Robert May, Baron May of Oxford
He brought mathematical rigor to the messy real world, using simple models to predict the chaos of populations and ecosystems.
1936–2020 (age 84)·Australian scientist, president of the Royal Society·Birthday: January 8·The Silent Generation
Biography
Robert May was a theoretical physicist who, in mid-career, turned his formidable mind to the unruly science of ecology and changed it forever. Moving from Australia to Princeton and later to Oxford, he demonstrated that simple equations could reveal profound truths about the stability of complex natural systems, from predator-prey relationships to the spread of diseases. His work provided a crucial mathematical backbone for the modern conservation movement and environmental policy. As President of the Royal Society and Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK government, he wielded his sharp intellect and sometimes combative style to champion evidence-based decision-making in the face of political and corporate pressure, particularly on climate change. He was a skeptic who demanded clarity, a thinker who found elegant patterns in life's noise.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Robert was born in 1936, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Robert Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
Robert's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Could drive
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1954Could vote
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 80
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2020Died at 84
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
Key Achievements
- Pioneered the application of chaos theory to population biology with the logistic map equation.
- Served as Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government from 1995 to 2000.
- Was President of the Royal Society, the world's oldest scientific academy, from 2000 to 2005.
- Authored the influential book 'Stability and Complexity in Model Ecosystems' (1973).
Did You Know?
He was made a life peer in 2001, taking the title Baron May of Oxford.
Before his switch to ecology, his PhD and early work were in theoretical physics.
He was known for his direct and often withering criticism of poor science or fuzzy thinking.
He was a passionate advocate for biodiversity, famously stating we don't even know to within an order of magnitude how many species share the planet.
““The first step in wise environmental management is to quantify the problem.””
