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ON 13 JUNE 2010, Richard Darwin Keynes died at the age of ninety. Keynes was a man of enormous energy and omniv- orous interests. Born into one of the great intellectual dynas- ties of Cambridge, he was also one of a group of scientists that eluci- dated the mechanism of production of electrical signals in biological tissues. This work established how cells produce the voltage changes that control their function and serve as signals to communicate with other cells. This knowledge is the basis of understanding how the ner- vous system works and it is a scientific contribution as significant as the elucidation of the genetic code. Keynes's broad research interests also led to pioneering work on both nerves and other cells to identify basic physical principles involved in cellular activities. In his later years Keynes became an important editor for several books on Darwin and his travels on the Beagle. Keynes also loved to travel and often found ways to combine his scientific endeavors with collaborations through- out the world, often in South America. Keynes also made significant contributions as a department head and director of a research institute and as an early organizer and proponent of the important field of biophysics.
Keynes was born on 14 August 1919, the eldest son of Geoffrey Keynes and Margaret Darwin. Geoffrey Keynes was a very distinguished surgeon at St. Bartholomew's Hospital and at the same time one of the most distinguished English bibliophiles. Geoffrey is best known for his work on Blake, but his work on Donne, Harvey, Gibbon, Austen, and others also has great distinction. When Geoffrey won first prize in the scholarship examination at Barts, Geoffrey's brother, John Maynard, the famous economist responsible for revolutionizing the field of mac- roeconomics and forever altering the policies of governments, wrote to Neville Keynes, their father, "We're really a wonderful family, . . . at ex- aminations. Probably the finest in the kingdom, I expect. If only the examination system lasts, . . . we shall end, I'm sure, by being the Royal Family." Richard's mother was the granddaughter of Charles Darwin. This family relationship had a major impact on Richard's second career as the editor of many of Darwin's documents.
Keynes was educated at Oundle...