John Archibald Wheeler
John Archibald Wheeler (July 9, 1911 – April 13, 2008) was an American
At 21, Wheeler earned his doctorate at
For most of his career, Wheeler was a professor of physics at Princeton University, which he joined in 1938, remaining until 1976. At Princeton he supervised 46 PhD students, more than any other physics professor.
Wheeler left Princeton at the age of 65. He was appointed director of the Center for Theoretical Physics at the
Early life and education
Wheeler was born in
After graduating from
Early career
In his 1937 paper "On the Mathematical Description of Light Nuclei by the Method of Resonating Group Structure", Wheeler introduced the S-matrix—short for scattering matrix—"a unitary matrix of coefficients connecting the asymptotic behavior of an arbitrary particular solution [of the integral equations] with that of solutions of a standard form".[18][19] Wheeler did not pursue this idea, but in the 1940s Werner Heisenberg developed the idea of the S-matrix into an important tool in elementary particle physics.[18]
In 1938 Wheeler joined
Bohr and Wheeler set to work applying the liquid drop model to explain the mechanism of nuclear fission.[23] As the experimental physicists studied fission, they uncovered puzzling results. George Placzek asked Bohr why uranium seemed to fission with both very fast and very slow neutrons. Walking to a meeting with Wheeler, Bohr had an insight that fission at low energies was due to the uranium-235 isotope, while at high energies it was mainly due to the far more abundant uranium-238 isotope.[24] They co-wrote two more papers on fission.[25][26] Their first paper appeared in Physical Review on September 1, 1939, the day Germany invaded Poland, starting World War II.[27]
Considering the notion that positrons were electrons traveling backward in time, in 1940 Wheeler conceived his one-electron universe postulate: that there was in fact only one electron, bouncing back and forth in time. His graduate student Richard Feynman found this hard to believe, but the idea that positrons were electrons traveling backward in time intrigued him, and Feynman incorporated the notion of the reversibility of time in his Feynman diagrams.[28]
Nuclear weapons
Manhattan Project
Soon after the Japanese
After the
Even before the Hanford Site started up the
Wheeler had a personal reason for working on the Manhattan Project. His brother Joe, fighting in Italy, sent him a postcard with a simple message: "Hurry up".[41] It was already too late: Joe was killed in October 1944. "Here we were", Wheeler later wrote, "so close to creating a nuclear weapon to end the war. I couldn't stop thinking then, and haven't stopped thinking since, that the war could have been over in October 1944."[40] Joe left a widow and baby daughter, Mary Jo, who later married physicist James Hartle.[42]
Hydrogen bomb
In August 1945 Wheeler and his family returned to Princeton, where he resumed his academic career.
The 1949 detonation of
At Los Alamos, Wheeler and his family moved into the house on "
In 1951 Wheeler obtained Bradbury's permission to set up a branch office of the Los Alamos laboratory at Princeton, known as
In January 1953 Wheeler was involved in a security breach when he lost a highly classified paper on
Matterhorn B was discontinued, but Matterhorn S endures as the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.[58]
Later academic career
After concluding his Matterhorn Project work, Wheeler resumed his academic career. In a 1955 paper, he theoretically investigated the geon, an electromagnetic or gravitational wave held together in a confined region by the attraction of its own field. He coined the name as a contraction of "gravitational electromagnetic entity".[64] He found that the smallest geon was a toroid the size of the Sun, but millions of times heavier. He later showed that geons are unstable, and would quickly self destruct if they were ever to form.[65]
Geometrodynamics
During the 1950s, Wheeler formulated
General relativity
While working on mathematical extensions to Einstein's general relativity in 1957, Wheeler introduced the concept and word
Quantum information
Wheeler left Princeton in 1976 at age 65. He was appointed director of the Center for Theoretical Physics at the
Looking back on Wheeler's 10 years at Texas, many quantum information scientists now regard him, along with IBM's Rolf Landauer, as a grandfather of their field. That, however, was not because Wheeler produced seminal research papers on quantum information. He did not—with one major exception, his delayed-choice experiment. Rather, his role was to inspire by asking deep questions from a radical conservative viewpoint and, through his questions, to stimulate others' research and discovery.[77]
Teaching
Wheeler's graduate students included
Alluding to Wheeler's "mass without mass", the festschrift honoring his 60th birthday was titled Magic Without Magic: John Archibald Wheeler: A Collection of Essays in Honor of his Sixtieth Birthday (1972). His writing style could also attract parodies, including one by "John Archibald Wyler" that was affectionately published by a relativity journal.[84][85]
Participatory Anthropic Principle
Wheeler speculated that reality is created by observers in the universe. "How does something arise from nothing?", he asked about the existence of space and time.[86][87] He also coined the term "Participatory Anthropic Principle" (PAP), a version of a Strong Anthropic Principle.[88]
In 1990, Wheeler suggested that information is fundamental to the physics of the universe. According to this "it from bit" doctrine, all things physical are information-theoretic in origin:
