Our Heritage Scientists
You can understand how science knowledge and ideas change over time by looking at the lives and work of past scientists.
Each featured New Zealand scientist is revealed through a people profile and a timeline that lets you see aspects of their life and work, and how these fit into a wider science picture.
Explore this science story
Frank Evison (geophysicist) added 24th February 2012.
The five heritage scientists currently featured are Beatrice Hill Tinsley, cosmologist, Athol Rafter, nuclear chemist, Joan Wiffen, paleontologist, Alan MacDiarmid, chemist and Frank Evison, geophysicist. More people will be added to this Science story over time.
Use the timelines to explore:
- the earlier science that may have influenced each featured scientist and what effect their work had on later scientists
- how the work of each featured scientist, and others, helped change themes and theories in their specialised field
- some of the other things that might have influenced each scientist, such as aspects of their life or attitudes of society – you can do your own research into historical events that might have been an influence too.
