Sir Martin Ryle FRS (27 September 1918 – 14 October 1984) was an English radio astronomer who developed revolutionary radio telescope systems (see e.g. aperture synthesis) and used them for accurate location and imaging of weak radio sources. In 1946 Ryle and Vonberg were the first people to publish interferometric astronomical measurements at radio wavelengths, although it is claimed that Joseph Pawsey from the University of Sydney had actually made interferometric measurements earlier in the same year. With improved equipment, Ryle observed the most distant known galaxies in the universe at that time. He was the first Professor of Radio Astronomy at the University of Cambridge, and founding director of the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory. He was Astronomer Royal from 1972 to 1982.

Ryle and Antony Hewish shared the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1974, the first Nobel prize awarded in recognition of astronomical research.

He was born in Brighton, the son of Professor John Alfred Ryle and Miriam (née Scully) Ryle. He is also the nephew of the famous Oxford University Professor of Philosophy Gilbert Ryle (Gilbert Ryle and John Alfred Ryle were brothers).

Gilbert Ryle (19 August 1900, Brighton – 6 October 1976, Oxford), was a British philosopher, a representative of the generation of British ordinary language philosophers that shared Wittgenstein's approach to philosophical problems, and is principally known for his critique of Cartesian dualism, for which he coined the phrase "the ghost in the machine". Some of his ideas in the philosophy of mind have been referred to as "behaviourist." Ryle's best known book is The Concept of Mind (1949), in which he writes that the "general trend of this book will undoubtedly, and harmlessly, be stigmatised as 'behaviourist'." Ryle, having engaged in detailed study of the key works of Bernard Bolzano, Franz Brentano, Alexius Meinong, Edmund Husserl, and Martin Heidegger, himself suggested instead that the book "could be described as a sustained essay in phenomenology, if you are at home with that label."

Ryle was born in Brighton, England in 1900 and grew up in an environment of learning. His father was a Brighton doctor, a generalist who had interests in philosophy and astronomy, and passed on to his children an impressive library. Ryle was educated at Brighton College, and in 1919, he went up to Queen's College at Oxford, initially to study Classics but was quickly drawn to Philosophy. He would graduate with first class honours in 1924 and was appointed to a lectureship in Philosophy at Christ Church, Oxford. A year later, he was to become a tutor. Ryle remained at Christ Church until World War II.

Nigel Henbest (born 1951) is a British astronomer educated in Northern Ireland and at Leicester University where he studied physics, chemistry and astronomy. He did postgraduate work at the University of Cambridge but left to become a science writer. He has written 36 books and over 1,000 articles on astronomy and space many of them in collaboration with Heather Couper. Previously he has been Astronomy Consultant to New Scientist magazine, editor of the Journal of the British Astronomical Association and media consultant to the Royal Greenwich Observatory. Along with Couper and Stuart Carter, director of the Channel 4 series The Stars he set up Pioneer Productions and now develops ideas and proposals for that company.

Brendan Macken (born 21 January 1923) is a former Canadian National tennis champion and Canadian Davis Cup player.

Originally from Montreal, Macken won the precursor to today's Roger Cups, the 1950 Canadian National championship, in singles, by defeating Henri Rochon in the final, 6-0, 6-0, 6-3. Despite this convincing scoreline, it was his only Canadian championship singles title. He also won the doubles crown twice - in 1946 with his brother Jim and in 1951 partnering Lorne Main.

Macken competed in nine consecutive United States National championships in singles, from 1945 through 1953. His best result was winning two matches to reach the third round in 1952. He also reached the last 32 in 1945 with a depleted field, which saw him as the No. 14 seed. Macken once competed in the main draw singles at Wimbledon, losing his only match in four sets to Kurt Nielsen.

In Davis Cup, Macken played in 10 ties for Canada over 9 years, beginning in 1946. Canada's best result with Macken on board was defeating Mexico in 1952 to reach the America Zone final, where they lost to the U.S. 1-4. Macken won both of his singles matches against Mexico as Canada swept the tie, 5 matches to nil. He then took the only match off the Americans, beating Robert Perry in a dead fifth rubber. Macken's career match win-loss record was 6 and 8 in singles and 1 and 5 in doubles.

Ryle Nugent is an Irish sports broadcaster, reporter and Head of RTÉ Sport. Prior to his appointment, he was RTÉ's commissioning editor for sport primarily specialising in rugby union. He is the resident rugby union commentator for RTÉ's television coverage of international and club competitions, such as the Six Nations Championship, Heineken Cup and Rugby World Cup. Nugent sometimes serves as the presenter of highlights of previously broadcast rugby union events.

He has provided RTÉ commentary from the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, and presented sports programmes such as The Grip and Against the Head. Other more recent television appearances have included The Cafe and Dustin's Daily News.

Nugent was educated at Blackrock College in Dublin. He studied broadcasting and journalism at Ballyfermot Senior College instead of at university. He qualified in 1990.

Nugent has been an employee of Raidió Teilifís Éireann for many years, providing rugby union commentary since 1999 and is currently serving as the broadcaster's head of television sport. He transferred to RTÉ from his news desk position at Dublin radio station 98FM in 1995 to work as a sports presenter on the young people's television programme The Grip. Nugent went on to become the presenter of rugby union highlights for RTÉ Sport during the 1999 Rugby World Cup, when he heard that RTÉ were searching for younger talent to replace established names such as Jim Sherwin and George Hamilton. His live television commentary debut was the Georgia versus Romania match at the World Cup. He later reflected upon having drank so much coffee before the game that he vomited. In 2000, he was reported as having described Ireland's rugby union player and future captain, Brian O'Driscoll, in the early part of his career at the time, as being "a hard tackler" with "great hands".