David Phillips (chemist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Phillips
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David Phillips in 2015, portrait via the Royal Society
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| Born | 3 December 1939 |
| Alma mater | University of Birmingham |
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| Institutions | University of Southampton |
David Phillips, born on December 3, 1939, is a British chemist. He is an expert in photochemistry, which is the study of how light causes chemical reactions. He also works with lasers. From 2010 to 2012, he was the president of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Contents
Early Life and Schooling
David Phillips was born on December 3, 1939, in a town called Kendal. He grew up in South Shields and went to Grammar School there. Later, he studied at the University of Birmingham, where he earned both his first degree (BSc) and his advanced degree (PhD).
Career and Discoveries
After finishing his studies, Phillips started his career by doing special research called postdoctoral research. He worked at the University of Texas at Austin in the United States and also at the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (which is now in Russia).
Working at Universities
He then became a chemistry teacher, called a lecturer, at the University of Southampton. He moved up to become a Reader, which is a senior teaching position. After that, he became the Wolfson Professor of Natural Philosophy at the Royal Institution.
In 1989, Professor Phillips moved to Imperial College London. There, he became a professor of physical chemistry and held many important leadership roles.
Public Appearances and Awards
In 1987, David Phillips gave the famous Royal Institution Christmas Lectures on television. These lectures are a series of science talks for young people.
He has received special awards from the British government for his work in chemistry. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1999. In 2012, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), which is an even higher honor.
He was also a guest on popular radio shows like Desert Island Discs in 2011 and Private Passions in 2012.
Thoughts on Nuclear Energy
David Phillips has shared his ideas about nuclear power. He believes that the character of Dr. No from the 1962 James Bond movie Dr No made nuclear energy seem very dangerous. In the movie, Dr. No had his own nuclear reactor, which made people think of nuclear power as something bad that evil people might use to take over the world.
Phillips says that because of this movie, people often feel unsure about nuclear power. However, the Royal Society of Chemistry believes that nuclear power is important for the future of energy. They think it should be a big part of how countries get their power. This is because using fossil fuels can harm the environment. Phillips suggests that we should say "yes" to nuclear power and not believe the "nonsense" from Dr. No.
Recognitions and Honors
In 2010, David Phillips was given the Porter Medal for his contributions to science. In 2015, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.
Images for kids
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David Phillips in 2015
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D. Markovitsi presents D. Phillips with the Porter Medal
pt:David Chilton Phillips
