One hundred scientific facts linked to the Bristol City

Region. 1. Bristol is one of six Science Cities in England, a

status that recognises the concentration of the world-class
scientific research, innovation and development in the
academic and industrial sectors. 2. Bristol-born coal
merchant Samuel Plimsoll invented the Plimsoll Load Line,
which prevented cargo ships from the overloading of cargo
and helped keep them safe at sea.3. Bristol businessman
William Champion invented a new process for smelting zinc
in 1746. 4. Bristol Neuroscience was founded in 2003 by the
University of Bristol to create a network for Bristol’s strong
and diverse neuroscience community and exploit
opportunities for interdisciplinary research. 5. In 1782 Bristol
plumber, William Watts patented a process of producing
high-quality spherical shot used for projectiles in firearms.
6. Professor Joe McGeehan at the University of Bristol
developed a secure portable radio in the 1980s that formed
the basis of Nokia’s first mass market mobile phone. 7. The
Airbus design centre at their UK HQ at Filton manages the
design of all wings for the whole Airbus family of aircraft. It
is also responsible for the design integration of the landing
gears and fuel systems.8. Sarah Guppy of Arnos Vale
patented a bed with built-in exercise equipment – among
other handy inventions – in the early 1800s. 9. ClearSpeed, a
semiconductor company in North Bristol, has developed a
processor able to process large amounts of data faster (60%
more) and with lower power consumption (10 times less)
than a normal PC processor. 10. The British & Colonial
Aeroplane Company was founded in Filton in 1910 and is
part of Bristol’s incredibly rich aerospace heritage.
11. George Pocock, a schoolmaster at Prospect Place
Academy for boys, invented the char-volant, a carriage
powered by kites, in the 1820s. 12. Advanced Transport
Systems in North Bristol are leading the world in developing
an innovative form of Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) that can
transport people, without a driver, non stop to their chosen
location. ULTra as it is known will soon be piloted at
Heathrow Airport. 13. The Centre for Regenerative Medicine
at the University of Bath is an interdepartmental network to
enable collaborative work on regenerative medicine.
14. The Clifton Crossing Competition was to devise an
alternative crossing of the Avon Gorge, using the original
design brief and modern technology. It received international
attention and produced a long lasting legacy of educational
materials. 15. The CREATE Centre in Bristol is home to several
leading organisations, working together in the field of
sustainable development. 16. The Genomics Research Institute
at the University of the West of England houses state-of-the-art
equipment for post-genomics research. 17. The University of
Bristol has set up the Interface Analysis Centre to investigate
surfaces and interfaces in solid-state materials. 18. World
famous Isambard Kingdom Brunel, born 1806, achieved his
major engineering triumphs in and around Bristol. 19. A
special centre at the University of the West of England has
been set up to bring together experts to research the
environment and how to minimise damage caused by
pollution. 20. Broadmead baker, Henry Jones invented
self-raising flour in 1845. 21. Bristol is the UK’s leading city for
media outside London, being home to major broadcasters like
BBC Bristol, internationally successful Aardman Animations,
and numerous independent companies, putting it at the
cutting edge particularly in animation, natural history, short
film, documentary and docu-drama. 22. The University of Bath
has set up a centre to research remote-sensing techniques for
use in scientific studies. 23. Edward Jenner – who pioneered
the use of vaccines – inocculated Bristol’s residents against
smallpox in 1799 which, at the time, was the biggest killer of
children. 24. Cameron Balloons in Bristol designed and
manufactured the world record beating balloon that Dr.
Vijaypat Singhania took to 21,027 metres above sea level over
India, in November 2005. 25. Paul Dirac, who won the Nobel
Prize in 1933 for his work on atomic theory, was not only born
in Bristol but also a graduate of the University of Bristol.
26. Bristol’s 3C Research Ltd is a research centre focused on
the convergence of communications, computing and
multimedia content production. 27. Scotsman John Loudon
McAdam – surveyor to the Bristol Turnpike Trust from 1815 to
1825 – revolutionised transport through improvements to road
surfaces.
28. The late Chris Parsons headed the BBC Natural History
Unit in Bristol and was a co-founder of Bristol’s bi-annual
international Wildscreen Festival – celebrating natural
history filmmaking – in 1982. 29. The University of the West
of England has received recognition around the world for its
groundbreaking work on sensors for the agri-food,
environmental and biomedical sectors. 30. The most
advanced facility in the country in the area of photonic
crystal fibre research is at Bath University which has a
drawing tower to extrude photonic crystal fibres up to a
kilometre long. 31. Plasticine – the material of choice for
Bristol-based Aardman Animations and school children
everywhere – was invented by a Bathampton art teacher in
1897. 32. The University of the West of England is currently
working on a cutting edge project for Hydro International – a
company that uses innovative vortex technology to treat
storm and wastewater – to help them streamline their design
processes. 33. Research at The Bristol Laboratory for
Advanced Dynamics Engineering (BLADE), at the University
of Bristol, Europe’s most advanced dynamics engineering
facility, is aimed at characterising the performance of
structures long before they go into service. 34. Britain’s
oldest chocolate firm, J S Fry & Sons, began life in Bristol in
the eighteenth century when Dr Joseph Fry made chocolate
at his apothecary shop in Small Street. 35. Cecil Frank
Powell, who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1950 for his
photographic method of studying nuclear processes, taught
at the University of Bristol from 1927. 36. Filton is the site of
international missile systems company MBDA’s UK
Electro-Magnetic Compatibility test facility, used on a range
of missile systems. 37. The Bristol Living Rivers Project
promotes the sustainable management, development and use
of rivers in Bristol. 38. The Bristol, Clifton and West of
England Zoological Gardens which opened in 1836 is the fifth
oldest zoo in the world and the oldest not in a capital city.
