Nicholas Beale

Nicholas C.L. Beale is a British social philosopher and management consultant with a background in computer science. His has worked on strategic investment and management issues as well as on the crossroads of religion and science. He initiated discussion of the ethical and spiritual implications of the Internet, and is a public participant in the debate on the existence of God. His collaboration on the Christian apologetics website starcourse.org with John Polkinghorne culminated in the book Questions of Truth which was launched in 2009 with discussions at the AAAS and the Royal Society.
Career
Beale was born in 1955 the son of E.M.L. Beale, FRS. He was a scholar at Winchester College and in Mathematics at Trinity College, Cambridge . He was Managing Director of Beale Electronic Systems Ltd (1977-85) and held other positions before becoming Chairman of Sciteb (1989- present). He was a director of the First Film Foundation (1991-95). He is an oblate of Alton Abbey 1994-; Freeman of the City of London 1996, Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists 1997 (and Chairman, Ethical and Spiritual Development Panel 97-05); FRSA 1991 Fellow of the Royal Institution
In the 1980s he served as a voting member on IEEE Project 802.5 WG, and patented an invention concerning reconfiguring token rings, required by the IEEE Standards Board to be available under RAND terms to vendors.
Also in the 80s, Beale and Simon Peyton Jones proposed a notation called "ADL/1" which used combinators to provide specifications on top of Ada and he continued to write technical papers about emerging telecommunications, such as fibre optics, and the private industry standards Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP) and Technical and Office Protocol (TOP).
In 2009 his book Questions of Truth, co-authored with John Polkinghorne was published with launch discussions at the AAAS Annual Conference chaired by the President of the AAAS and at the Royal Society chaired by Onora O'Neill the President of the British Academy. The book was described by Nobel Laureate William D. Phillips as “a refreshing contrast to the polemic and misinformation that have characterized much of the writing in this area” and has a foreword from Antony Hewish and also has endorsments from Francis Collins, Martin Nowak and Alister McGrath.
He has been a speaker on science and religion with John Polkinghorne at the AAAS the Royal Society and the Guardian Hay Festival as part of the Cambridge University 800th Anniversary celebrations
Social philosophy
The major influences on his thought are John Polkinghorne, whose website he runs, and Charles Handy to whom his book Constructive Engagement is co-dedicated.
Science, technology, society and religion
In 1997 Beale initiated a series of WCIT Colloquia at the House of Lords on the Ethical and Spiritual Implications of the Internet, whose featured participants included Steve Shirley, Richard Chartres, Robert May, William Dutton and Arun Sarin. Beale co-authored a paper on the ethical and spiritual implications of the Internet, and contributed to the first book on the subject Cybernauts Awake!. He also suggested in 1998 that we may be moving towards a post-secular society.
Beale believes that "the scientific and philosophical arguments for the existence of God are almost overwhelming" and his debate on this subject with Prof Colin Howson was published in Prospect.
In his address to the meeting at the Royal Society to launch Questions of Truth he suggested that:
:"Extremists on both sides shout at each other ... but bring Science, and Religion, into disrepute. Dialogue is needed for intellectual honesty, but also for practical reasons...We face really serious problems, like Global warming, which can only be addressed through deep values-driven changes in behaviour and sound scientific understanding. Never has constructive dialogue between science and religion been more essential."
He has been interviewed several times on radio in the US and the UK in connection with Questions of Truth
Business and investment
His first publication, R&D Short-Termism? (published in collaboration with the CBI) suggested that there were significant pressures on companies to under-invest in R&D. Subsequent publications were mainly based on work to improve communication, trust and understanding between investors, investment analysts and industrialists, although one collaboration with the Royal Society worked to encourage dialogue between Investors and Scientists. He pioneered an approach to understanding the value generated with Intellectual Assets called Intellectual Asset Value Added.
His Constructive Engagement: Directors and Investors in Action, written at the instigation of Charles Handy, describes what Beale sees as best practice in the relationship between directors and investors, illustrated by case studies, as well as material based on interviews with leading UK directors and investors. He advocates a transition from governance to stewardship and suggests that board behaviours matter more than processes. A case study from this book formed the basis of his HBR piece and his Sunday Times article.
Publications
Technical publications
* Recommended practice for dual ring operation with wrapback reconfiguration (co-author; one of the working group) [http://www.inetdaemon.com/tutorials/lan/802/#802dot5 IEEE 802.5c-1991, Supplement to 802.5-1989], ISBN 0-7381-0301-2
* Data transmission system and method US Patent 4709365 (Filed Jun 28, 1985) Google Patents
General publications
Books
* R&D Short Termism? (in collaboration with the CBI) published (1991)
** Reviewed: "Industry and City" The Times 19 April 1991.
* Cybernauts Awake: Ethical and Spiritual Implications of Computers, Information Technology and the Internet (co-author). Church House Publishing (1999) ISBN 0715165860 Text on the web
* Constructive Engagement: Directors and Investors in Action Gower (2005) ISBN 9780566087110
* Questions of Truth with John Polkinghorne Westminster John Knox (2009) ISBN 9780664233518
Articles and other publications
* Sciteb/Sunday Times poll of R&D Effectiveness Sunday Times 3 Nov 1991
* "Intellectual Assets" in Professional Investor (1994)
* Engineering Consensus (ed.) Good Disclosure Practice Code (ed) both in co-operation with the DTI 1992
* Industry/City Dialogue Guide 1996 (ed.) published in co-operation with the Institute of Directors, the London Investment Banking Association and the Institute for Investment Management and Research.
* The Star Course (co-author)
* Addressing IMT in NHS Organistions (co-author) published by the NHS Information Authority
* Rational Values in the New Economy (ed and co-author);
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Notes & references

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