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Colin Humphreys

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Sir
Colin Humphreys
CBEFRSFREngFIMMMFInstP
Colin Humphreys in Cambridge, 2015
Born
Colin John Humphreys

(1941-05-24)24 May 1941(age 83)[4]
EducationLuton Grammar School[4]
Alma materImperial College London(BSc)[5]University of Oxford(MA)
University of Cambridge(PhD)
AwardsA. A. Griffith Medal and Prize(2001)[1] Queen’s Medal(2022)[1]
Scientific career
FieldsMaterials science
Graphene
Gallium Nitride
Electron microscopy
Science and religion[2]
InstitutionsQueen Mary University of London
University of Cambridge
Royal Institution [2]
ThesisAspects of multiple beam electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction topography(1969)
Doctoral studentsAmanda Petford-Long[3]
Websitewww.gan.msm.cam.ac.uk/directory/humphreys

Sir Colin John Humphreys,CBEFRSFREngFIMMMFInstP[1][6](born 24 May 1941) is a Britishphysicistand a hobbyist Bible scholar.[2]He is the Professor of Materials Science at Queen Mary University of London.

He is the former Goldsmiths' Professor of Materials Science at the University of Cambridge and the Professor of Experimental Physics at theRoyal Institutionin London. He served as President of theInstitute of Materials, Minerals and Miningin 2002 and 2003. His research interests include "all aspects ofelectron microscopyand analysis, semiconductors (particularlygallium nitride), ultra-high temperature aerospace materials andsuperconductors."[5]Humphreys also "studies the Bible when not pursuing his day-job as amaterials scientist."[7]

Education

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Humphreys was educated atLuton Grammar School,[4]Imperial College London(BSc) andChurchill College, Cambridge[4]where he was awarded aPhDin 1969.[8]He was awarded aMaster of Artsdegree fromJesus College, Oxford.[4][clarification needed]

Career and research

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Semiconductors

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Humphreys is a materials scientist who has carried out valuable work on the electron microscopy of semiconducting materials. His world-leading research ongallium nitride(GaN) has resulted in a substantially improved understanding of this important material with a wide range of technological applications.[1]

In addition to its potential use within transistors as a next-generation alternative to silicon, GaN emits a brilliant light that makes it an ideal candidate for use in energy-savingLEDs.[1]Colin has pioneered the development of low-cost, high-efficiency GaN-on-silicon (or ‘GaN-on-Si’) LEDs, which are now being manufactured based on his patented research.[1]GaN LED lighting could save the United Kingdom £2 billion per year in electricity costs.[1]

Humphreys is a member of theJohn Templeton Foundation.[5]and a member of the Advisory Council for theCampaign for Science and Engineering.[9]

Biblical studies

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Date of Last Supper

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In 2011 Humphreys claimed in his bookThe Mystery of the Last Supperthat theLast Suppertook place on Wednesday (Holy Wednesday), not as traditionally thought Thursday (Maundy Thursday), and that the apparent timing discrepancies (Nisan15 or 14) between the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke versus John are rooted in the use of different calendars by the writers. Mark, Matthew and Luke appear to use an older, Egyptian-style Jewish calendar (still used today by theSamaritans) while John appears to refer to the newer, Babylonian-style Jewish calendar (still in use by modernJews).[10]The Last Supper being on Wednesday would allow more time for interrogation and presentation to Pilate prior to the crucifixion on Friday than given in the traditional view. Humphreys proposed the actual date for the Last Supper to be 1 April 33.[11]

Criticism

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In a review of Humphreys' book, theologian William R Telford points out that the non-astronomical parts of his argument are based on the assumption that the chronologies described in the New Testament are historical and based on eyewitness testimony, accepting statements such as the "three different Passovers in John" and Matthew's statement that Jesus died at the ninth hour. In doing so, Telford says, Humphreys has built an argument upon unsound premises which "does violence to the nature of the biblical texts, whose mixture of fact and fiction, tradition and redaction, history and myth all make the rigid application of the scientific tool of astronomy to their putative data a misconstrued enterprise."[12]

Eclipse made "sun stand still"

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In a 2017 paper written together with Graeme Waddington, Humphreys offered an astronomical explanation for thebiblicalstory of the sun standing still overGibeonduring theIsraelites' victorious battle against theAmorites(Joshua 10:12), namely an annular eclipse which occurred on 30 October 1207 BCE.[13][non-primary source needed]

Awards and honours

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Humphreys was elected in 1996 as aFellow[6]of theRoyal Academy of Engineering[6] He won theInstitute of PhysicsKelvin Medal and Prizein 2000. Humphreys was awarded theA. A. Griffith Medal and Prizein 2001 and aCBEin 2003 for services to science as a researcher and communicator.[14] He wasknightedin the2010 Birthday Honours[15]and in 2011 elected aFellow of the Royal Society[16] In 2015 he was elected as anHonorary Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society.[17][18] He is also mentioned in Debrett's People of Today.[19][when?]