39. The Interdisciplinary Research Centre in Nanotechnology
Structures and Devices at the University of Bristol enables
scientists and other professionals to work creatively together
in the field of nanotechnology. 40. The first ever water closet
(WC) was invented by Elizabethan scholar, poet and courtier
Sir John Harrington of Kelston near Bristol.
41. With an eye for the future, Bristol-born photographer
William Friese-Greene used celluloid to record movement
way back in the 1880s, paving the way for modern
cinematography. 42. University of Bristol fellow, Hans
Albrecht Bethe was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in
1967 for his work on nuclear reactions – especially how
energy is produced in stars. 43. The National Cycle Network
Centre, part of Sustrans, was founded in Bristol in 1977 and
promotes travel that is better for people and the
environment. 44. Sir William Ramsay, who was awarded the
Nobel Prize in 1904 for his work on inert gaseous elements in
air was Principal and Professor of Chemistry at University
College, Bristol from 1880–87. 45. Scientists at the University
of Bath have invented a material which stores and releases
hydrogen at room temperature, which promises to help make
hydrogen power a viable clean technology for the future.
46. In the 1960s Filton was home to assembly plants for
Concorde, and her Rolls-Royce/Snecma 593 engines were
jointly manufactured there. 47. Caroline Herschel of Bath was
the first woman scientist and astronomer to be elected to the
Royal Society and her brother William, using a telescope of
his own design, discovered the planet Uranus in 1781.
48. Arkive, an initiative of the Wildscreen Trust in Bristol
brings together the world’s finest wildlife films, photographs
and sound recordings via a free website www.arkive.org.
49. A camera obscura – an invention that led to the
development of the modern camera – was set up on Clifton
Downs in 1829. 50. Recent accreditation by the Forensic
Science Society makes the University of the West of England
one of the top providers of forensic science education in the
UK. 51. The diversion of 2,400 feet of the River Frome in the
thirteenth century to provide more quays in the centre of
Bristol was one of the most remarkable feats of civil
engineering of its time. 52. Sir Nevill Francis Mott, professor
of theoretical physics at the University of Bristol from 1933
was awarded a third share of the Nobel Prize for Physics in
1977. 53. The Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution
was founded in 1824 to further the advancement of literature,
science and art.
54. Founded in 1993 and with an active client list of over 400
companies worldwide, the Bristol Colloid Centre carries out
cutting edge work in developing formulations and processing
solutions for companies worldwide. 55. Opening in 2008,
SPark (The Bristol & Bath Science Park) will play a key role
in nurturing high value knowledge-based industries in South
West England. 56. Physicists at the Universities of Bath,
Bristol and Leeds can now precisely control the pattern of
magnetic fields in thin films – which has huge potential for
the storing of information. 57. The Filton facilities of Rolls
Royce, at the forefront of aerospace development since the
earliest days of manned flight, design, develop, manufacture
and support some of the most sophisticated military engine
products in the world. 58. The University of the West of
England is carrying out cutting edge work into the adverse
effects of new drugs using cell culture models. 59. The
Ecohome next to Bristol’s CREATE Centre is a purpose-built
show house full of ideas for sustainable living and building.
60. At-Bristol, one of the country’s leading science centres –
based on Bristol’s Harbourside – is responsible for a number
of innovative science, communication and education
programmes. 61. The work of Professors Peter Fleming and
Jem Berry of the University of Bristol – who uncovered a link
between the sleeping position of babies and cot deaths – has
saved the lives of an estimated 100,000 babies worldwide.
62. Mobile Bristol – founded by HP Labs, the University of
Bristol and the Appliance Studio – is a test bed for
technology, user research in mobility, and future mobile
services. 63. A consortium of some of the UK’s top companies
in the fields of software, hardware and the creative
industries who are passionate about transforming the way
people learn are based at Bristol’s Watershed Media Centre.
64. The Quantum Computation and Information group at the
University of Bristol is working at the cutting edge and in the
expanding field of quantum information science and
quantum optical experiments. 65. Kathy Sykes, University of
Bristol’s Professor of Public Engagement in Science and
Engineering was awarded the prestigious Royal Society Kohn
Award in September 2006 for her work in encouraging a
better understanding between scientists and public
audiences.
