Lord Robert May's childhood interests in puzzles, problem solving games and debating served as excellent groundwork for a highly successful and interdisciplinary career spanning physics, mathematics, chemical engineering and ecology. In his interview, May - who describes himself simply as a 'scientist with a short attention span' - reflects on how he 'accidentally' became a physicist and revolutionised ecology, was elected to the House of Lords and became one of the most valued advisers to the British Government and some of the world's largest banks.
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