A SCOTTISH scientist whose ‘creative genius’ played a key role in the project to discover gravitational waves is the nephew of an engineer who helped create the Dambuster bombs.

Emeritus professor Ronald Drever, formerly of Glasgow University, helped set up the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (Ligo) which detected the ripples in space time that proved Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.

His family has now revealed that Professor Drever, who is originally from Glasgow, is the nephew of Richan Drever, a highly-skilled precision engineer who worked on the Lancaster Bombers and was involved in the development of the famous bouncing bombs.

Dr Anne Drever, the niece of Professor Drever, said: “He (Professor Drever’s uncle) definitely helped him in his early years with precision, inventiveness and creating things at home. 

“He also taught him a number of engineering techniques. I think that he was a very big influence on his later life.”

Professor Drever, 84, first discovered his love of physics at Glasgow Academy, winning a number of prizes and even building a television set out of junk so his family could watch the Queen’s Coronation.

However, it was while studying for his degree and doctorate at the University of Glasgow that he decided to specialise in gravity.

In 1960 he moved to Harvard University in America but it was his focus on measuring gravity waves while at the California Institute of Technology in the 1980s that would lead to the creation of Ligo, which played an instrumental role in the detection of the gravitational waves.

Dr Drever said: “We are very proud. It’s his life’s work and vision and the fact it’s come to fruition during his lifetime is just fantastic.”

However, Professor Drever was unable to celebrate the announcement with his colleagues because he is suffering from dementia.

He watched Thursday’s events from a care home near Edinburgh with his brother Dr Ian Drever.