Professor Jon Ogborn, University of London, UK

Professor Jon Ogborn, Emeritus Professor of Science Education, Institute of Education, University of London, UK

Q: What led you into your chosen profession?

A: The true answer is rather disreputable: it was to avoid doing military service! In the 1950s, as today, there was a shortage of physics teachers. At that time, the 'bribe' was that, if you agreed to teach physics for five years, you need not do National Service. My father thought that I should go into the army, because it would 'make a man of me', but I thought that this sounded like a very bad idea. So I trained to teach physics, and did so, for a lot more than five years.

Q: What projects/research are you involved in at the moment?

A: I am now happily retired, but keep an interest in the Institute of Physics A-level course 'Advancing Physics', which I directed, acting as a reviser for the examination papers, reading and sometimes responding to queries on the email list CAPT. I have also recently kept my brain alive by writing articles for 'Physics Education' on new ways of teaching various topics, including randomness, soft matter, relativity, and the link between classical and quantum physics.

Q: What book are you reading right now?

A: I'm re-reading Roger Penrose's formidable book 'The Road to Reality', for about the fourth time. At each reading I understand about one percent more. Or, often enough, it is so difficult that I go to sleep in sheer defence. Good bedtime reading, then.

Q: Who do you admire the most (past or present) and why?

A: Ludwig Wittgenstein, for his utter determination to pursue ideas down to the very ground. His 'Philosophical Investigations' was the first book of philosophy I ever read by choice, and not having been told it was very difficult, found his writing beautifully limpid and clear. Of course later I understood that really, it was difficult, but I am still powerfully attracted to his cool phrasing, even when I now think him wrong.

Q: If you could have any career other than your chosen profession, what would you choose?

A: That's really hard to answer, because my career happened by luck rather than being chosen. I was invited to lead the Nuffield Advanced Physics Project with Paul Black, which changed everything for me. My aunt asked, 'What qualifications does he have for that?' So such a lot has happened for me by chance that I find it hard to imagine choosing a different future.

Q: What do you think will be the next significant breakthrough in science?

A: The only thing I know about it is that I probably won't like it! I didn't want cosmic acceleration to be true when it was first announced, but I seem to be wrong about that. I don't much fancy superstring theory. I think this is an effect of getting older: radical change no longer seems so attractive as it once did.

Q: If you could have dinner with any 3 people, past or present, who would they be?

A: My wife Joan Bliss, who would support the conversation better than I can David Hume, because maybe I should have chosen him instead of Wittgenstein, and anyway Hume, unlike Wittgenstein, would be charming company. Elizabeth David, to reminisce about wonderful food.

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