I don't think I was supposed to receive this email, but I did--so
I'll add my support for Freeman Dyson to speak at Tufts.
I know Freeman well, even to the point of having had dinner/lunch
at each others' houses a number of times (the last being, at our home in
Concord, when we struggled to reassemble a model of DNA that had broken,
knowing that Swiss biologist Werner Arber was also coming to dinner,
only to realize when he arrived that Werner had won the Nobel for
discovering the enzyme that breaks down DNA--so we left the model broken!).
Some years ago, the Wright Center hosted a meeting (actually held
at the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in Cambridge) in which
Freeman spoke. His paper, on "Tolstoy, Napoleon and Gompers," was an
original, offbeat piece and is published in "The 13th Labor: Improving
Science Education," which I co-edited. I saw him more recently at
Windsor Castle, where Martin Rees had gathered a small group to discuss
maverick ideas in physics and astronomy--and he did not disappoint!
Indeed, Freeman is bit of a maverick--even to the point nowadays of
having become a Skeptic re global warming (see last year's NewYorker
article)--but his talks are always original, provocative, and well
delivered.
I regard Freeman as perhaps the greatest living physicist not to
have won a Nobel--as you all know he was the 4th man out, after Feynman,
Schwinger and Tomonaga. But I would hope that Larry wouldn't introduce
him that way!
All best for now,
Eric
Eric Chaisson's coordinates:
paper: Wright Center, 4 Colby St., Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155
telephone: 617-627-5393 (direct); ...5394 (alternate); fax: 617-627-3995
email: eric chaisson tufts edu <mailto:eric chaisson tufts edu>
chaisson fas harvard edu <mailto:chaisson fas harvard edu>
web:
(center page) http://www.tufts.edu/as/wright_center
(personal pg) http://www.tufts.edu/as/wright_center/eric/ericpage.html
(textbook pg) http://www.prenhall.com/chaisson
(course page) http://www.tufts.edu/as/wright_center/cosmic_evolution
Gary R. Goldstein wrote:
Bill, Of course we want Dyson to give a lecture here. He is one of the
most outstanding theorists of the post-war years and someone who has
written many interesting and provocative books and articles.
Cheers,
Gary
Prof. Gary R. Goldstein
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Tufts University Medford, MA 02155
telephone:617-627-3591 office
617-627-3878 fax
email: gary goldstein tufts edu
website: http://www.tufts.edu/~ggoldste
Quoting Leon Gunther <l gunther tufts edu>:
Bill - Freeman Dyson is a brilliant physicist who is bound to give an
interesting talk, even if you don't agree with him.
And, I have seen him give a very interesting talk at MIT just a few
years ago - so he still has a cogent mind.
Leon
On Aug 12, 2009, at 3:02 PM, William P. Oliver wrote:
Are there any comments?
Best regards,
Bill
----- Forwarded message from bacow tufts edu -----
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:12:09 -0400
From: "Bacow, Lawrence S" <bacow tufts edu>
Reply-To: "Bacow, Lawrence S" <bacow tufts edu>
Subject: Freeman Dyson
To: "William P. Oliver" <william oliver tufts edu>
Bill,
I am thinking of inviting Freeman Dyson to give a Snyder Lecturer. I
assume you and your colleagues would be supportive of inviting him to
Tufts?
Larry
--
Lawrence S. Bacow
President
Tufts University
Ballou Hall
Medford, MA 02155
617-627-3300
----- End forwarded message -----
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617-627-5361
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