BBC Radio 4 LW

Desert Island Discs

Castaway guests share the soundtrack of their lives.

Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.

Desert Island Discs: Professor Heinz Wolff

04/01/1998

Professor Heinz Wolff

BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Professor Heinz Wolff

Sue Lawley's castaway is scientist Professor Heinz Wolff

Sue Lawley's castaway is scientist Professor Heinz Wolff.

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the scientist Professor Heinz Wolff. He came to public attention when he presented the television programme The Great Egg Race, in which he challenged people to conquer engineering problems with a rubber band, a pencil and a pickled onion. In the 1970s while designing aids for disabled people, he devised the phrase 'Tools for Living' to describe his work. After all, as he points out, we all use tools to cope with our environment, whether as an astronaut, a diver or an elderly person. 

It was his father who encouraged his enthusiasm for invention, sharing his Sunday afternoons experimenting with his chemistry set, or organising talks from physicists who had to hide their surprise at assessing the ideas of a six-year-old child. In the 80s he founded the Institute for Bioengineering at Brunel University. There he continued his inventions devising for example, a box for experimenting in outer space, a voice machine for people who can't speak and a safety system for deep-sea divers.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] 

Favourite track: The Man I Love by Joan Wolff
Book: Collection of Landscape Pictures (with book)
Luxury: A Collection Of Landscape Pictures

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Letter from America by Alistair Cooke

Alistair Cooke’s weekly talks on American life, history and politics from 1946 – 2004.

Alistair Cooke’s weekly talks on American life, history and politics, as broadcast on BBC Radio 4 from 1946 – 2004.

Alistair Cooke’s weekly talks on American life, history and politics. Over 900 programmes, as broadcast from 1946 – 2004.

Letter from America by Alistair Cooke: Failing to predict the future

Failing to predict the future

BBC Radio 4 - Letter from America by Alistair Cooke, Failing to predict the future

The problems with predicting the future, from Westbrook Pegler to today.

Considering failures by expert meteorologists, economists and Kremlinologists to predict the future, why do mere newspaper columnists ever attempt it?

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Letter from America by Alistair Cooke

Failing to predict the future

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 4 LW

About BBC Radio 4

About this data