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Memorial Tributes Volume 15 (2011) / Chapter Skim
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(Michael) James Lighthill 1924-1998
Pages 268-275

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From page 269...
... He suffered a heart attack while swimming around sark, a swim he had been the first person to do and one that he had previously completed five times. He was considered the dominant mathematical aerodynamicist of his day.
From page 270...
... The reports on that work, written by James at the NPl and later submitted to Trinity, gained him a Prize fellowship, allowing him to return to cambridge and resume his research into pure mathematics. But he was beginning to appreciate applied mathematics almost as much, and many people whom James admired showed such interest and curiosity about his wartime work and what he might do for aerodynamics that he hardly had the inclination or time to resume his old life.
From page 271...
... He warned that, if ever cambridge were lucky enough to meet but fail to recognize that modern genius, cambridge would become an academic laughing stock but would raise no eyebrows by tolerating strange behavior or by failing to understand difficult concepts. Very bright and occasionally strange himself, James understood that view very well.
From page 272...
... it was largely James lighthill's own effort that led to the founding of the British Theoretical Mechanics colloquium, a popular annual meeting first held in Manchester in 1958, and it was definitely James's drive that brought the institute of Mathematics and its application into being. Whether James was particularly attracted by high-speed aircraft or swayed by the importance of containing jet noise, the most significant output of the Manchester school, and what was most probably James's masterpiece, was his completely original theory explaining how and why sound was created aerodynamically.
From page 273...
... James's lecturing style attracted many comments, most of them complimentary. He would invariably prepare his lectures thoroughly and took enormous pains over elaborately handdrawn blackboards and over his carefully rehearsed flamboyant style of delivery, with which no doubt Nancy helped him.
From page 274...
... They were mainly presented in the math department and attracted several staff members and the most aspiring research students from across the college, who could see and learn from the master about Fluids, The Swimming of Fish, Group Velocity, Geophysical Flows, and Biological Fluid Mechanics. James also took great pride and interest in the Physiological flow studies Unit he had helped colin caro establish at imperial college.
From page 275...
... The fact that diners cheered loudly spoke volumes about his popularity. He left cambridge to become provost of University college, london, where he was both popular and successful.


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