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    The Feynman Lectures On Physics - About The Authors

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    The Feynman Lectures On Physics - About The Authors

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    The Feynman Lectures On Physics - About The Authors

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    3/22/2017 TheFeynmanLecturesonPhysics:AbouttheAuthors

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    AbouttheAuthors

    RichardFeynman
    Bornin1918inNewYorkCity,RichardP.FeynmanreceivedhisPh.DfromPrincetonin1942.Despitehis
    youth,heplayedanimportantpartintheManhattanProjectatLosAlamosduringWorldWarII.Subsequently,
    hetaughtatCornellandattheCaliforniaInstituteofTechnology.In1965hereceivedtheNobelPrizein
    Physics,alongwithSinItiroTomonagaandJulianSchwinger,forhisworkinquantumelectrodynamics.

    Dr.FeynmanwonhisNobelPrizeforsuccessfullyresolvingproblemswiththetheoryofquantum
    electrodynamics.Healsocreatedamathematicaltheorythataccountsforthephenomenonofsuperfluidityin
    liquidhelium.Thereafter,withMurrayGellMann,hedidfundamentalworkintheareaofweakinteractions
    suchasbetadecay.InlateryearsFeynmanplayedakeyroleinthedevelopmentofquarktheorybyputting
    forwardhispartonmodelofhighenergyprotoncollisionprocesses.

    Beyondtheseachievements,Dr.Feynmanintroducedbasicnewcomputationaltechniquesandnotationsinto
    physicsaboveall,theubiquitousFeynmandiagramsthat,perhapsmorethananyotherformalisminrecent
    scientifichistory,havechangedthewayinwhichbasicphysicalprocessesareconceptualizedandcalculated.

    Feynmanwasaremarkablyeffectiveeducator.Ofallhisnumerousawards,hewasespeciallyproudofthe
    OerstedMedalforTeaching,whichhewonin1972.TheFeynmanLecturesonPhysics,originallypublishedin
    1963,weredescribedbyareviewerinScientificAmericanastough,butnourishingandfullofflavor.After25
    yearsitistheguideforteachersandforthebestofbeginningstudents.Inordertoincreasetheunderstandingof
    physicsamongthelaypublic,Dr.FeynmanwroteTheCharacterofPhysicalLawandQED:TheStrange
    TheoryofLightandMatter.Healsoauthoredanumberofadvancedpublicationsthathavebecomeclassic
    referencesandtextbooksforresearchersandstudents.

    RichardFeynmanwasaconstructivepublicman.HisworkontheChallengercommissioniswellknown,
    especiallyhisfamousdemonstrationofthesusceptibilityoftheOringstocold,anelegantexperimentwhich
    requirednothingmorethanaglassoficewaterandaCclamp.LesswellknownwereDr.Feynman'seffortson
    theCaliforniaStateCurriculumCommitteeinthe1960s,whereheprotestedthemediocrityoftextbooks.

    ArecitalofRichardFeynman'smyriadscientificandeducationalaccomplishmentscannotadequatelycapture
    theessenceoftheman.Asanyreaderofevenhismosttechnicalpublicationsknows,Feynman'slivelyand
    multisidedpersonalityshinesthroughallhiswork.Besidesbeingaphysicist,hewasatvarioustimesarepairer
    ofradios,apickeroflocks,anartist,adancer,abongoplayer,andevenadeciphererofMayanhieroglyphics.
    Perpetuallycuriousabouthisworld,hewasanexemplaryempiricist.

    RichardFeynmandiedonFebruary15,1988,inLosAngeles.

    http://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/I_89.html 1/3
    3/22/2017 TheFeynmanLecturesonPhysics:AbouttheAuthors

    RobertLeighton
    BorninDetroitin1919,RobertB.Leightondidgroundbreakingworkinsolidstatephysics,cosmicray
    physics,thebeginningsofmodernparticlephysics,solarphysics,planetaryphotography,infraredastronomy,
    andmillimeterandsubmillimeterwaveastronomyoverthecourseofhislife.Hewaswidelyknownforhis
    innovativedesignofscientificinstruments,andwasdeeplyadmiredasateacher,havingauthoredahighly
    influentialtext,PrinciplesofModernPhysics,beforejoiningtheteamdevelopingTheFeynmanLectureson
    Physics.

    Intheearly1950sLeightonplayedakeyroleinshowingthemuondecaysintotwoneutrinosandanelectron,
    andmadethefirstmeasurementoftheenergyspectrumofthedecayelectron.Hewasthefirsttoobservestrange
    particledecaysaftertheirinitialdiscovery,andelucidatedmanyofthepropertiesofthenewstrangeparticles.

