From Locations to Dislocations: Frank Nabarro Turns Obstructions into Opportunities
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PROFILES & PERSPECTIVES
From Locations to Dislocations: Frank Nabarro Turns Obstructions into Opportunities With quiet humor and a strong will, Professor Frank Reginald Nunes Nabarro has endured university politics and a country’s battle with apartheid to become an unquestionable scientific force in his adopted country and worldwide. He brought Nabarro–Herring creep to materials science, and through his book on dislocation theory, showed himself to be one of the mathematical wizards of that field. He continued to go deeper into the field throughout his schooling and early career in the United Kingdom and his 50-plus years in South Africa at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Always questioning and probing, he is clear about what he knows and what seems beyond his or anyone’s grasp. When he heard that a young student in his department was eager to meet him, but felt unworthy to be with someone so celebrated, Frank promptly introduced himself and genuinely wondered how they had not made each other’s acquaintance earlier. He wanted to understand her scientific work, aware that there is always something more to learn. Frank Nabarro came to his first Materials Research Society meeting at age 87, attending the 2003 MRS Fall Meeting in Boston. When asked why, he apologetically admitted that an invitation to an event happening in parallel to the meeting tipped the balance, with his real goal being to meet with long-time friends and colleagues. Yet, as he has done so often in his life, he leveraged a chance circumstance into something more. I was unabashedly excited to be introduced to him by John Cahn, who knew my metallurgy roots and the dislocation interests of my own father Robert L. Fleischer. However, the conversation quickly moved beyond my admiration, and the next thing I knew, I was making plans to go to South Africa the following week both to attend the AfricaMRS meeting and to interview Frank Nabarro. I landed not only in South Africa, but as a guest in Frank Nabarro’s Johannesburg home. Starting each day with a breakfast of toast and jam, a walk to the bus, and fish or meat with vegetables each night, I quickly settled into Frank’s routine. Sitting in his dining room after dinner, surrounded by his books and by musical instruments his wife Margaret had cherished, we began our interview. When did you first find interest in science? Let me tell you the truth. I was born in London along with my sister. My father was a tax inspector, and we moved every few years. When we moved to Cleethorpes, a little town at the mouth of the river Humber, I went to school there. They had a small woodwork shop, and a small chemistry lab, each of which took half the MRS BULLETIN/NOVEMBER 2004
class. So you changed halfway through. If you were the worst at woodwork, you had to look after the glue pot. This is where I found myself and I thought, “This is no game at all,” so I said, “Can I please do double chemistry?” The year before my school-leaving certificate, my father was moved to another town. My new school coul
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