John Archibald Wheeler
Published on Apr 14, 2008 at 12:40 pm.
3 Comments.
Filed under astronomers.
Recently, in my stellar astronomy class, we discussed black holes. The term “black hole” was coined by John Archibald Wheeler in 1967 while trying to explain the object of an ultimate gravitational collapse. The term, as I understand it, was not meant to be an official name for the phenomenon, but it stuck nonetheless. So, now we call these bodies black holes. Given his work on black holes and general relativity, astronomers often claim Wheeler as an astrophysicist. Theoretical physicists claim him as one of their own.
John Archibald Wheeler died of pneumonia yesterday in Heightstown, New Jersey, according to a report from the New York Times (also the source of the image above). Wheeler was a major name in theoretical astrophysics. He won numerous prizes and awards, but never the Nobel Prize (though one can argue that his work was of sufficient caliber to warrant that, too). His graduate students include other major names in physics, such as Richard Feynman, Charles Misner, and Kip Thorne. Wheeler also worked on a paper with the famous Niels Bohr. His name is also associated with many other famous physicists and astrophysicists. In World War II, Wheeler worked to help develop the atomic bomb.
I heard Wheeler speak once, and he was a wonderful speaker. From what I understand, he was also a spectacular professor. Even after achieving fame and being able to pick what classes he would be able to teach, he still chose to teach introductory physics from time to time. He felt that it was important to share his excitement and insight with people who were only just becoming familiar with the field. All too often teaching introductory courses is considered drudgery among the most successful people in their field. Wheeler, though, was one of those who felt differently. Over the years, I have had the privilege to meet several top scientists who shared Wheeler’s view that top scientists should be teaching introductory courses. In fact, it was his knack with taking complex topics and breaking them down to simple terms that led to his coining the term “black hole” as a way to describe a very complicated thing. In 1973, Misner, Thorne, and Wheeler published the book Gravitation. This book, though now a quarter century old, is still a major work in the field. As you can imagine, it is very difficult reading and is not something intended for the layman.
Though Wheeler has been retired for a number of years, I always hate to hear of the passing of someone so great in the field. He will be missed.
-Astroprof
Ken on April 15, 2008 at 5:31 pm: 1
I met professor Wheeler once when I was a grad student, attending a week-long seminar. I once heard him described as ‘a gentleman wrapped inside a gentleman.’ Nothing could be a truer statement. We chatted a couple of times and he was kind enough to sign my copy of Gravitation. We have lost one of the ‘grand old men’ of science.
Burzycki.org - Tech and Interesting Facts on April 20, 2008 at 12:28 pm: 2
[…] Ethan Siegel explains the practical uses for his research. Astroprof recalls famed astronomer John Archibald Wheeler; the man who coined the term “black hole” passed away this week. Bad Astronomer Phil Plait […]
Norman K. Glendenning on April 22, 2008 at 4:00 pm: 3
Wheeler coined the name but did not conceive the notion. In modern times that was done in the framework of General Relativity by J. R. Oppenheimer and a student of his H. Snyder. (see Physical Review vol 56 Sept 1, 1939)
Before relativity, by classical argument, John Mitchell, 1783 in Proc of Royal Society, Vol LXXIV pp 25-92
dimensionally, the latter had to work
aside from a numerical factor, which turned out to be correct also.