    Inthemid1950sLeightondevisedDopplershiftandZeemaneffectsolarcameras.WiththeZeemancamera,
    Leightonandhisstudentsmappedthesun'smagneticfieldwithexcellentresolution,leadingtostriking
    discoveriesofafiveminuteoscillationinlocalsolarsurfacevelocitiesandofasupergranulationpattern,thus
    openinganewfield:solarseismology.Leightonalsodesignedandbuiltequipmenttomakeclearerimagesof
    theplanets,andopenedanothernewfield:adaptiveoptics.Hiswereconsideredthebestimagesoftheplanets
    untiltheeraofspaceexplorationwithprobesbeganinthe1960s.

    Intheearly1960s,Leightondevelopedanovel,inexpensiveinfraredtelescope,producingthefirstsurveyofthe
    skyat2.2microns,whichrevealedanunexpectedlylargenumberofobjectsinourgalaxytoocooltobeseen
    withthehumaneye.Duringthemid1960shewasTeamLeaderatJPLforImagingScienceInvestigationson
    theMariner4,6,and7missionstoMars.LeightonplayedakeyroleinthedevelopmentofJPL'sfirstdeep
    spacedigitaltelevisionsystem,andcontributedtoearlyeffortsatimageprocessingandenhancement
    techniques.

    Inthe1970s,Leighton'sinterestshiftedtothedevelopmentoflarge,inexpensivedishantennaethatcouldbe
    usedtopursuemillimeterwaveinterferometryandsubmillimeterwaveastronomy.Onceagain,hisremarkable
    experimentalabilitiesopenedanewfieldofscience,whichcontinuestobevigorouslypursuedattheOwens
    ValleyRadioObservatoryandtheAtacamaLargeMillimeter/submillimeterArray(ALMA)inChile.

    RobertLeightondiedonMarch9,1997,inPasadena,California.

    MatthewSands
    Bornin1919inOxford,Massachusetts,MatthewSandsreceivedhisBAfromClarkUniversityin1940andhis
    MAfromRiceUniversityin1941.DuringWorldWarIIheservedontheManhattanProjectatLosAlamos,
    workingonelectronicsandinstrumentation.AfterthewarSandshelpedfoundtheLosAlamosFederationof
    AtomicScientists,whichlobbiedagainstthefurtheruseofnuclearweapons.Duringthatperiodheearnedhis
    Ph.DatMITresearchingcosmicraysunderBrunoRossi.

    In1950SandswasrecruitedbyCaltechtobuildandoperateits1.5GeVelectronsynchrotron.Hewasthefirst
    toshow,theoreticallyandexperimentally,theimportanceofquantumeffectsinelectronaccelerators.

    From1960to1966,SandsservedontheCommissiononCollegePhysics,spearheadingreformsintheCaltech
    undergraduatephysicsprogramthatcreatedTheFeynmanLecturesonPhysics.Duringthattimehealsoserved
    asaconsultantonnuclearweaponsanddisarmamenttothePresidentsScienceAdvisoryCommittee,theArms
    ControlandDisarmamentAgency,andtheDepartmentofDefense.

    In1963SandsbecameDeputyDirectorforconstructionandoperationoftheStanfordLinearAccelerator
    (SLAC),wherehealsoworkedontheStanfordPositronElectronAsymmetricRings(SPEAR)3GeVcollider.

    http://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/I_89.html 2/3
    3/22/2017 TheFeynmanLecturesonPhysics:AbouttheAuthors

    From1969to1985SandswasaphysicsprofessoratUniversityofCalifornia,SantaCruz,servingasitsVice
    ChancellorforSciencefrom1969to1972.HereceivedaDistinguishedServiceAwardfromtheAmerican
    AssociationofPhysicsTeachersin1972.AsProfessorEmeritus,hecontinuedtobeactiveinparticleaccelerator
    researchuntil1994.In1998theAmericanPhysicalSocietyawardedSandstheRobertR.WilsonPrizeforhis
    manycontributionstoacceleratorphysicsandthedevelopmentofelectronpositronandprotoncolliders.

    InhisretirementSandsmentoredlocalelementaryandhighschoolscienceteachersinSantaCruz,helpingthem
    setupcomputerandlaboratoryactivitiesfortheirstudents.HealsosupervisedtheeditingofFeynmansTipson
    Physics,towhichhecontributedamemoirdescribingthecreationofTheFeynmanLecturesonPhysics.

    MatthewSandsdiedonSeptember13,2014,inSantaCruz,California.

    Copyright1963,2006,2013bytheCaliforniaInstituteofTechnology,
    MichaelA.Gottlieb,andRudolfPfeiffer

    http://www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu/I_89.html 3/3

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