- #1
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I "met" a physics Nobel Prize winner yesterday
- Thread starter jtbell
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Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around a personal encounter with a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, specifically Charles Townes, and includes reflections on past experiences with notable figures in physics and other fields. The scope is primarily anecdotal and biographical, with some participants sharing their memories and connections to the physicist.
Discussion Character
- Anecdotal sharing
- Meta-discussion
Main Points Raised
- One participant shares a personal encounter with a Nobel Prize winner in downtown Greenville, SC.
- Another participant speculates about the identity of the physicist based on initials and past colloquium experiences at UCLA.
- A different participant confirms the identity as Charles Townes and recounts a story about his experience with Townes and a lecture he gave at their college.
- One participant reflects on the ease of finding information about Townes due to his notable achievements and local ties.
- Another participant humorously contrasts their experiences meeting Disney Legends with their encounters with Nobel Laureates, noting the lack of photographs with the latter.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants generally agree on the identity of the physicist being Charles Townes, but there are varying personal anecdotes and reflections that do not lead to a consensus on the significance of their encounters.
Contextual Notes
Some statements rely on personal memories and may not be verifiable, such as the specific events at colloquiums or the details of encounters with Townes and Dirac.
Who May Find This Useful
Readers interested in personal anecdotes about notable physicists, the history of physics, or the cultural impact of Nobel Laureates may find this discussion engaging.
- #2
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I had to google this one, but I still am unsure. If his initials are C.T., I think he spoke at one of our Thursday afternoon colloquiums around 1980 at UCLA. I'm not real good with faces, so I can't tell from the statue. On the other hand, we also saw P.A.M. Dirac speak at one of our Thursday colloquiums during the same period, and I can always tell his face when I see a picture of him.
- #3
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Yep! It's Charles Townes, the Greenville native who got his physics B.S. in his home town, at Furman University. I never got to meet him in the flesh, although I did meet Dirac once when I was in grad school at Michigan. He visited there in 1975 to give a lecture about how he came up with the Dirac equation fifty years earlier.
Townes once gave a lecture at the college where I taught for many years. This was before I arrived there, but I heard the story from my department chairman. He stayed at one of the hotels out by the Interstate exit, and decided to walk around a bit. He strayed onto the grounds of a facility that belonged to a big textile company. A couple of its security guards stopped him for questioning. Maybe they thought he might be a spy from one of their competitors! They were a bit embarrassed when they realized, after a call to the college to check up on his story, that they had a Nobel Prize winner on their hands.
Townes once gave a lecture at the college where I taught for many years. This was before I arrived there, but I heard the story from my department chairman. He stayed at one of the hotels out by the Interstate exit, and decided to walk around a bit. He strayed onto the grounds of a facility that belonged to a big textile company. A couple of its security guards stopped him for questioning. Maybe they thought he might be a spy from one of their competitors! They were a bit embarrassed when they realized, after a call to the college to check up on his story, that they had a Nobel Prize winner on their hands.
- #4
Borek
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Made me think about good old times of the landmark quiz. Knowing the city and that he received the Nobel prize, answer was just a quick google away 
- #5
StatGuy2000
Education Advisor
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Since the statue was in Greenville, SC, I immediately knew the statue had to be that of Charles Townes (I had read in his biographical entry on the Nobel Prize website that he was born in that city).
- #6
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It's funny that I have met 5 Disney Legends, and I have pictures with all of them. But on the other hand, I've met and chatted with 4 Physics Nobel Laureates (even sat next to one on a Southwest flight) and don't have a single picture with them!
I love my priorities!
Zz.
I love my priorities!
Zz.
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