One Hundred Reasons to be a Scientist Copyright © 2004 by the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) Conditions of use: All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission or without the acknowledgment of the source. A single copy can be saved or printed for personal use only. The copyright notice and disclaimer must not be removed from the document. the united nations abdus salam educational, scientific and cultural organization international centre for theoretical physics international atomic energy agency O NE H UNDRED In this collection of about 100 highly readable essays, some of the most eminent physicists and mathematicians with some R connection to ICTP tell us about what EASONS TO BE A attracted them to science as youngsters and kept it alive, and what main piece of knowledge they have added to the ONE HUNDRED REASONS extraordinary lore of science. High school students and young college students, for whom the collection is primarily meant,will benefit from spending some time with the TO BE A SCIENTIST book. Even the most seasoned researcher will find it interesting. S CIENTIST - from the preface copyright © ICTP TRIESTE 2004 ITALY ONE HUNDRED REASONS TO BE A SCIENTIST copyright © ICTP ONE HUNDRED REASONS TO BE A SCIENTIST - First edition Copyright © 2004 by The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) ICTP has the irrevocable and indefinite authorization to reproduce and disseminate this publication, in printed and/or computer readable form. ISBN 92-95003-29-2 Printed in Trieste by The ICTP Publications & Printing Section copyright © ICTP One Hundred Reasons to be a Scientist PREFACE Katepalli R. Sreenivasan The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste A paradox of our times is that, while our societies have come to depend on technological advances as never before, the interest in basic sciences is diminishing at all levels. Particularly distressing is the lukewarm interest shown towards sciences by the brightest students at the high school level. This state of affairs holds true, to the lowest order, in developed as well as developing nations, and deserves our collective attention. The International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) at Trieste, now named after its founding director, Abdus Salam, has been at the forefront of disseminating scientific knowledge to all segments of scientists. Taking as the occasion the 40th anniversary of our Centre, we thought it to be valuable to produce this book containing a number of brief and personal accounts by some of the most eminent scientists of our time, of what it was about science that captured their imagination as youngsters and kept it alive, and what ICTP Photo Archives, © Massimo Silvano main piece of knowledge they have added to the extraordinary lore of science. What message do they have for the budding scientists? In choosing the writers, I have kept in mind high standards of scientific accomplishment and their connection to the Centre in some fashion. Slightly fewer than a hundred authors graciously honoured the invitation to contribute, and I am pleased to place before you the result of the effort. The emphasis is different in each article but the authors have all made efforts to be accessible without demanding any special knowledge or expertise on the part of the reader. Many authors speak from their heart and distil their experience directly. I have no hesitation in saying that these pieces reflect the seriousness with which the contributors took our missive and the affection with which they hold our Centre and its mission. I cannot imagine that they would be sufficiently motivated otherwise to take the time and make the effort needed for the task. I am grateful. I hope that the readers will find these essays at least as inspirational as I have; I would have been pleased if I had the opportunity of exposing myself to similar articles as a young student. It is my belief that high school students and young college students, for whom the collection is primarily meant, will benefit as intended from spending some time with the book. Even the most seasoned researcher will find it interesting. the abduscopyright salam international centre for theoretical physics © ICTP1 One Hundred Reasons to be a Scientist This seemingly straightforward task needed some work on our end as well. Without the diligent efforts of Mrs. A. Gatti, it would have been very hard to translate the concept into reality. Mr. E. Fratnik of the ICTP library lent his invaluable technical expertise and time. The concept itself arose in a conversation with Professor C.N.R. Rao. To them all, I am very thankful. ICTP is a self-governing body organized under a tripartite agreement, among the Government of Italy, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 2 copyrightthe abdus salam international © centre for theoreticalICTP physics One Hundred Reasons to be a Scientist CONTENTS Preface ............................................................................................................ 1 Contributors ................................................................................................. 11 Science and Scientists in Developing Countries ........................................ 29 Abdus Salam My Life in Science ....................................................................................... 32 Andreas Acrivos From Elements of Radio to Elementary Particle Physics ........................ 35 Stephen L. Adler African Physicist, World Citizen ................................................................ 38 Francis K.A. Allotey RNA and the Origin of Life ........................................................................ 41 Sydney Altman Mathematics: Imaginative Leaps across Disciplines ................................ 42 Michael F. Atiyah Science of the XXI Century ........................................................................ 44 Grigory I. Barenblatt Living with Physics ...................................................................................... 47 Michael Berry Why I Became a Physicist ........................................................................... 50 Nicolaas Bloembergen A Duty to Improve Public Understanding of Science .............................. 52 Edoardo Boncinelli Sixty-Odd Years of Fluid Dynamics .......................................................... 54 Peter Bradshaw the abduscopyright salam international centre for theoretical physics © ICTP3 One Hundred Reasons to be a Scientist Electricity Was Not Invented by Trying to Make Better Candles .......... 56 Edouard Brézin A Life of Literature, Science, Engineering, Business and Public Policy 58 D. Allan Bromley It would be Wonderful to Prove Something ............................................. 61 Lennart A. E. Carleson Adventure with Cold Atoms ....................................................................... 64 Claude Cohen-Tannoudji Potential Scientists are Born Every Minute .............................................. 66 James W. Cronin How I Became a Scientist ............................................................................ 68 Paul J. Crutzen The Making of an Academic Economist ................................................... 70 Partha Dasgupta To be a Scientist ........................................................................................... 74 Christian de Duve A Random Walk in Physics ........................................................................ 76 Pierre-Gilles de Gennes Kindling and Sustaining Interest in Physics ............................................. 78 Mildred S. Dresselhaus Playing with Numbers ................................................................................. 81 Freeman J. Dyson A Life in Science .......................................................................................... 84 Sam Edwards How Did I Get from Here to There? ......................................................... 86 John B. Fenn 4 copyrightthe abdus salam international © centre for theoreticalICTP physics One Hundred Reasons to be a Scientist Supernova and Supergravity ...................................................................... 90 Daniel Z. Freedman Education, Science and Chance .................................................................. 94 Vitaly L. Ginzburg Listen to Your Inner Voice ......................................................................... 97 Maurice Goldhaber The Delights of String Theory .................................................................... 98 Michael B. Green Measuring Consciousness ......................................................................... 101 Susan Greenfield Some Personal Reflections on Being a Mathematician .......................... 103 Phillip A. Griffiths More and More Number Theory in Topology ........................................ 105 Friedrich E.P. Hirzebruch Growing up in ‘Science’ ............................................................................ 108 John J. Hopfield A Life of Science and Some Politics ......................................................... 111 Julian C.R. Hunt Talent may not Always be Evident Early ................................................ 114 Daniel D. Joseph Scientific Truth .......................................................................................... 118 Leo P. Kadanoff