Comments on: The measure of a man

By: John T. Scott

John T. Scott — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:05:47 +0000

Just a detail: Physics Today is the monthly magazine of the American Institute of Physics, not the American Physical Society. (I was Managing Editor there from around 1968 to 1980, when I moved over to the journals. AIP journals, that is.)

By: Sean

Sean — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:03:10 +0000

Thanks, but Daniel gets the credit for the post!

By: Geometrick

Geometrick — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:29:43 +0000

Hey Sean,

Great post about John Wheeler. I highly recommend people read his biography “Geons, Black Holes and Quantum Foam.” I’m merely a student, but from what I have heard, John Wheeler always treated his students and colleagues with a measure of respect and dignity. This is not something that always happens in the academic world and John Wheeler should be applauded for his huge positive impact on his students.

By: Successful Researcher

Successful Researcher — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:51:58 +0000

Great post! Thanks!

By: Cyber Buck

Cyber Buck — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:59:32 +0000

Never heard of the guy.

By: tm

tm — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:56:44 +0000

on foundational contributions to qm
and gr, of course einstein was no piker,
and gamow too…

By: Tszap

Tszap — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:46:34 +0000

Daniel, I’m assuming this was an undergraduate thesis you did with Wheeler since I don’t recall him hanging around Chicago. I’m very impressed that at 80+ he was willing to devote such time not only to students but to undergraduates!

By: Sili

Sili — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:18:14 +0000

I’m quite jealous.

Of his intellect and of his students.

By: Ellipsis

Ellipsis — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:10:13 +0000

Zel’dovich is another example.

By: Tod R. Lauer

Tod R. Lauer — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:00:29 +0000

“wondrous command over language” -> All I remember from the movie, “A Brief History of Time,” is Wheeler’s eloquent description of the gravitational influence of black holes, despite their “blackness,” a very tricky concept to get a across to the public, which often wonders if we can’t see them, how we know they’re there. Wheeler described a Grand Ball with women dressed in white and the men in black. The dancing begins, and the lights are turned down. One can no longer see the men, but women are still visible twirling about them… So it is with the stars that surround black holes at the centers of galaxies.

By: John Farrell

John Farrell — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:17:01 +0000

I envy you. I’ve met Stephen Jay Gould and Owen Gingerich but never got to meet Wheeler.

By: daniel

daniel — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:36:22 +0000

Right. That Einstein character did some pretty good stuff.

By: Sean

Sean — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:29:54 +0000

Someone will undoubtedly say it, so I might as well: I’m pretty sure Einstein made foundational contributions to both gravity and QM as well. But it’s an elite group!

Great to see the commemorative issue of Physics Today, it’s well deserved. I didn’t know Wheeler well, but I remember visiting one of the lunches at the Institute for Advanced Study that John Bahcall would oversee, where everyone at the large table would tell something about their recent research. Wheeler would move his seat from place to place to be close to whoever was speaking, so that he made sure not to miss anything. An amazing man.