allison
- http://atomic.thepodcastnetwork.com/2006/12/28/the-atomic-show-043-prof-wade-allison-the-dangers-of-radiation-safety-rules/