My Life With the Physics Dream Team

[Dennis Edwall]

Interesting conversation with Freeman Dyson.

http://nautil.us/issue/43/heroes/my-life-with-the-physics-dream-team?utm_content=buffera756a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

 

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Dennis,

I listened to it. I knew nothing about Freeman Dyson before.

Now I'm in love with him.

I hope to be like that when I get to my 90's.

My favorite comment from the interview was about youth. He was asked why only younger people make major breakthroughs in theoretical physics and the interviewer made it a kind of leading question. The answer he wanted was that younger people have more supple minds or something like that.

Dyson said it was because younger people are more ignorant.  And it makes sense. Younger folks are not set in their ways and are not so committed to certain theories, so they can still think outside the box.

I'm going to get some books by this guy. I love the fact that he is pissing off the climate change folks.

 

Michael

[BaalChatzaf]

I had the pleasure of meeting  Mr. Dyson back in 2007.  He  recorded some of his book "Infinite in all directions"  at RFBD (recording for the blind and dyslexic) where I did (and still do ) volunteer work. I chatted with him briefly.  He looked very frail  but mentally he was razor sharp.   If Feynman had lived he would look like Dyson  (they were in the same age range). 

Dyson has some very tart comments  about the crop of climate  models  sponsored by the IPCC.  Please see  http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2151  His main point is that the climate modelers are not doing science.