astronomy

Len Fisher

Len Fisher is a astronomy 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 Len Fisher rather than just read about it. In short: Leonard Ross Fisher (born 1942) is an Australian physicist, and visiting senior research fellow at the University of Bristol, UK. He is known for his research into everyday topics, such as the optimal way to dunk a biscuit, and the optimum use of cheese in a cheese sandwich.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Leonard Ross Fisher (born 1942) is an Australian physicist, and visiting senior research fellow at the University of Bristol, UK. He is known for his research into everyday topics, such as the optimal way to dunk a biscuit, and the optimum use of cheese in a cheese sandwich.

Education Fisher received a BSc in chemistry and pure mathematics, and an MSc in radiation chemistry from the University of Sydney. He has a PhD in physics of surfaces from the University of New South Wales.

Career Fisher has been a visiting senior research fellow in the school of physics at the University of Bristol since 1992.

Research In 1998, Fisher published a study on the optimal way to dunk a biscuit. The study concluded that 10 times more flavour is released from a biscuit if it has first been dunked in a hot drink. This research was funded by McVities. In 2000, Fisher studied the absorption of gravy by a roast dinner. He found that 700,000 litres of gravy is wasted every week in the UK when it is poured on food and not consumed. He also calculated a gravy absorption index, and published a set of rules to maximise the absorption of gravy by food. Following on from this work, in 2001, he researched the best bread to absorb gravy with, concluding that ciabatta soaks up the most. In 2003, Fisher produced a report for the British Cheese Board, titled "Optimum Use of Cheese in a Cheese Sandwich". He found that the optimum thickness for the filling in a cheese sandwich is dependent on the type of cheese used, and that the sandwich should be made with a light spread of butter or margarine to enhance the flavour of the cheese. This research has drawn criticism for being 'frivolous'.

Publications How to Dunk a Doughnut: The Science of Everyday Life (2002) Weighing the Soul: The Evolution of Scientific Ideas (2004) Rock, Paper, Scissors: Game Theory in Everyday Life (2008) The Perfect Swarm: The Science of Complexity in Everyday Life (2009) Crashes, Crises and Calamities: How We Can Use Science to Read the Early-Warning Signs (2011)

Awards Fisher was presented with the Ig Nobel Prize for Physics, in 1999, for calculating the optimal way to dunk a biscuit. In 2004, Fisher was named Science Writer of the Year by the American Institute of Physics for How to Dunk a Doughnut: The Science of Everyday Life. In 2019, Fisher was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his contribution to science.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Len Fisher

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Len Fisher claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, 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 Len Fisher 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 Len Fisher 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 Len Fisher

In research: Len Fisher appears in astronomy 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 Len Fisher 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: Len Fisher is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1942 births, Australian physicists, Ig Nobel laureates, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Len Fisher 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 Len Fisher in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Len Fisher 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 Len Fisher out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Len Fisher in simple terms?

Why does Len Fisher matter?

Because it connects several astronomy 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 Len Fisher?

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 Len Fisher.