Scientific advisor
- You may be looking for the short story, Scientific Adviser or science advisor.
A scientific advisor, sometimes capitalised as Scientific Advisor (GAME: The Legions of Death [+]Loading...["The Legions of Death (game)"]) and also known as a scientific consultant (TV: Terror of the Autons [+]Loading...["Terror of the Autons (TV story)"]) or science officer (AUDIO: Persuasion [+]Loading...["Persuasion (audio story)"], In Memory Alone [+]Loading...["In Memory Alone (audio story)"], The Frequency [+]Loading...["The Frequency (audio story)"]), was an in-house scientific consultant to an organisation whose focus was not primarily scientific in nature. The title notably existed within the hierarchy of UNIT, and, starting in the second half of the 20th century, was held by the Doctor across various incarnations.
History[[edit] | [edit source]]
UNIT[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Intrusion Counter-Measures Group, a predecessor to UNIT, had a "scientific advisor" role. In 1963, Rachel Jensen filled it. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks [+]Loading...["Remembrance of the Daleks (TV story)"]) The platoon of soldiers whom a young Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart led against the Great Intelligence's infiltration of the London Underground, Edward Travers and his daughter Anne Travers tagged along, as well as the Second Doctor; (TV: The Web of Fear [+]Loading...["The Web of Fear (TV story)","The Web of Fear"]) subsequently, after Lethbridge-Stewart became Brigadier of the British branch of a new, special force dedicated to combatting alien threats, he officially named Anne Travers as his first Scientific Advisor. (AUDIO: Memories of Tomorrow [+]Loading...["Memories of Tomorrow (audio story)","Memories of Tomorrow"])
However, with the British Army requisitioning Anne Travers so that she could work at the Vault, (PROSE: The Forgotten Son [+]Loading...["The Forgotten Son (novel)","The Forgotten Son"]) Lethbridge-Stewart was forced to find a different UNIT Scientific Advisor. He interviewed Liz Shaw, of Cambridge, about the possibility of her taking the position. In the end, the role went to the Third Doctor, with Liz staying on as his assistant. The Doctor served as UNIT's scientific advisor throughout his exile on Earth. (TV: Spearhead from Space [+]Loading...["Spearhead from Space (TV story)","Spearhead from Space"]) The Fourteenth Doctor would recall that he was recorded as the organisation's "Scientific Advisor Number One". (TV: The Star Beast [+]Loading...["The Star Beast (TV story)"])
During two of the Doctor's absences, the Brigadier hired temporary scientific advisors: River Song (AUDIO: The Blood Woods [+]Loading...["The Blood Woods (audio story)","The Blood Woods"]) and Kaleidoscope. (AUDIO: Kaleidoscope [+]Loading...["Kaleidoscope (audio story)","Kaleidoscope"])
Although the Doctor ceased to stay on Earth on a regular basis after he regenerated into his fourth incarnation, his affiliation with UNIT remained, with others such as Colonel Mace noting that the Doctor had never officially resigned his position. (TV: Robot [+]Loading...["Robot (TV story)","Robot"], The Sontaran Stratagem [+]Loading...["The Sontaran Stratagem (TV story)","The Sontaran Stratagem"]) Indeed, Kate Stewart confirmed that the Doctor was still on UNIT's payroll for an undisclosed amount. (TV: Death in Heaven) The Fourteenth Doctor purchased his home using some of his accumulated wages. (PROSE: The Giggle [+]Loading...["The Giggle (novelisation)"]) Even when not actively working with UNIT, the Doctor wasn't above using his UNIT credentials to establish authority to investigate such matters as disappearing Concordes. (TV: Time-Flight [+]Loading...["Time-Flight (TV story)","Time-Flight"]) Even in 2001, the Doctor retained a legendary reputation among UNIT, with the Brigadier musing that a three-second silence after learning that the Doctor was present during a crisis was an impressive incident. (PROSE: The Shadow in the Glass [+]Loading...["The Shadow in the Glass (novel)","The Shadow in the Glass"])
