Richard Gregory

The castaway in Desert Island Discs this week is Professor Richard Gregory. He is a scientist who comes from a long line of academics - his father was an astronomer who recruited him at an early age to help build a homemade aeroplane, the 'flying flea', but luckily the project was abandoned before its fatal design fault was discovered. Professor Gregory has gone on since then to invent robots, hearing aids, special telescopes for astronauts, and to set up his famous foundation - the Exploratory in Bristol - which is visited by thousands of people every year.

He'll be talking to Sue Lawley about his passion for investigation and invention and about his mission to lift the fog of ignorance which surrounds so many people when it comes to scientific matters.

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

Favourite track: Piano Sonata No 30 in E Opus 109 by Ludwig van Beethoven Book: An astronomy book by Patrick Moore Luxury: Astronomical telescope