In a break from our normal topics, I want to call attention to the passing of legendary physicist John Archibald Wheeler. I thinking that drawing some insights from his extraordinary life can be helpful to all of us.
Professor Wheeler died on April 13, but I was unaware of it until I decided to skim Cosmic Variance, which has this interesting article on him. The following quote from this article gives the broad strokes of some of his contributions to the science of physics:
He did foundational work on quantum mechanics, collaborating with Niels Bohr on some of the earliest work in nuclear fission. He invented the S-matrix. He played important roles in both the Manhattan project (atomic bomb) and the Matterhorn project (Hydrogen bomb). He made major contributions to general relativity, co-authoring with Charlie Misner and Kip Thorne the bible of the field. He was legendary for his way with words, coining such terms as wormholes, quantum foam, black holes, and the wave function of the Universe (the Wheeler-DeWitt equation). He trained generations of students; one of his first was Richard Feynman.
Even more impressive than this overview of his contributions are the comments on the articles, wherein physicist after physicist give testimony to an influence that Wheeler had in their lives and on their thinking. To me, this highlights the interconnectedness we all have with each other, and that each interaction we have is an opportunity to influence a life forever. Oh, to be sure, the aggregate of Wheeler’s influence exceeds mine. That is a huge understatement. But, we all have considerable influence on others. My belief is that we have the potential for immeasurable influence. And, of course, that influence often extends beyond our deaths.
Let’s take just one example of influence from Wheeler’s life: Richard Feynman, one of Wheeler’s first students. While Wheeler did not create the genius within Feynman, he no doubt nurtured it. This not only influenced Feynman, but contributed to Feynman’s ability to influence others, and gosh knows that Feynman, a legend himself, has had a lot of influence.
Something else we can learn from Wheeler’s life is his passion for thinking outside the box, and for not being of afraid of being embarrassed at a “wrong answer.”
In reading through the comments on the Cosmic Variance post, I noticed one that linked to a website of quotations from Wheeler. I think a couple of those are particularly worthy of sharing here:
I like to say, when asked why I pursue science, that it is to satisfy my curiosity, that I am by nature a searcher, trying to understand. Now, in my 80s, I am still searching. Yet I know that the pursuit of science is more than the pursuit of understanding. It is driven by the creative urge, the urge to construct a vision, a map, a picture of the world that gives the world a little more beauty and coherence than it had before. Somewhere in the child that urge is born.
There are many modes of thinking about the world around us and our place in it. I like to consider all the angles from which we might gain perspective on our amazing universe and the nature of existence.
These are great reminders for us to keep an open mind, and to latch back onto that curiosity we had as children. Both quotes are reported to be from his autobiography: Geons, Black Holes, and Quantum Foam: A Life in Physics
Well, again, I can not do a fitting tribute to Professor Wheeler. Nobody can. Nobody can ever do a fitting tribute to another human being, because we only have a finite time to give a tribute, and the influence that people have exceeds our ability to “sum it up” in a finite time (as if we knew it all anyway). But, I hope that this discussion has left you with something to think about.
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