James Lovelock Creator of Gaia theory dies aged 103

James Lovelock, the creator of the Gaia hypothesis , has died on his 103rd birthday.

- Helena Horton

Lovelock, who was one of the UK’s most respected independent scientists, had been in good health until he had a bad fall six months ago . He died at home on Tuesday surrounded by loved ones, his family has said .

Known as something of a maverick, he had been dispensing predictions from his one-man lab since the 1960s, and continued to work in his old age .

The Gaia hypothes is posits that life on Earth is a self-regulating community of organisms interacting with each other and their surroundings. He said two years ago that the biosphere was in the last 1% of its life. 

His family said : “Our beloved James Lovelock died yesterday in his home surrounded by his family on his 103rd birthday.

“To the world he was best known as a scientific pioneer, climate prophet and conceiver of the Gaia theory. To us he was a loving husband and wonderful father with a boundless sense of curiosity, a mischievous sense of humour and a passion for nature.

“Up until six months ago he was still able to walk along the coast near his home in Dorset and take part in interviews, but his health deteriorated after a bad fall earlier this year.