Prominent environmental scientist James Lovelock, famous for his proposal that the Earth behaves as a living being, died in his home in Dorset, England, on his 103rd birthday (July 26) following complications from a fall, according to a statement posted on Twitter on behalf of his family.
“I am devastated by Jim’s death. He was a source of inspiration to me for my entire career.” Richard Betts, a climate researcher at the University of Exeter, tells BBC News. “Jim’s influence is widespread, profound and long-lasting.”
Lovelock was born in 1919, about 30 miles north of London. While he avidly read science and history books growing up, he was not a high-achieving student, according to The New York Times. Nonetheless, he went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, and doctorates in medicine and biophysics from different institutions in the UK, according to Lovelock’s website.
Lovelock’s scientific contributions were many. ...