66. The Bat Ecology and Bioacoustics Lab at the University of
Bristol conducts research on the ecology, behaviour and
conservation of bats. 67. The bottling of water from the spa at
Hot Wells contributed to the growth of Bristol’s glass industry
in the 18th century, when there were at least 15 glass-houses
in the city. 68. In 1844, Henry Hawes Fox patented his iron
and concrete floor on the outskirts of Bristol. It was one of the
first applications of reinforced concrete. 69. Bristol is the
point of production for around 25 per cent of the world’s
wildlife films. 70. A special Research Centre at the University
of Bristol has evolved over 30 years of natural environment
research at the university to address cutting edge questions
in Earth System Science involving atmosphere, biosphere
and geosphere interactions. 71. The massive Bristol
Brabazon, the world’s biggest civil airliner at the time, made
its maiden flight at Filton on 4 September 1949. 72. With an
international reputation for research and expertise in
complex rehabilitation and rheumatology, Bath’s Royal
National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases is a world leader in
this field. 73. Key members of the Department of
Pharmacology at the University of Bristol are also CEOs of
spin-out pharmaceutical companies. This entrepreneurial
approach helps build links between academia and business.
74. Launched in December 2005 the Bristol Robotics
Laboratory is a collaborative research partnership funded by
the University of Bristol, the University of the West of
England and HEFCE. It aims to create autonomous devices
capable of working independently, with each other, or with
us in our human society. 75. On 5 December 1958, Queen
Elizabeth II made Britain’s first Subscriber Trunk Dialling
call when she rang the Lord Provost in Edinburgh from
Bristol’s Central Telephone Exchange. 76. The University of
Bristol’s Langford House is a leading centre for teaching and
welfare research in the field of clinical veterinary science.
77. The Museum of Bath at Work is based in the offices and
shop of a Victorian engineering business that produced
drinks named Orange Champagne, Hot Tom, Bath Punch and
Cherry Ciderette
78. The South West Science and Industry Council, with a
secretariat office based in Bristol, was set up in 2005 to
promote a stronger understanding of the contribution
science and technology can make to the economy of the
region. 79. The Airbus Composites Development Centre
offers research and development capability in composite
structures technology, particularly in the aerospace and
marine sectors. 80. The not-for-profit Institute of Physics
Publishing in Bristol is one of the largest and most dynamic
publishers of field-related information in the world.
81. Bristol is a European leader in silicon design with over
400 silicon design engineers based in the city region. The
work carried out by these companies has played a critical
part in the development of new computers, telephones,
games machines and the network backbone all of these
require. 82. Carboniferous limestone coalfields at Kingswood
and Easton contributed to Bristol’s prosperity in the 17th and
18th centuries, providing fuel for the city’s soap-making,
brewing, glass and pottery industries. 83. The Health
Protection Agency South West Regional Laboratory, based in
Bristol and Bath, provides a comprehensive diagnostic
microbiology service to key healthcare trusts and hospitals
all around the region. 84. Nipper, the dog whose image was
registered as the His Master’s Voice trademark in 1900 by
Emile Berliner, the inventor of the flat disc record, was born
in Bristol in 1884. 85. The BioMed Image Archive, hosted by
the University of Bristol, is an online collection of around
8,000 medical, dental, and veterinary images used for
learning, teaching and research. 86. Bristol-born Elizabeth
Backwell was the first woman to be enrolled on the British
Medical Register and a campaigner for the reform of the
medical profession. 87. The Bristol Biodiversity Action
Partnership works to support and provide inspiration for
local conservation projects, events and activities, and
champion and promote biodiversity. 88. The Beagle 2 probe
project to Mars was led by Bristol-born Professor Colin
Pillinger. 89. Adam Hart-Davis, who has done much to
popularise science through his books and television
programmes, lives in Bishopston in Bristol.
90. The area around Bristol and Bath has been called the
cradle of English geology while Bristol’s City Museum and
Art Gallery’s geological collection is renowned as one of the
best in the country. 91. Louise Joy Brown, the world’s first
test-tube baby, was born to a couple from Easton in 1978.
92. The Bristol Heart Institute at the University of Bristol
aims to foster local, national and international
multi-disciplinary cardiovascular research. 93. HP Labs
Bristol is Hewlett Packard’s second largest research facility
in Europe, specialising in utility computing, computer
security, the Semantic Web, quantum cryptography, digital
imaging, media and publishing, mobility and display
technologies. 94. Bristol’s famous Blue Glass was created in
the 17th century by adding cobalt oxide imported from
Saxony to the glass-making process. 95. The International
Journal of Epidemiology is edited at the Department of
Social Medicine, University of Bristol, a leading centre for
health services research and public health in the UK. 96. In
1804, Dr Edward Long Fox built a house in Brislington for
the humane medical treatment of the insane, in reaction to
the existing barbarities he had seen at asylums such as
Bedlam. 97. Avonmouth became the centre of the British
chemical warfare manufacturing industry in 1917,
producing 20 tons of mustard gas a day. 98. The Department
of Neurosurgery at Frenchay Hospital has a national and
international reputation as the leader of technical advances.
99. In 1831, bones belonging to Thecodontosaurus Antiquus,
also known as the Bristol Dinosaur, were discovered in a
quarry on Durdham Down. 100. Geochemical and
hydrogeological evidence shows that the thermal springs at
Bath – the only naturally occurring hot springs in the UK –
originate from the Mendip Hills.

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