Back when I was studying Physics at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (they have since simplified the name), I took more than one class led by Albert Petschek. The school’s physics program was well-respected back then, in part because more than one McCarthy refugee found their way to the faculty.
Albert, it seemed to me, spent most of his time in his barren little office with the lights turned off, just thinking. Then he would publish a paper. That is obviously an oversimplification, but there is no denying that Albert was a really smart guy.
Early on I noticed that during his lectures, he would pause sometimes, maybe after describing the math of heat flux, and scan the class while holding an inscrutable face.
Then one time, perhaps in my junior year, he paused and I laughed. I was the only one, and Albert beamed at me. I had got his joke. This whole time the dude had been doing stand-up, but you needed to understand thermodynamics or quantum electrodynamics to get the joke.
Later I heard him say, “My brother is the smart one, but I am the witty one.” He said it with a smile, like that itself was a joke.
Apparently we both resided in Los Alamos after I graduated and he left NMIMT. Not sure what I would have done if he had come into Tony’s Pizza.
What a nice thing to remember, Jerry. -Aunt Marie
I took quantum mechanics my freshman year at Tech from Petschek. A little unprepared, I was happy to get a C. That was spring 1977. I graduated with a BS in math in 79, then a MS in math in 82 and then went to physics grad school at various places.
At that time in 1977 he mentioned a puzzle people were working on at the time, the origin of the SU(3)xSU(2)xU(1) symmetry of the Standard Model. I thought “cool, I can whip this out in a year, maybe two” and have been working on it ever since, sometimes as a grad student but mostly as an amateur (engineer).
You mentioned escape from McCarthy. The most apt one I recall that this would apply to was Ross Lomanitz.
Cooling your tea proceeds at less than the speed of light because the cooling process is mediated by photons. If temperatures get above the mass of massive bosons you can cool other ways but are still limited by the speed of light. This ignores inflation which might apply at really high temperatures.
I deeply regret not combing the comments waiting for moderation more often. And yeah, Lomanitz was boned.
Jerry, my bandmate and physics mate, I never knew what was going on, likely due to facebook’s algorithms. I wish we could chat again.
I have departed active Facebook, while allowing them to inform my legion followers (legion=7) of my new thoughts as reflected here.
Jesus, I thought you were dead! Also, Jerry.
I miss you too, man.