Sir, – Prof Margaret Murnane’s achievement certainly deserves the Boyle Medal (Science Today, October 27th), but it was a surprise to see the great Boyle referred to in the article as “Sir Robert”. The Hon (Honourable) Robert Boyle was neither a knight nor a baronet, so no “Sir”. As a younger son of an earl (specifically, Richard, 1st Earl of Cork) he used – and was known by – this form of courtesy title. Though his great achievements over his short life (1627-1691) certainly merited it, he received no honours in his own right.
I hope the mythical “Sir Robert” does not appear in any other print in connection with the Boyle Medal. – Yours, etc,