Paul Dirac: The Quiet Genius Died 30 Years Ago
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Paul Dirac: The Quiet Genius Died 30 Years Ago
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Re: Paul Dirac: The Quiet Genius Died 30 Years Ago
#2There is a great talk on Dirac by Graham Farmelo on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfYon2WdR40
Re: Paul Dirac: The Quiet Genius Died 30 Years Ago
#3There is a great talk on Dirac by Graham Farmelo on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfYon2WdR40
Graham Farmelo also wrote The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom [0] which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It's not very technical, which is sometimes a nice attribute in these sorts of biographies, but it covers the science as it develops, if a little too briefly.
[0] http://www.amazon.com/The-Strangest-Man-Hidden-Mystic/dp/046...
Re: Paul Dirac: The Quiet Genius Died 30 Years Ago
#4One of my favorite references to him is a recommendation[1] written by Oppenheimer about Feynman. The line was: "He's a second Dirac, only this time human."
Edit: to be fair Oppenheimer was quoting Wigner... Dirac went on to marry Wigner's sister.
[1] http://www.lettersofnote.com/2009/12/he-is-second-dirac-only...
Re: Paul Dirac: The Quiet Genius Died 30 Years Ago
#5There is a great talk on Dirac by Graham Farmelo on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfYon2WdR40
And actual physics talks by Dirac himself on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwYs8tTLZ24
The VHS wonkiness sort of adds to the otherworldly aspect.
Re: Paul Dirac: The Quiet Genius Died 30 Years Ago
#6"Paul Dirac apparently had a reserved and taciturn nature. There are numerous accounts how he didn’t mind remaining silent in company. And if asked a question, his answer would be short and nothing but the literal truth – sometimes the asker had to wait up to thirty minutes for it."
This is what completes genius.
Re: Paul Dirac: The Quiet Genius Died 30 Years Ago
#7"Paul Dirac apparently had a reserved and taciturn nature. There are numerous accounts how he didn’t mind remaining silent in company. And if asked a question, his answer would be short and nothing but the literal truth – sometimes the asker had to wait up to thirty minutes for it." This is what completes genius.
>>This is what completes genius.
Not it doesn't. People are different. Some more different than others. Frankly, it sounds like an autistic person is being described.
Re: Paul Dirac: The Quiet Genius Died 30 Years Ago
#8One of my favorite references to him is a recommendation[1] written by Oppenheimer about Feynman. The line was: "He's a second Dirac, only this time human." Edit: to be fair Oppenheimer was quoting Wigner... Dirac went on to marry Wigner's sister. [1] http://www.lettersofnote.com/2009/12/he-is-second-dirac-only...
Dirac once introduced his wife by saying, "Allow me to present Wigner's sister, who is now my wife."
Re: Paul Dirac: The Quiet Genius Died 30 Years Ago
#9There is a great talk on Dirac by Graham Farmelo on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfYon2WdR40
Graham Farmelo also wrote The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom [0] which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It's not very technical, which is sometimes a nice attribute in these sorts of biographies, but it covers the science as it develops, if a little too briefly. [0] http://www.amazon.com/The-Strangest-Man-Hidden-Mystic/dp/046...
> covers the science as it develops, if a little too briefly.
Most biographies of scientists focus on their character and personal life rather their work.
There are very few technical biographies, even of highly technical people. Readers won't understand the work of the scientist any better after reading through one of them.
Quantum Man[0] by Lawrence Krauss specifically aims to be a solution to this regarding Richard Feynman. And even in this case the exposition needs to be so terse that only the highly technical reader will fully understand most aspects of Feynman's work in the correct context.
Do you know of any biography of Dirac that edges on "if a little too technical"? I would love to read that.
[0] http://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Man-Richard-Feynmans-Discoveri...
Re: Paul Dirac: The Quiet Genius Died 30 Years Ago
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
Graham Farmelo also wrote The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom [0] which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It's not very technical, which is sometimes a nice attribute in these sorts of biographies, but it covers the science as it develops, if a little too briefly. [0] http://www.amazon.com/The-Strangest-Man-Hidden-Mystic/dp/046...
> covers the science as it develops, if a little too briefly. Most biographies of scientists focus on their character and personal life rather their work. There are very few technical biographies, even of highly technical people. Readers won't understand the work of the scientist any better after reading through one of them. Quantum Man[0] by Lawrence Krauss specifically aims to be a solution to this regarding Richar…
A very good resource are Thomas Kuhn's interviews with Dirac [1]. He talked about his childhood (they barely spoke anything at home, because they had to talk in French...), his university studies and his findings. It is quite long but worth it!