Oral history of British science
Ash, Eric (Part 4 of 13)
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Type
sound
Duration
00:49:27
Shelf mark
C1379/92
Subjects
Electronics
Recording date
2013-01-29
Recording locations
British Library, London
Interviewees
Ash, Eric, 1928- (speaker, male)
Interviewers
Lean, Thomas (speaker, male)
Abstract
Part 4 [49:27] Further remarks on USA: enjoying time at Stanford in the 1950s, weather, freedom, intellectual atmosphere; Stanford's stimulating intellectual atmosphere; Stanford physics department's ski resort housing; intensity of EA's skiing at time; EA wife Clare wanting to go to UK. [04:15] Remarks on return to UK: arranging position at Queen Mary University with a former Imperial College lecturer George Walker for a year; subsequently working at Standard Telephone Laboratories [STL]; George Walker's interest in particle accelerator, use of dialectics as slow wave structure; problems arranging accommodation; wife enjoying life in Britain; deciding to purchase a car, 1931 Morris Minor, anecdotes about braking system; EA car maintenance in UK and USA. [10:00] Comments on work at STL: work on microwave tubes; use of microwaves in broadband communication systems; STL microwave tube factory in Paignton; description of STL Enfield and STL Harlow research laboratories; description of Harlow New Town; EA mainly concerned with components rather than systems; [15:20] Description of typical daily activities and interactions with support staff such as machinists and glass blowers. [17:35] Remarks on working with factory in New Jersey, USA run by STL's parent company ITT: difficulties transferring designs from research laboratory to production; interaction between STL and ITT, many committees such as one meeting in Stuttgart; description of typical meeting; need to clearly define work processes; anecdote about 'rule of thumb' methods used in lens making, encountered by EA whilst advising Rank. [22:40] Story about making spark erosion machine tool for making a millimetric microwave tube, trying unsuccessfully to interest other branches of STL in productionising equipment. [25:38] Remarks on being an industrial scientist: degree of freedom in being in research laboratory; satisfaction in meeting goals; continuing contact with university; deciding to return to University. [27:08] Remarks on STL work activities: publishing papers; difficulties getting technology to work reliably; description of making a resonator for microwave tube, high degree of precision required; working with varied fields of technology, such as materials; key projects at STL; millimetric tubes not being used for their original purpose of microwave communications due to development of optic fibres; Bell Laboratories and UCL experiments in using hollow pipes to carry microwave communications; [33:55] EA not being personally involved with STL work on optic fibres under Charles Kao, who became a long term friend and colleague of EA; Kao's award of Nobel prize but suffering from Alzheimer's; limited social life at STL; anecdote about car sharing with Danish engineer during pea-soup fog; friend Bill Beck, who later worked at Cambridge. [37:35] Remarks on ingenious office mate at STL TM Jackson: background at Radar Research Establishment [RRE] Malvern, where he was talent spotted by Alec Reeves who took him to STL after war; assistance in millimetric microwave tube; many patents taken out. Remarks on Alec Reeves: genius, who invented idea of pulse code modulation for sending messages digitally in 1930s, Oboe bombing navigation system; anecdote about Reeves foreseeing optic fibres; [44:40] anecdote about paperwork habits; eccentric beliefs in psychokinetic powers; possible homosexuality; influence on EA's thinking. [47:50] Remarks on patenting at STL, anecdote about lack of interest in patenting at Imperial college later, EA patents whilst on sabbatical at IBM.
Description
Interview with electrical engineer, Eric Ash
Related links
Visit this interviewee's page on the 'Voices of Science' web resource
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