Obituaries

She was a tireless advocate for conservation, the welfare of captive chimpanzees and the protection of habitats.

Physicist who spearheaded the construction of the LIGO observatory to detect Einstein’s predicted ripples in space-time leaves a legacy of persistence and mentorship.

Persuasive physician who brought research evidence to the heart of global policy decisions.

Pioneering artificial-intelligence scholar, whose influential work bridged cognitive science, philosophy and computer science.

Smith’s invention enabled the precise capture of light in electronic form, and has transformed science, medicine and daily life.

Researcher used carbon dating to provide evidence that humans had arrived in Brazil much earlier than previously thought.

The Abel prizewinner’s pragmatic approach to solving differential equations was influential across fields ranging from weather forecasting to starting nuclear chain reactions.

Pioneer of general relativity and gravitational-wave theories saw her work confirmed by observations 65 years later.

The particle physicist and inventor advised 13 US presidents — whether they asked him to or not.

The fossil expert found love at first sight with trilobites.

The biologist’s theories about how environments prompt rapid species evolution and extinction propelled her onto the world stage.

The biochemist introduced the first heel-prick tests for newborn babies in Spain, protecting infants from life-changing metabolic conditions.

He brought cutting-edge methods to archaeological analysis, helping to reshape the field.

An early love of construction toys led the Scottish chemist to thread molecules together, opening up a new field of chemistry.

The Nobel prizewinner used quantum and molecular mechanics to model the dynamics of complex chemical systems.

The Nobel prizewinner worked tirelessly with wife Rosalynn Carter to eradicate Guinea-worm disease.

The pioneering plant scientist engineered roots for carbon sequestration and passionately advocated on behalf of women.

Endocrinologist whose insight into how the brain controls the endocrine system shaped our understanding of bodily functions.

The condensed-matter physicist also turned his attention to neural networks, improving our understanding of the human brain and helping to develop machine learning.

Clinician whose family-centred approach upended work on mid-life memory loss.