Colin Pask
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Colin Pask (born 1943)cite-ref-1[1] is a British mathematical physicist and science writer.
Contents
• Life
• Career
• Works
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Life
He was born in Great Gonerby, on the outskirts of Grantham in Lincolnshire, where his father was a dairy farmer.cite-ref-2[2] He was educated at King's School, Grantham from age 11, and went to Queen Mary College, London for a degree course in theoretical physics and mathematics.cite-ref-unsw-3-0[3] He graduated B.Sc. there in 1964.cite-ref-josa-4-0[4]
Career
Pask studied for a Ph.D. in nuclear physics under John M. Blatt at the University of New South Wales from 1964, graduating in 1967 with a dissertation entitled Studies in the Nuclear Three-Body Problem.cite-ref-unsw-3-1[3]cite-ref-5[5] He spent a period at Duke University, then returned to the University of New South Wales as lecturer in the Department of Applied Mathematics.cite-ref-josa-4-1[4]
In 1971 Pask moved to the Australian National University, with an Australian Research Council fellowship to work in the Department of Applied Mathematics there. He was made a Fellow in 1973, and Senior Fellow in 1978.cite-ref-josa-4-2[4] He moved in 1986 to become head of University College at UNSW Canberra at ADFA, retiring from that post after 12 years.cite-ref-unsw-3-2[3]
Pask is now Emeritus Professor of Mathematical Sciences and History at University of New South Wales.cite-ref-0-6-0[6]
Research interests
As a post-doctoral researcher, Pask turned to optical physics and biological vision, among other topics.cite-ref-josa-4-3[4] In 1973 he published with Allan Snyder an optical waveguide explanation of the Stiles–Crawford effect. Pask and McIntyre reviewed the theory and experimental results in the area, in a survey from 2013.cite-ref-7[7] Work of Pask and Kevin Barrell from 1980 contributed to the theory of the apposition eye.cite-ref-8[8]
During the 1970s, Pask also published on attenuation effects in optical fibres. He collaborated in this area with Adrian Ankiewicz.cite-ref-9[9]
Works
Pask has written some works of popularisation:
• Math for the Frightened: Facing Scary Symbols and Everything Else That Freaks You Out About Mathematics (2011)cite-ref-10[10]
• Magnificent Principia: Exploring Isaac Newton's Masterpiece (2013)cite-ref-11[11]
• Great Calculations: A Surprising Look Behind 50 Scientific Inquiries (2015)cite-ref-12[12]
References
cite-note-11. ↑ "British National Bibliography, Pask, Colin, 1943-, The British Library". bnb.data.bl.uk.
cite-note-22. ↑ "Emeritus Professor Colin Pask". research.unsw.edu.au. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
cite-note-unsw-33. ↑ "Colin Pask". unsw.adfa.edu.au.
cite-note-josa-44. ↑ Journal of the Optical Society of America: Optics and image science. A. The Society. 1986. p. 1106.
cite-note-55. ↑ "Colin Pask - The Mathematics Genealogy Project". genealogy.math.ndsu.nodak.edu.
cite-note-0-66. ↑ "Colin Pask". Penguin Random House Canada. Retrieved 29 January 2019.