However, while the Doctor retained official Scientific Advisor status, in practice the position was left vacant by the Fourth Doctor's departure, leading to the promotion of Elizabeth Klein as Scientific Advisor for the UK branch (AUDIO: Dominion [+]Loading...["Dominion (audio story)","Dominion"]) until at least 1994. (AUDIO: Warlock's Cross [+]Loading...["Warlock's Cross (audio story)","Warlock's Cross"])
UNIT/NA, the North American chapter of UNIT, acquired its own Scientific Advisor in the late 1980s in the form of the Time Lord known as the Colonel. He had been deliberately planted there by the Celestial Intervention Agency in an attempt to replicate the success of the Third Doctor's association with UNIT. (GAME: The Legions of Death [+]Loading...["The Legions of Death (game)"])
In the 1990s, the "Jane Fonda" Iris was UNIT's special scientific advisor. (PROSE: Interference - Book Two [+]Loading...["Interference - Book Two (novel)","Interference - Book Two"], Bullet Time [+]Loading...["Bullet Time (novel)","Bullet Time"])
In the late 1990s, Dr Louise Rix was appointed scientific adviser to Brigadier Winifred Bambera. (AUDIO: Time Flies [+]Loading...["Time Flies (audio story)","Time Flies"])
In the 2000s, Colonel Emily Chaudhry hired the Brigadier as UNIT's unofficial scientific advisor. (AUDIO: The Wasting [+]Loading...["The Wasting (audio story)","The Wasting"])
On 8 October (PROSE: Cardiff Earthquake [+]Loading...["Cardiff Earthquake (short story)","Cardiff Earthquake"]) 2006, (TV: Boom Town [+]Loading...["Boom Town (TV story)","Boom Town"]) UNIT issued a press briefing about the clean-up work in the aftermath of the Cardiff Earthquake. While the operation was successful, UNIT's Scientific Advisors all agreed that the Blaidd Drwg Power Plant project should be abandoned due to the instability of the ground it was proposed to be built on. (PROSE: Cardiff Earthquake [+]Loading...["Cardiff Earthquake (short story)","Cardiff Earthquake"])
By 2010, UNIT's regular scientific advisor was Malcolm Taylor. (TV: Planet of the Dead [+]Loading...["Planet of the Dead (TV story)","Planet of the Dead"])
Petronella Osgood was hired as scientific advisor by Kate Stewart in 2011, (PROSE: For the Girl Who Has Everything [+]Loading...["For the Girl Who Has Everything (short story)","For the Girl Who Has Everything"]) although Malcolm continued to work for the organisation. (TV: The Day of the Doctor [+]Loading...["The Day of the Doctor (TV story)","The Day of the Doctor"], etc.) Whilst she was partially converted, the War Master appointed himself as scientific advisor in her place. (AUDIO: Master of Worlds [+]Loading...["Master of Worlds (audio story)","Master of Worlds"])
Shirley Bingham identified herself as UNIT's scientific advisor number 56. (TV: The Star Beast [+]Loading...["The Star Beast (TV story)"])
Other organisations[[edit] | [edit source]]
The Fourth Doctor jokingly offered Duggan a position as his own scientific advisor. (TV: City of Death [+]Loading...["City of Death (TV story)"])
While investigating the strange abilities of apparent medium James Lees for Queen Victoria, the Fifth Doctor was officially appointed Queen Victoria's scientific advisor, being offered to remain in the role even after his departure. (PROSE: Empire of Death [+]Loading...["Empire of Death (novel)","Empire of Death"])
A clone of the Sixth Doctor served as the Forge's scientific advisor from 2004 to 2008. (AUDIO: Project: Lazarus [+]Loading...["Project Lazarus (audio story)","Project: Lazarus"])
On Hellcombe Factory, the Eleventh Doctor claimed that Corporal Edward Anderson was his scientific advisor. (COMIC: The Dalek Project [+]Loading...["The Dalek Project (comic story)","The Dalek Project"])