Wheeler: It from bit. Otherwise put, every it—every particle, every field of force, even the space-time continuum itself—derives its function, its meaning, its very existence entirely—even if in some contexts indirectly—from the apparatus-elicited answers to yes-or-no questions, binary choices, bits. It from bit symbolizes the idea that every item of the physical world has at bottom—at a very deep bottom, in most instances—an immaterial source and explanation; that which we call reality arises in the last analysis from the posing of yes–no questions and the registering of equipment-evoked responses; in short, that all things physical are information-theoretic in origin and that this is a participatory universe.[89]
In developing the Participatory Anthropic Principle, an
From a transcript of a radio interview on "The Anthropic Universe":
Wheeler: We are participators in bringing into being not only the near and here but the far away and long ago. We are in this sense, participators in bringing about something of the universe in the distant past and if we have one explanation for what's happening in the distant past why should we need more? Martin Redfern: Many don't agree with John Wheeler, but if he's right then we and presumably other conscious observers throughout the universe, are the creators—or at least the minds that make the universe manifest.[91]
Opposition to parapsychology
In 1979, Wheeler spoke to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), asking it to expel parapsychology, which had been admitted ten years earlier at Margaret Mead's request. He called it a pseudoscience,[92] saying he did not oppose earnest research into the questions, but thought the "air of legitimacy" of being an AAAS affiliate should be reserved until convincing tests of at least a few so-called psi effects could be demonstrated.[93] In the question-and-answer period following his presentation "Not consciousness, but the distinction between the probe and the probed, as central to the elemental quantum act of observation", Wheeler incorrectly said that J. B. Rhine had committed fraud as a student, for which he apologized in a subsequent letter to the journal Science.[94] His request was turned down and the Parapsychological Association remained a member of the AAAS.[93]
Personal life
For 72 years, Wheeler was married to Janette Hegner, a teacher and social worker. They became engaged on their third date, but agreed to defer marriage until he returned from Europe. They were married on June 10, 1935, five days after his return.
Wheeler and Hegner were founding members of the Unitarian Church of Princeton, and she initiated the Friends of the Princeton Public Library.[97] In their later years, Hegner accompanied him on sabbaticals in France, Los Alamos, New Mexico, the Netherlands, and Japan.[97] Hegner died in October 2007 at the age of 96.[98][99]
Death and legacy
Wheeler won numerous prizes and awards, including the Golden Plate Award of the
On April 13, 2008, Wheeler died of pneumonia at the age of 96 in Hightstown, New Jersey.[1]
Bibliography
- Wheeler, John Archibald (1962). Geometrodynamics. New York: Academic Press. OCLC 1317194.
- Harrison, B. Kent; Kip S. Thorne; Masami Wakano; John Archibald Wheeler (1965). Gravitation Theory and Gravitational Collapse. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. LCCN 65017293.
- Misner, Charles W.; Kip S. Thorne; John Archibald Wheeler (September 1973). ISBN 0-7167-0344-0.
- Wheeler, John Archibald (1979). Some Men and Moments in the History of Nuclear Physics: The Interplay of Colleagues and Motivations. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. OCLC 6025422.
- Wheeler, John Archibald (1990). A Journey Into Gravity and Spacetime. Scientific American Library. New York: W.H. Freeman. ISBN 0-7167-6034-7.
- ISBN 0-7167-2327-1.
- Wheeler, John Archibald (1994). At Home in the Universe. New York: American Institute of Physics. ISBN 1-56396-500-3.
- ISBN 0-691-03323-4.
- Wheeler, John Archibald (1998). Geons, Black Holes, and Quantum Foam: A Life in Physics. New York: W.W. Norton & Co.
- ISBN 0-201-38423-X.
Notes
- ^ American astrophysicist and publisher Hong-Yee Chiu said he remembered a seminar in Princeton University perhaps as early as 1960, when the physicist Robert H. Dicke spoke about gravitationally collapsed objects as "like the Black Hole of Calcutta". According to science writer Marcia Bartusiak, the term had been used in 1963 at an astrophysics conference in Dallas.[73]
References
- ^ a b Overbye, Dennis (April 14, 2008). "John A. Wheeler, Physicist Who Coined the Term 'Black Hole', Is Dead at 96". The New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2008.
- ISBN 978-3-031-12985-8.
- ISBN 978-1-9848-1919-2
- ISBN 978-0-375-72626-2.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 64, 71.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 71–75.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 78–80.
- ^ Leonhart 1939, p. 287.
- ^ a b Wheeler & Ford 1998, p. 85.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, p. 97.
- ^ a b John Archibald Wheeler at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 105–107.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 123–127.
- .
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 151–152.
- ^ a b c Ford, Kenneth W. (February 4, 1994). "Interview with Dr. John Wheeler – Session VI". American Institute of Physics. Archived from the original on February 2, 2013.
- ^ a b c d MacPherson, Kitta (April 14, 2008). "Leading physicist John Wheeler dies at age 96". News at Princeton. Archived from the original on April 13, 2016.
- ^ a b Mehra & Rechenberg 1982, p. 990.
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- ^ Mehra & Rechenberg 1982, pp. 990–991.
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- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 27–28.
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- ^ a b Wheeler & Ford 1998, p. 31.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 117–118.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, p. 39.
