Nigel Calder

Nigel David McKail Ritchie-Calder (2 December 1931 – 25 June 2014) was a British science writer.

Early life

Nigel Calder was born on 2 December 1931. His father was Ritchie Calder. His mother was Mabel Jane Forbes McKail. He had four siblings, including historian Angus Calder (1942–2008), mathematician Allan Calder and educationist Isla Calder (1946–2000). He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood and Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.

Career

Between 1956 and 1966, Calder wrote for the magazine ''New Scientist'', serving as editor from 1962 until 1966. After that, he worked as an independent author and TV screenwriter. He conceived and scripted thirteen major documentaries and series concerning popular science subjects broadcast by the BBC and Channel 4 (London), with accompanying books. For his television work he received the Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science during 1972. During 2004, his book ''Magic Universe'' was shortlisted for The Aventis Prizes for Science Books.

Calder said that climate change science has been invaded by sophistry about man-made global warming. As early as 1980, he predicted that by 2030 "the much-advertised heating of the earth by the man-made carbon-dioxide 'greenhouse' ill failto occur; instead, there ill berenewed concern about cooling and an impending ice age".

Calder participated in making the film ''The Great Global Warming Swindle''. He also co-authored '' The Chilling Stars''. Regarding global warming, Calder stated: "Governments are trying to achieve unanimity by stifling any scientist who disagrees. Einstein could not have got funding under the present system."

Personal life

His wife (Elisabeth Palmer) was formerly an adviser on language teaching for the London Chamber of Commerce. They had two sons, including travel writer Simon Calder, and three daughters.

Death

Calder died in Crawley, West Sussex, England on 25 June 2014, aged 82.

Works

*1957 ''Electricity Grows Up''—author, for Phoenix
*1957 ''Robots''—author, for Phoenix
*1958 ''Radio Astronomy''—author, for Phoenix
*1965 ''The World in 1984''—editor, for Penguin etc.
*1967 ''The Environment Game''—author, for Secker, Holt, etc.
*1968 ''Unless Peace Comes''—editor, for Allen Lane, Viking etc.
*1969 ''The Violent Universe''—author, for BBC, Viking, etc.
*1969 ''Technopolis''—author, for McGibbon & Kee, Shuster, etc.
*1970 ''The Mind of Man''—author, for BBC, Viking, etc.
*1970 ''Living Tomorrow''—author, for Penguin Education
*1972 ''The Restless Earth''—author, for BBC, Viking, etc.
*1973 ''Nature in the Round''—editor, for Weidenfeld
*1973 ''The Life Game''—author, for BBC, Viking, etc.
*1974 ''The Weather Machine''—author, for BBC, Viking, etc.
*1976 ''The Human Conspiracy''—author, for BBC, Viking, etc.
*1977 ''The Key to the Universe''—author, for BBC, Viking, etc.
*1978 ''Spaceships of the Mind''—author, for BBC, Viking, etc.
*1979 ''Einstein's Universe''—author, for BBC, Viking, etc. – reissued 2005
*1979 ''Nuclear Nightmares''—author, for BBC, Viking, etc.
*1980 ''The Comet is Coming!''—author, for BBC, Viking, etc. – reissued 1994
*1983 ''Timescale: Atlas of the Fourth Dimension''—author, for Viking etc.
*1983 ''1984 and Beyond''—author, for Century and Viking
*1986 ''The English Channel''—author, for Viking and Chatto
*1986 ''The Green Machines''—author, for Putnam, etc.
*1988 ''Future Earth''—a contributing editor, for Croom-Helm, etc.
*1990 ''Scientific Europe''—general editor, for Foundation Scientific Europe
*1991 ''Spaceship Earth''—author, for Viking UK etc.
*1992 ''Giotto mission to the Comets''—author, for Presswork and Springer
*1993 ''Hubble Space Telescope: The Harvest So Far''—author, for European Space Agency
*1994 ''Comets: Speculations and Science''—reissue by Dover of The Comet is Coming!
*1995 ''Beyond This World''—author, for European Space Agency
*1997 ''The Manic Sun''—author, for Pilkington Press etc.
*1999 ''Success Story: 30 Discoveries''—compiler, for European Space Agency
*2003 ''Magic Universe: The Oxford Guide to Modern Science''—author, for Oxford UP, etc.
*2005 ''Einstein’s Universe'' (updated for Einstein Year) – author, for Penguin UK & US, etc.
*2005 ''Albert Einstein: Relativity'' – introduction to a Penguin Classic, Penguin US
*2007 '' The Chilling Stars'' – joint author with Henrik Svensmark for Icon Books, etc.

References

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External links

Nigel Calder Interview With LondonBookReview.com

{{DEFAULTSORT:Calder, Nigel
English male journalists
English science writers
People educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood
Alumni of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Kalinga Prize recipients
1931 births
2014 deaths
Nigel
English people of Scottish descent
Place of birth missing
Sons of life peers