Who is Hans Bethe and What Were His Accomplishments?

  • Context: News 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Simfish
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Rip
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the life and accomplishments of physicist Hans Bethe, touching on his contributions to the Manhattan Project, his Nobel Prize-winning work on stellar fusion, and his legacy. Participants share personal reflections and anecdotes about Bethe, as well as engage in a debate about the nature of their sentiments regarding his passing.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants highlight Bethe's significant contributions to physics, including his work on the Manhattan Project and his Nobel Prize for explaining stellar fusion.
  • Others mention his background as an immigrant from Nazi Germany and his collaborations with notable physicists like Richard Feynman.
  • A participant recalls Bethe's likable personality as depicted in literature, though the specific source is uncertain.
  • There is a contention regarding the sincerity of expressions of loss, with some participants questioning the authenticity of others' feelings about Bethe's death.
  • One participant shares their experience of watching a video interview with Feynman that references Bethe, indicating their awareness of Bethe's status prior to his passing.
  • Another participant expresses admiration for Bethe's longevity and continued engagement in academia into his 90s.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on Bethe's impressive accomplishments and contributions to physics, but there is disagreement regarding the emotional responses to his death, with some questioning the authenticity of others' claims of loss.

Contextual Notes

Some statements reflect personal opinions and emotional responses rather than established facts about Bethe's life and work. The discussion includes varying levels of familiarity with Bethe's contributions and differing interpretations of participants' sentiments.

Simfish
Gold Member
Messages
811
Reaction score
2
Great physicist who worked in the Manhattan project and won a Nobel Prize for his explanations of stellar fusion. Alas, but he is no more.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Yes,a brilliant man.An american immigrant from the Nazi Germany,a brilliant theorist which worked with R.P.Feynman and had contributions to the foundations of QED.

As i side note,he set he record for longevity among Nobel Prize awarded physicists.

Daniel.
 
He came across as a really likable guy in some book I read, either "Genius" or "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman" can't remember which was which.
 
Simfishy said:
Great physicist who worked in the Manhattan project and won a Nobel Prize for his explanations of stellar fusion. Alas, but he is no more.

:frown: :cry: :frown:

He will be missed.
 
franznietzsche said:
:frown: :cry: :frown:

He will be missed.
lol, no he won't. you didn't even know he was still alive a few days ago and you know it.
 
tribdog said:
lol, no he won't. you didn't even know he was still alive a few days ago and you know it.
actually, yes i did.
 
I don't believe you. I believe you knew that he hadn't died, just because you hadn't heard that he died. you didn't think about him though. If he would have died 40 years ago you would have felt the same way now as you do.
 
tribdog said:
If he would have died 40 years ago you would have felt the same way now as you do.


That changes anything I've said how?
 
because all of a sudden you say he will be missed.
DAMMIT don't make me explain myself when you know the point I'm trying to make.

I need a cigarette and I'm grumpy. How many days has it been?
 
  • #10
tribdog said:
because all of a sudden you say he will be missed.
DAMMIT don't make me explain myself when you know the point I'm trying to make.

I need a cigarette and I'm grumpy. How many days has it been?


I could send you my special album, that'd fix your craving :biggrin:
 
  • #11
damn!

Well at least he had a long and accomplished life. According to CNN he had good health even in his 90s (or at least stayed with it by the sounds of things).

I did know he was alive still (and in his late 90s). How? I watch a video interview with Feynman from 1981 (forget the name, think its "Pleasure of Finding Things Out" by Horizon). I pull this out and watch it every three months for entertainment when I'm drunk and have nothing to do :P Anyhow I just pulled it out last week. In it, he referred to Bethe. I googled the name and found:

http://bethe.cornell.edu and watched some videos of him lecture (from 1999)... and I couldn't find anything regarding him as dead on google at that point in time heh.
 
Last edited:
  • #12
He held a lecture at 93...?That's outstanding...:approve:

Daniel.
 
  • #13
tribdog said:
lol, no he won't. you didn't even know he was still alive a few days ago and you know it.

:smile: :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile:

at least you are honest tribdog

marlon
 

Similar threads

RIP Nobel Laureate Philip Warren Anderson
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
1K
News Gerard't Hooft Interview
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Graduate RIP Tsung-Dao Lee (1926-2024), Nobel 1957
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Graduate RIP Chen Ning Yang (1922-2025)
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Graduate RIP Rainer Weiss (1932-2025)
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
915
News Who was Deborah Jin and why is her passing a loss for physics?
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
6K
News RIP David Pines: Physics Giant Who Could Have Won Nobel Prize
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Undergrad C.N. Yang dies at age 103
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Undergrad Who was James Cronin and what were his contributions to physics?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
Graduate What did Hans Bethe think of von Neumann's quantum logic?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K