This man was a hugely underrated physicist, most likely because of his t.v. celebrity status through his show "Why Is It So?". However, he single-handedly promoted physics to the general public more than any other person since Eienstein (whom he met in person). With his simple experiments, he made us think for ourselves, and his comic relief assistant always made the show entertaining.
This is, as the name suggests, his autobiography, completed in part by his wife Alice after his death in 1987. H
This man was a hugely underrated physicist, most likely because of his t.v. celebrity status through his show "Why Is It So?". However, he single-handedly promoted physics to the general public more than any other person since Eienstein (whom he met in person). With his simple experiments, he made us think for ourselves, and his comic relief assistant always made the show entertaining.
This is, as the name suggests, his autobiography, completed in part by his wife Alice after his death in 1987. He was born with an insatiable curiosity, and read his hometown library dry. Later, he was to use his own money to "improve" the library's range of books.
I identify with many of his characteristics; his unending curiosity, his obsession with finding out why things worked as they did, his obsession with reading, his love of correct grammar, his hatred of human wastefullness and his love of horseradish of all things. We also shared a love of Australia, my home country. He came here many times, most likely because of his great friendship with Australian physicist Prof. Harry Messel. I was priveleged enough to see him address the School of Physics here at Queensland University where they would set a challenge for him on each of his visits, usually a very complex mathematical equation describing some law of physics - but there was no answer. He took a short look at the equation which filled an entire blackboard, made a few grunts, and "Hmmms", and calmly wrote in the answer faster than anyone expected. A genius, not just a celebrity.
He was ahead of his time with this quote, "Boys and girls are emerging from every level of school with certificates and degrees, but they can't read, write or calculate. We don't have academic honesty or intellectual rigor. Schools have abandoned integrity and rigor." How true, and even more so today.
If you can find this book, get it, read it, keep it and read it again.
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I have not read this book. At this time (July 2013) there appears to be copies available from Australia for 128 dollars US, a bit steep for my taste.
I do remember seeing Professor Julius Sumner Miller on american television on the Steve Allen show in the early 1960s. His snappy pace, gritty voice, constant sense of wonderment and really, really showbiz physical science so well suited to the medium of television inspired me to think just great things about Nature and how the world of science coul
I have not read this book. At this time (July 2013) there appears to be copies available from Australia for 128 dollars US, a bit steep for my taste.
I do remember seeing Professor Julius Sumner Miller on american television on the Steve Allen show in the early 1960s. His snappy pace, gritty voice, constant sense of wonderment and really, really showbiz physical science so well suited to the medium of television inspired me to think just great things about Nature and how the world of science could help us all understand it all.
If his prose is as exciting as his presentations it should be a great read. I am going to see if I can get an interlibrary loan or something like that.
It is worthwhile to search Google or YouTube for some of his videos. He's "Bill Nye, the Science Guy" or "Watch Mr.Wizard" with a bit if an attitude. His sense of wonderment is contagious.
His almost constant comment,"Why is it so?" flowed throughout his demonstrations. I think that it has become a tee shirt in Australia.
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