Life and achievements
Early life
Lewis Fry Richardson was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in a large Quaker family. The environment in which he grew up, a religious and pacifist family, influenced his perspectives on life, his scientific endeavors and his impact on society. Richardson was the last child in a family of seven and thus received his moral and ethical values from his parents and the Quaker boarding school in York.
Richardson enrolled at Bootham School at the age of 12, where he developed his passion for science with the help of some good teachers. He also learned mathematics and sciences at Bootham but became increasingly convinced of pacifism and social justice. The moral values of the school greatly influenced Richardson, and he knew that scientific advancement should never be used to harm people.
Richardson began his higher education at Durham College of Science in 1898, taking many subjects, such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry. His education in different fields prepared him to develop new ideas in meteorology and conflict. Richardson’s passion for knowledge made him enrol at King’s College, Cambridge, and he earned his first-class degree in Natural Sciences Tripos in 1903.
Richardson was a Quaker, and the principles of this faith influenced his subsequent steps in life. His desire to positively impact society is evident in his work in various scientific positions, ranging from the National Physical Laboratory to the Meteorological Office. These early experiences helped him acquire a general view of the sciences and a clear mission of how he wanted to apply his knowledge to improve humanity.
Legacy
The work of L. F. Richardson is most evident in meteorology, conflict analysis, and the mathematical simulation of systems. He also made a breakthrough in numerical weather prediction, providing the foundation for present-day meteorology. Even though his approach could have been more feasible during his lifetime owing to the absence of computational technology, it has formed the basis of modern computer-generated weather prediction models. His dream of using mathematics to predict the weather was only realized many years after his death with the help of electronic computers, which shows the significance of his works.
Besides his contribution to meteorology, Richardson also contributed to the mathematical analysis of war and conflict. He has done some pioneering work in peace studies in this field. Richardson’s differential equations and statistical analysis aimed to determine the causes of war and the conditions that could prevent it. His theories on arms races and conflict escalation are still applicable today, and scholars are still using his models to better understand international relations and conflict management.
Richardson’s contribution to fractal dimensions also significantly impacted the scientific community. Although this idea was not well understood then, it was later developed into fractal geometry, dramatically affecting the analysis of natural forms such as coastlines and turbulence in the atmosphere. He gave an early understanding of the systems in nature that remain relevant in physics, economics, and environmental science.
The European Geosciences Union presents the Lewis Fry Richardson Medal for outstanding research in nonlinear geophysics for his efforts. The award is given to those who, like Richardson, have advanced the field of study of complex systems. He was a great scientist and pacifist; his life is a clear example of how science can benefit humanity.
Milestone moments
Oct 16, 1894
Entering Bootham School
Richardson began his formal education at Bootham School, a Quaker school in York, in 1894. The teachers there nurtured his curiosity and influenced his scientific bent and moral outlook. Richardson became interested in science, especially mathematics and meteorology.
At Bootham, Richardson was also exposed to the principles of Quakers, who stressed the values of nonviolence and social justice. These values would shape his future work and life decisions, such as his refusal to fight as a conscientious objector in the First World War.
Bootham was able to offer Richardson both a scientific education that was very much based on facts and figures and a moral education which allowed him to consider the implications of his work.
When Richardson left Bootham in 1898, he had already decided that science should bow to morality, a view he held until the end of his career.
This formative experience provided the backdrop for Richardson’s pioneering work in meteorology and the mathematical analysis of warfare as he endeavoured to use his scientific training to address real-life problems.
May 22, 1900
King’s College in the University of Cambridge
Richardson entered King’s College, Cambridge, in 1900 and devoted his time to the natural sciences. The physicist J. J. Thomson mentored Richardson, and he received his first-class degree in 1903.
At Cambridge, Richardson continued his education in physics and mathematics, enhancing his knowledge of the natural world, which would later help him create numerical weather predictions.
While at Cambridge, Richardson grew in his thinking and interacted with some of the most brilliant scientific minds of the day. During this period, he strengthened his conviction in the effectiveness of mathematics in explaining and predicting natural occurrences.
After graduating, Richardson was to work in several scientific fields and used his knowledge in meteorology, physics and chemistry.
This period of academic achievement prepared the ground for Richardson's further accomplishments, which strived to reveal the role of mathematics in the analysis of natural phenomena and wars.
Jul 21, 1922
Weather Prediction by Numerical Process: A Publication
In 1922, Richardson published his first work, Weather Prediction by Numerical Process, presenting the first numerical technique for weather forecasting. Although it was a pioneer work, this work can be considered the starting point for the development of modern numerical weather prediction.
Richardson’s technique entailed using numerical integration of differential equations to determine the state of the atmosphere. However, the problem was that there was not enough computational power at that time to apply his method to real-time weather prediction.
Nevertheless, the publication was a milestone in the history of meteorology as it presented the idea of numerical weather prediction, which is now the most common way of weather forecasting.
Richardson’s idea of employing mathematical models for weather forecasting was quite ambitious, even for his time there. His ideas were fully realized with electronic computers in the mid-20th century.
This publication helped to establish Richardson as a leading figure in meteorology and showed how mathematical methods could be used to understand the behavior of the natural world.
Jan 25, 1926
He was also chosen to be a fellow of the Royal Society
In 1926, Richardson was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for his valuable contribution to meteorology and mathematics. This remarkable achievement was significant in his career and crowned him one of his generation's most distinguished scientists.
The Royal Society is considered one of the world's leading and oldest scientific organizations, and it appreciates Richardson’s contribution to developing numerical weather prediction and studying turbulence in the atmosphere.
Richardson's election to the Royal Society was vital for him as it showed that his work was increasingly acknowledged in the scientific world.
This honour came at a time when Richardson’s ideas were slowly being accepted, even though the actual value of his work could only be seen in the future.
Richardson’s election to the Royal Society recognized his contribution to science, which will remain relevant.