Heinz Wolff
Encyclopedia
Professor Heinz Wolff BSc
. FIEE. FIBES FRCP (Hon) FRSA is a German-British
scientist, and television and radio presenter who was born in 1928. He is popularly known for his television and radio work, including the TV series The Great Egg Race
.
, 29 April 1928, Wolff's family moved to Britain
when he was aged 11. The family arrived on the day World War II
broke out. After school at the City of Oxford High School for Boys
he worked at the Radcliffe Infirmary
in Oxford
and at the Pneumoconiosis
Research Unit near Cardiff
, before going on to University College London
, where he gained a first class honours degree
in Physiology
and Physics
.
He spent much of his early career in bioengineering, a term which he himself coined in 1954 to take account of then recent advances in physiology. He became an honorary member of the European Space Agency
in 1975, and in 1983 he founded the Brunel Institute for Bioengineering, which is involved in biological research during weightless space-flight. Wolff was the scientific director and co-founder of Project Juno
, the private British-Soviet joint venture which sent Helen Sharman
to the Mir
space station.
Known to British TV audiences for his bow tie
and pronounced German accent, reinforcing the stereotype of the eccentric but kind-hearted German scientist, much of his recognition by the public is due to his past appearances as presenter of The Great Egg Race
and Great Experiments, and as a presenter/judge for the annual Young Scientist of the Year award in the UK, all in the late 1970s to early 1980s. Professor Wolff was one of the first people to be interviewed by Ali G
, during that character's initial appearances on The 11 O'Clock Show.
He is now Emeritus
Professor
of Bioengineering at Brunel University
.
He is one of the few people to have read premature reports of his own death. The Sun
wrongly reported his death when a different Professor Heinz Wolff died at a British university .
In March 2009, he starred in a new game for PC, DS and Wii, "Heinz Wolff's Gravity".
BSC
BSC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:Science and technology* Bachelor of Science , an undergraduate degree* Base Station Controller, part of a mobile phone network; see: Base Station subsystem...
. FIEE. FIBES FRCP (Hon) FRSA is a German-British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
scientist, and television and radio presenter who was born in 1928. He is popularly known for his television and radio work, including the TV series The Great Egg Race
The Great Egg Race
The Great Egg Race was a BBC television series that ran from 1978 to 1986 and featured Professor Heinz Wolff and Lesley Judd, who joined the series in 1984...
.
Life and career
Born in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, 29 April 1928, Wolff's family moved to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
when he was aged 11. The family arrived on the day World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
broke out. After school at the City of Oxford High School for Boys
City of Oxford High School for Boys
The City of Oxford High School for Boys was founded in 1881 by Thomas Hill Green to provide Oxford boys with an education which would enable them to prepare for University.-History:...
he worked at the Radcliffe Infirmary
Radcliffe Infirmary
The Radcliffe Infirmary was a hospital in central Oxford, England, located at the southern end of Woodstock Road on the western side, backing onto Walton Street. The Radcliffe Infirmary, named after physician John Radcliffe, opened in 1770 and was Oxford's first hospital...
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and at the Pneumoconiosis
Pneumoconiosis
Pneumoconiosis is an occupational lung disease and a restrictive lung disease caused by the inhalation of dust, often in mines.-Types:Depending upon the type of dust, the disease is given different names:...
Research Unit near Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, before going on to University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, where he gained a first class honours degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in Physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
and 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...
.
He spent much of his early career in bioengineering, a term which he himself coined in 1954 to take account of then recent advances in physiology. He became an honorary member of the European Space Agency
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
in 1975, and in 1983 he founded the Brunel Institute for Bioengineering, which is involved in biological research during weightless space-flight. Wolff was the scientific director and co-founder of Project Juno
Project Juno
Project Juno was a private British space programme, which selected Helen Sharman to be the first Briton in space.As the United Kingdom has never had a human spaceflight programme, a private consortium was formed to raise money to pay the USSR for a seat on a Soyuz mission to the Mir space station...
, the private British-Soviet joint venture which sent Helen Sharman
Helen Sharman
Helen Patricia Sharman, OBE PhD , is a British chemist. She was the first Briton in space, visiting the Mir space station aboard Soyuz TM-12 in 1991....
to the Mir
Mir
Mir was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, at first by the Soviet Union and then by Russia. Assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996, Mir was the first modular space station and had a greater mass than that of any previous spacecraft, holding the record for the...
space station.
Known to British TV audiences for his bow tie
Bow tie
The bow tie is a type of men's necktie. It consists of a ribbon of fabric tied around the collar in a symmetrical manner such that the two opposite ends form loops. Ready-tied bow ties are available, in which the distinctive bow is sewn into shape and the band around the neck incorporates a clip....
and pronounced German accent, reinforcing the stereotype of the eccentric but kind-hearted German scientist, much of his recognition by the public is due to his past appearances as presenter of The Great Egg Race
The Great Egg Race
The Great Egg Race was a BBC television series that ran from 1978 to 1986 and featured Professor Heinz Wolff and Lesley Judd, who joined the series in 1984...
and Great Experiments, and as a presenter/judge for the annual Young Scientist of the Year award in the UK, all in the late 1970s to early 1980s. Professor Wolff was one of the first people to be interviewed by Ali G
Ali G
Ali G is a satirical fictional character invented and performed by English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. Originally appearing on Channel 4's Eleven O'Clock show, Ali G is the title character of Channel 4's Da Ali G Show, original episodes of which aired in 2000 and on HBO in 2003–2004, and is the...
, during that character's initial appearances on The 11 O'Clock Show.
He is now Emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
Professor
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 Bioengineering at Brunel University
Brunel University
Brunel University is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom. The university is named after the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel....
.
He is one of the few people to have read premature reports of his own death. The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
wrongly reported his death when a different Professor Heinz Wolff died at a British university .
In March 2009, he starred in a new game for PC, DS and Wii, "Heinz Wolff's Gravity".