- ^ a b Ford, Kenneth W. (February 14, 1994). "Interview with Dr. John Wheeler – Session VII". American Institute of Physics. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013.
- OSTI 4369066.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, p. 40.
- ^ Weinberg 1994, p. 14.
- ^ Weinberg 1994, pp. 27–30.
- ^ Jones 1985, p. 203.
- ^ a b Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 46–48.
- ^ Jones 1985, pp. 210–211.
- ^ Rhodes 1986, pp. 558–60.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, p. 56.
- ^ a b Wheeler & Ford 1998, p. 61.
- ^ Gefter, Amanda (January 16, 2014). "Haunted by His Brother, He Revolutionized Physics". Nautilus (9). Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, p. 75.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 161–162.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 171–177.
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- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 177–179.
- ^ "John A. Wheeler". John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, p. 183.
- ^ a b Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 188–189.
- ^ Rhodes 1995, pp. 416–417.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, p. 202.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 193–194.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, p. 196.
- ^ Rhodes 1995, pp. 457–464.
- ^ a b c Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 218–220.
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- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 224–225.
- ^ Ouellette, Jennifer (December 30, 2020). "That time physicist John Wheeler left classified H-bomb documents on a train". Ars Technica.
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- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 285–286.
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- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 236–237.
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- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, p. 248.
- ^ Hawking et al. 2003, pp. 80–88.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 239–241.
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- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, p. 296.
- ^ Siegfried, Tom (December 23, 2013). "50 years later, it's hard to say who named black holes". Science News. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
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- ^ a b c "Report of the Memorial Resolution Committee for John A. Wheeler (pdf file)". Retrieved April 7, 2021.
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- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 334–339.
- ^ Saunders 2010, p. 6.
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- ^ Misner 2010, p. 25.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 232–234.
- S2CID 121913638.
- ^ Misner 2010, p. 22.
- ^ Ford 2006, p. 2.
- ISBN 978-3-031-12985-8.
- Bibcode:2013arXiv1304.2277N.
- ^ Wheeler 1990, p. 5.
- ^ Gribbin, Gribbin & Gribbin 2000, pp. 270–271.
- ^ "The anthropic universe". Science Show. February 18, 2006.
- ^ Gardner 1981, pp. 185ff.
- ^ a b Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 342–343.
- S2CID 32053336.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 121–122.
- ^ Wheeler & Ford 1998, pp. 144–145.
- ^ a b "Obituaries". www.towntopics.com. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
- ^ "Princeton University – Leading physicist John Wheeler dies at age 96". www.princeton.edu. Archived from the original on January 12, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
- ^ Carlson, Michael (April 15, 2008). "Obituary: John Wheeler". the Guardian. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
- American Academy of Achievement.
Sources
- Ford, Kenneth (Winter 2006). "Update on John Archibald Wheeler" (PDF). Princeton Physics News. 2 (1). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 6, 2014.
- ISBN 0-87975-144-4.
- Gribbin, John; Gribbin, Mary; Gribbin, Jonathan (2000). Q is for Quantum: An Encyclopedia of Particle Physics. New York: Simon and Schuster. OCLC 43411619.
- OCLC 51324005.
- Jones, Vincent (1985). Manhattan: The Army and the Atomic Bomb (PDF). Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History. OCLC 10913875. Archived from the original(PDF) on October 7, 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
- Leonhart, James Chancellor (1939). One Hundred Years of the Baltimore City College. Baltimore: H. G. Roebuck & Son.
- OCLC 7944997.
- ISBN 978-90-481-3735-0.
- OCLC 13793436.
- OCLC 32509950.
- Saunders, Simon (2010). Many Worlds? Everett, Quantum Theory, and Reality. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-956056-1.
- Weinberg, Alvin (1994). The First Nuclear Era: The Life and Times of a Technological Fixer. New York: AIP Press. ISBN 1-56396-358-2.
- Wheeler, John A. (1990). "Information, physics, quantum: The search for links". In Zurek, Wojciech Hubert (ed.). Complexity, Entropy, and the Physics of Information. Redwood City, California: Addison-Wesley. OCLC 21482771.
- Wheeler, John Archibald; ISBN 0-393-04642-7.
External links
- 1965 Audio Interview with John Wheeler by Stephane Groueff, Voices of the Manhattan Project
- 1986 Audio Interview with John Wheeler by S. L. Sanger, Voices of the Manhattan Project
- A Collection of John Archibald Wheeler's Published and Unpublished Works
- Wheeler's Classic Delayed Choice Experiment
- Oral History interview transcript with John Archibald Wheeler 5 April 1967, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library and Archives at the Wayback Machine (archived October 1, 2013)
- Oral History interview transcript with John Archibald Wheeler 6 December 1993, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library and Archives at the Wayback Machine (archived December 10, 2014)
- Cosmic Search Vol. 1 No. 4, FORUM: John A. Wheeler
- John Wheeler telling his life story at Web of Stories
- Wheeler —Biographical stories Archived April 17, 2019, at the Wayback Machine
- John Archibald Wheeler: A Study of Mentoring in Modern Physics
- Kip S. Thorne, "John A. Wheeler", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences (2019)