science

Jane Cain

Jane Cain is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Jane Cain rather than just read about it. In short: Ethel Jane Cain (1 May 1909 – 19 September 1996) was a British telephonist and actress, and the original voice of the speaking clock in the United Kingdom. Working at London's Victoria Exchange, she was appointed on 21 June 1935 following a competition among GPO telephonists; there were nine finalists in total and the adjudication panel included leading actress Sybil Thorndike and Poet Laureate John Masefield, who a…

Key takeaways

Jane Cain belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Jane Cain to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Jane Cain from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Ethel Jane Cain (1 May 1909 – 19 September 1996) was a British telephonist and actress, and the original voice of the speaking clock in the United Kingdom. Working at London's Victoria Exchange, she was appointed on 21 June 1935 following a competition among GPO telephonists; there were nine finalists in total and the adjudication panel included leading actress Sybil Thorndike and Poet Laureate John Masefield, who announced that "She has a golden voice. It is beautiful." Her recording was used from 1936 until 1963, when it was replaced by Pat Simmons. She also made a record for the GPO, helping other staff members improve their speaking voices, and went on to become announcer for Henry Hall during his broadcast concerts. Having been chosen as the 'Golden Voice Girl', in July 1935 she was offered the leading role in the Columbia Pictures film Vanity. Directed by Adrian Brunel, it began shooting at Walton-on-Thames in October and was first shown in December. Using the name Jane Cain as an actress, she then made her professional stage debut at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park on 17 July 1936, playing Celia in As You Like It. The Post Office had started its 'speaking clock' service on the 1st of the same month, over a year after her appointment had been announced. In addition to working with regional repertory companies, notably a lengthy association with Scotland's Perth Theatre Company in the 1950s, she also appeared in such West End shows as A Soldier for Christmas (1944), Maigret and the Lady (1965) and The Sleeping Prince (1968). She also played supporting roles in such TV series as Starr and Company (1958) and Thirty-Minute Theatre (1961).

See also Speaking clock Pat Simmons, second permanent voice Brian Cobby, third permanent voice Lenny Henry, comedian, temporary voice Alicia Roland, 12-year-old schoolgirl, temporary voice Sara Mendes da Costa, fourth permanent voice

References

External links Telecommunications Heritage Group Jane Cain at IMDb Midleton, Alan (31 January 2018). "The Speaking Clock - Objectivity #152" (video). YouTube. Brady Haran. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2018. Includes video clips of Jane Cain.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Jane Cain

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Jane Cain claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Jane Cain before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Jane Cain ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Jane Cain

In research: Jane Cain appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Jane Cain in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Jane Cain is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1909 births, 1996 deaths, 20th-century British actresses, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Jane Cain outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Jane Cain in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Jane Cain means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Jane Cain out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Jane Cain in simple terms?

Why does Jane Cain matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Jane Cain?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Jane Cain.