Bibliography

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  • The Miracles of Exodus: a Scientist Reveals the Extraordinary Natural Causes Underlying the Biblical Miracles(Harper Collins, 2003).
  • "The Mystery of the Last Supper: Reconstructing the Final Days of Jesus." (Cambridge University Press, 2011)ISBN0-521-73200-X

References

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  1. ^abcdefgAnon (2011)."Sir Colin Humphreys CBE FREng FRS".royalsociety.org.London:Royal Society.One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from the royalsociety.org website where:

    “All text published under the heading 'Biography' on Fellow profile pages is available underCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.”--Royal Society Terms, conditions and policiesat theWayback Machine(archived 2016-11-11)
  2. ^abcColin Humphreyspublications indexed byGoogle ScholarEdit this at Wikidata
  3. ^Petford-Long, Amanda (1984).Structural studies of various β-aluminas.ora.ox.ac.uk(DPhil thesis). University of Oxford.OCLC882116406.EThOSuk.bl.ethos.580783.Free access icon
  4. ^abcdeAnon (2017)."Humphreys, Prof. Colin John".Who's Who(onlineOxford University Pressed.). Oxford: A & C Black.doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U21179.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  5. ^abcUniversity of Cambridge,Colin HumphreysArchived10 January 2010 at theWayback Machine
  6. ^abc"List of Fellows".raeng.org.uk.Archived fromthe originalon 8 June 2016.Retrieved20 October2014.
  7. ^"The Penultimate Supper?".Cambridge University. 17 April 2011.Retrieved23 April2011.The new study is based on earlier research which Professor Humphreys carried out with the Oxford astrophysicist, Graeme Waddington, in 1983. This identified the date of Jesus' crucifixion as the morning of Friday, April 3rd, AD 33 – which has since been widely accepted by other scholars as well. For Professor Humphreys, who only studies the Bible when not pursuing his day-job as a materials scientist, this presented an opportunity to deal with the equally difficult issue of when (and how) Jesus' Last Supper really took place.
  8. ^Humphreys, Colin John (1969).Aspects of multiple beam electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction topography.jisc.ac.uk(PhD thesis). University of Cambridge.OCLC885437201.EThOSuk.bl.ethos.604776.
  9. ^"Advisory Council of the Campaign for Science and Engineering".Archived fromthe originalon 28 August 2010.Retrieved11 February2011.
  10. ^Humphreys, Colin J. The Mystery of the Last Supper: Reconstructing the Final Days of Jesus. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2011, p193.
  11. ^Humphreys, Colin J. The Mystery of the Last Supper: Reconstructing the Final Days of Jesus. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2011, p164.
  12. ^Telford, William R. (2015)."Review of The Mystery of the Last Supper: Reconstructing the Final Days of Jesus".The Journal of Theological Studies.66(1): 371–376.doi:10.1093/jts/flv005.
  13. ^Humphreys, Colin;Waddington, Graeme (1 October 2017)."Solar eclipse of 1207 BC helps to date pharaohs".Astronomy & Geophysics.58(5): 5.39–5.42.doi:10.1093/astrogeo/atx178.Retrieved18 March2021.
  14. ^"New year honours".Times Higher Education.3 January 2003.Retrieved23 April2011.
  15. ^"No. 59446".The London Gazette(Supplement). 12 June 2010. p. 1.
  16. ^"Sir Colin John Humphreys CBE FREng FRS".Royal Society.Retrieved18 March2010.
  17. ^"Honourary Fellows".Royal Microscopical Society.Retrieved20 February2017.
  18. ^"Honorary Fellows Past and Present".Royal Microscopical Society.Retrieved20 February2017.
  19. ^Sir Colin Humphreys on Debrett's People of Today
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