"A comprehensive and engaging book about renowned mathematical physicist Freeman Dyson, curated and edited by MIT physicist and historian of science David Kaiser, and with contributions from notable science communicators, including Dyson's children"--
The life and work of Freeman Dysonrenowned scientist, visionary, and iconoclastand his particular way of thinking about deep questions.
Freeman Dyson (19232020)renowned scientist, visionary, and iconoclasthelped invent modern physics. Not bound by disciplinary divisions, he went on to explore foundational topics in mathematics, astrophysics, and the origin of life. General readers were introduced to Dysons roving mind and heterodox approach in his 1979 book Disturbing the Universe, a poignant autobiographical reflection on life and science. Well, Doc, Youre In (the title quotes Richard Feynmans remark to Dyson at a physics conference) offers a fresh examination of Dysons life and work, exploring his particular way of thinking about deep questions that range from the nature of matter to the ultimate fate of the universe.
The chapterswritten by leading scientists, historians, and science journalists, including some of Dysons colleaguestrace Dysons formative years, his budding interests and curiosities, and his wide-ranging work across the natural sciences, technology, and public policy. They describe Dysons innovations at the intersection of quantum theory and relativity, his novel nuclear reactor design (and his never-realized idea of a spacecraft powered by nuclear weapons), his years at the Institute for Advanced Study, and his foray into cosmology. In the coda, Dysons daughter Esther reflects on growing up in the Dyson household. Well, Doc, Youre In assesses Dysons successes, blind spots, and influence, assembling a portrait of a scientists outsized legacy.
Contributors
Jeremy Bernstein, Robbert Dijkgraaf, Esther Dyson, George Dyson, Ann Finkbeiner, Amanda Gefter, Ashutosh Jogalekar, David Kaiser, Caleb Scharf, William Thomas
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