September 30, 1905

Nevill  Mott (September 30,  1905  to August 8, 1996),  Nobel winning physicist was the child of parents who both worked in Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory. His parents were not religious. Their son in 1977 shared the Nobel Physics Prize with two others, for his research in physics.

We gain some insights into this scholar from a volume which gathers at least 80 reminiscences by his students, friends and colleagues. E. A. Davis edited
Nevill Mott: Reminiscences And Appreciations, (1998) though Google Books incorrectly lists Davis  as the author.

Elizabeth Leschke knew Nevill Mott from his days at Bristol University when she was a young German emigree. The Motts befriended her and a bond was formed that lasted a lifetime. She contributes this apercu to the book

When the Motts went to Cambridge I often stayed with them....in the Master's Lodge at Gonville and Caius College. On one of these visits I brought them a little turntable for their breakfast table, and Nevill promptly put their cat on it. He had a lovely sense of humor and great charm.

In the same book we learn from the recollections of Nic Levier, who was a student of Motts' at Cambridge in the 1960s, that there was a Caius legend about Nevill Mott. The story was that as Master of that college (1959 - 1965) Mott suggested that dogs could be labeled "cats." This was to solve the problem that Fellows could have cats at Caius, but not their dogs living there.

We also learn in this volume that after his retirement an interest in religion grew and resulted in his statement that

I believe in God who can respond to prayers.to whom we can give trust and without whom life on this earht would be without meaning (a tale told by an idiot).

Great example of binary thought, (science versus religion, rather than science and self-knowledge as two ends of one stick)  but it is still a nice story.