Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek pays tribute to Mr. Wizard Don Herbert, who passed away this past June 2007. It is quite amazing to see how these figures can have a direct influence on a generation of kids to pursue science. The same thing happened with Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" TV show that had many kids going into astronomy.
So I wonder how much damage has "The Elegant Universe" TV show has done to kids into making them pursue String Theory?
OK, OK, I'll stop!
:)
Zz.
2 comments:
I laughed out loud at your poke against String Theory... :) Of course, I also have to admit that it was the Elegant Universe that got me re-intrigued by physics ... the first four chapters, anyways. Subsequently, I decided to change my major from Computer Science to Physics. I didn't get far enough in the book to get into the weird stuff... someday, I'll do it, if only to truly understand why your crack about it made me laugh so. :P (I have seen most of the Nova special, and I've read other critiques of the theory(ies)... just not "straight from the horse's mouth" yet.)
Oh and the other reason I'm commenting: your title surely must mean to be "Mr. Wizard"...
No, the title WAS meant to be "MY" Wizard, because that is what Frank Wilczek wrote as his title in that piece in Physics Today.
Zz.
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