Magnus Pyke
| Magnus Pyke | |
|---|---|
| Born |
29 December 1908 Paddington, London, England |
| Died | 19 October 1992 (aged 83) Wandsworth, London, England |
| Nationality | United Kingdom |
| Alma mater | University College London |
| Known for | Television presenter |
| Spouse | Dorothea Vaughan (m. 1937; her death 1986) |
Magnus Alfred Pyke OBE (29 December 1908 – 19 October 1992) was a British scientist and media figure, who, although apparently quite eccentric and playing up to the mad scientist stereotype, succeeded in explaining science to a lay audience. He was known for gesticulating enthusiastically as he spoke.
Pyke was born in Paddington, London and educated at St Paul's School in Barnes. He then moved to Canada for seven years and studied agriculture at McGill University, Montreal before continuing his studies on his return to Britain at University College London, marrying Dorothea Vaughan (d. 1986) in 1937 and completing his PhD thesis in 1938. Pyke rose to prominence as a young food researcher working for the wartime Minister of Food, Frederick Marquis, 1st Earl of Woolton. Even then, he was known to be eccentric; in an effort to cope with the problem of blood donation outstripping local storage for blood transfusion, Pyke suggested using the excess human blood to make black pudding.
Pyke was a regular panellist on the Yorkshire Television science programme Don't Ask Me from 1974 to 1979, and was awarded the Pye Colour Television Award as the most promising male newcomer to television in 1975. The programmer's panel was chaired by Derek Griffiths, and other members included botanist David Bellamy, Miriam Stoppard and Rob Buckman. The programme consisted of the panel attempting to answer viewers' queries about science and the everyday world. This was later replaced with the studio show Don't Just Sit There, presented by Pyke and Bellamy, which was broadcast in 19 episodes during 1979–80.
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