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Fred Hoyle
Sir Fred Hoyle (24 June 1915 – 20 August 2001) was an English astronomer. With Margaret and Geoffrey Burbidge and William Alfred Fowler, he formulated the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis in the influential B2FH paper.
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science · English astronomer (1915–2001) · screenwriter · astronomer · writer · physicist · university teacher · mathematician · non-fiction writer · science fiction writer · astrophysicist · researcher · also Fred Hoyle, Sir Fred Hoyle, Hoyle
Born 24 June 1915 · Died 20 August 2001 · Q183397
46 published statements · 0 followers
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2026· 3 entries
“I’m still waiting to hear how I should have compromised. Are you sure that ‘compromise’ and ‘capitulate’ are not synonymous in your vocabulary?”
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“By and large, conventional religion, as many humans accept it, is illogical in its attempt to conceive of entities lying outside the Universe. Since the Universe comprises everything, it is evident that nothing can lie outside it. The idea of a ‘god’ creating the Universe is a mechanistic absurdity clearly derived from the making of machines by men. I take it that we are in agreement about all this.”
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2001· 5 entries
Died 2001-08-20.
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Having never accepted the validity of the Big Bang theory
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“There is a coherent plan to the universe, though I don't know what it's a plan for.”
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“When I was young, the old regarded me as an outrageous young fellow, and now that I'm old the young regard me as an outrageous old fellow.”
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Suffered a series of strokes and died in Bournemouth on 20 August of that year
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1997· 1 entry
Awarded Crafoord Prize in Astronomy (1997).
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1994· 2 entries
Won: Balzan Prize for Astrophysics with Elected member of the American Philosophical Society (1980) (1994).
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Awarded Balzan Prize (1994).
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1993· 1 entry
In an attempt to explain some of the evidence against the steady-state theory, he presented a modified version called "quasi-steady state cosmology" (QSS), but the theory is not widely accepted
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1992· 1 entry
Won Karl Schwarzschild Medal (1992).
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1983· 1 entry
(with Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar), but Hoyle's original contribution was overlooked by the electors, and many were surprised that such a notable astronomer missed out
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1982· 1 entry
Hoyle presented Evolution from Space for the Royal Institution's Omni Lecture
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1974· 1 entry
Won Royal Medal (1974).
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1973· 1 entry
And presided at its inauguration in 1974 by Charles, Prince of Wales
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1972· 2 entries
Awarded Knight Bachelor (1972).
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Hoyle moved to the Lake District and occupied his time with treks across the moors, writing books, visiting research centres around the world, and working on science ideas (that have been largely rejected); the topics he
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1971· 3 entries
Awarded Henry Norris Russell Lectureship (1971).
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Career landmark: President of the Royal Astronomical Society (1971–1973).
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Was invited to deliver the MacMillan Memorial Lecture to the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland
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1970· 1 entry
Won Bruce Medal (1970).
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1969· 1 entry
Awarded Karl G. Jansky Lectureship (1969).
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1968· 3 entries
Won Royal Society Bakerian Medal (1968).
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Awarded Kalinga Prize (1968).
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Won Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society (1968).
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1967· 1 entry
Became the founding director of the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy (subsequently renamed the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge), where his innovative leadership quickly led to this institution becoming one of the
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1964· 1 entry
Awarded Richtmyer Memorial Lecture Award (1964).
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1960· 1 entry
Awarded Guthrie Lecture (1960).
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1958· 1 entry
Hoyle was appointed Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy in Cambridge University
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1957· 4 entries
Awarded Fellow of the Royal Society (1957).
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This group produced the B2FH paper (known for the initials of the four authors) in which the field of nucleosynthesis was organised into complementary nuclear processes
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Career landmark: Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy (1957–1972).
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Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society (1968)
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1954· 1 entry
Showed that the elements between carbon and iron cannot be synthesised by such equilibrium processes
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1948· 2 entries
Began to argue for the universe as being in a "steady state" and formulated their Steady State theory
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“Once a photograph of the Earth, taken from outside, is available, we shall, in an emotional sense, acquire an additional dimension... Once let the sheer isolation of the Earth become plain to every man, whatever his nationality or creed, and a new idea as powerful as any in history will be let loose. (1948)”
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1946· 1 entry
Showed that cores of stars will evolve to temperatures of billions of degrees, much hotter than temperatures considered for thermonuclear origin of stellar power in main-sequence stars
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1945· 1 entry
After the war ended, Hoyle returned to Cambridge University as a lecturer at St John's College, Cambridge (where he had been a Fellow since 1939)
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1939· 1 entry
Studied at Emmanuel College (1933–1939).
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1938· 1 entry
Awarded Smith's Prize (1938).
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1936· 2 entries
Awarded Mayhew Prize (1936).
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Hoyle shared the Mayhew Prize with George Stanley Rushbrooke
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1932· 1 entry
Studied at Bingley Grammar School (1926–1932).
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1915· 1 entry
Born 1915-06-24.
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