John Hickman (meteorologist)

John Sedgley Hickman QSO (9 September 1927 – 13 December 2014) was a New Zealand meteorologist, and was the director of the New Zealand Meteorological Service between 1977 and 1988.

Biography

Born in Whanganui in 1927, Hickman grew up in rural Northland until his family moved to Auckland in 1941. After finishing his secondary education there, he completed a building apprenticeship and at the same time studied mathematics, physics and geology part-time.[1] He then moved to Dunedin, and studied at the University of Otago,[1] from where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1951.[2]

Hickman joined the New Zealand Meteorological Service, rising to become its director in 1977. He remained in that role until his retirement in 1988. He served as vice-president of Regional Association V of the World Meteorological Organization from 1982 to 1986, and president from 1986 to 1988.[1]

In the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours, Hickman was appointed a Queen's Service Order for public services,[3] and the following year he was awarded an honorary DSc by Victoria University of Wellington.[4] He was also awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal, and in 1998 he was made an honorary member of the Meteorological Society of New Zealand.[1]

Hickman also served as the convenor of the climate committee of the Royal Society of New Zealand until 1994.[5]

He died in 2014.[6]

gollark: That's basically what I said (the extra volume of halloween stuff mucks up the ratios).
gollark: Any opinions on my theory of what's going on with the pricing? Basically, I said that if extra dragons are introduced to the total but not the rest of the system (golds, whatever else), then rarer stuff's ratios will be affected more than common stuff, so the gold pricing goes crazy and nebulae stay the same.
gollark: 3.
gollark: My theory of what's up, copied from the forum thread:If many new eggs are being introduced to the system, then that will most affect the stuff which is rarest, by making it rarer by comparison, but commons will stay the same. As for why it happened now? Weekly updates, possibly.Example:Imagine there are 200 dragons, 5 of which are golds.The ratio of golds to total dragons is now 5:200 = 1:40. If the target ratio is 1:50 then prices will be higher to compensate.Now imagine there are an extra 200 dragons added, none of which are golds.The ratio would then be 5:400 = 1:80. Then, assuming the same target, prices will drop.This is of course simplified, and the ratios may not work like this, but this matches observed behavior pretty well.
gollark: That why was rhetorical.

References
  1. Taba, Hessam (July 2001). "Interview with John S. Hickman". WMO Bulletin. 50 (3): 193. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  2. "NZ university graduates 1870–1961: Hi–Hy". Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  3. "No. 51774". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 June 1989. p. 32.
  4. "Honorary graduates and Hunter fellowships". Victoria University of Wellington. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  5. "People changes". Science Digest. Royal Society of New Zealand. 1 December 1994. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  6. Bridges, Jacqui (19 December 2014). "A sad farewell to John Hickman". MetService. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
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