During his tenure as Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government, between 1995 and 2000, Bob May gained a reputation for speaking his mind on subjects ranging from GM foods to embryology. He chooses eight records to take to the mythical island.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Parsifal by Richard Wagner

Book: Capablanca's Hundred Best Games of Chess by Hans Golombek

Luxury: Isle of Lewis chess set from The British Museum