How the Hippies Saved Physics - Democratic Underground

Celebration

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Fri Jul-01-11 04:19 PM
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How the Hippies Saved Physics

Edited on Fri Jul-01-11 04:20 PM by Celebration

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-06-hippie-days-countercultural-scientists-physics.html

Every Friday afternoon for several years in the 1970s, a group of underemployed quantum physicists met at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, in Northern California, to talk about a subject so peculiar it was rarely discussed in mainstream science: entanglement. Did subatomic particles influence each other from a distance? What were the implications?

Many of these scientists, who dubbed themselves the “Fundamental Fysiks Group,” were fascinated by the paranormal and thought quantum physics might reveal “the possibility of psycho-kinetic and telepathic effects,” as one put it. Some of the physicists cultivated flamboyant countercultural personas. In lieu of solid academic jobs, a few of them received funding from the leaders of the “human potential” movement that was a staple of 1970s self-help culture.

In short, the Fundamental Fysiks Group appeared to be just a bunch of eccentric, obscure physicists whiling away the Me Decade in the Berkeley Hills. But as MIT historian of science David Kaiser asserts in his new book, How the Hippies Saved Physics, published this month by W.W. Norton, the group’s members actually helped to steer physics in a new direction: They revived scientific interest in the puzzling foundations of quantum mechanics, provided new insights about entanglement, and laid the intellectual groundwork for the field of quantum information science, which today produces cutting-edge computing and encryption research.

“That’s a pretty good track record for a few years of zany, fun-loving, free-spirited and yet devoted research,” says Kaiser, head of MIT’s Program in Science, Technology, and Society, and a senior lecturer in the Department of Physics.

Most scientists now say we can't look to any broader ramifications from the mysteries of quantum physics. Yet, physics was "saved" by people who were doing just that. I might have to read the book!

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Ricochet21

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Fri Jul-01-11 04:53 PM
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1. The Hippies saved everything that was worth saving

and usually just get laughed at.

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japple

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Sat Jul-02-11 07:58 AM
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2. The hippies (and I count myself among their number) tried to

Edited on Sat Jul-02-11 08:00 AM by japple

save everything but were eventually driven underground and out of sight when the Reaganites gained control of the political and cultural message in this country. Now, the hippies' message of peace, love, and saving the planet may again be rising! Break out yer moth-eaten, tattered freak flag and fly it proudly!

Edit to add:

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Celebration

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Sat Jul-02-11 10:03 AM
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3. At heart

I am a hippie physicist. :)

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FirstLight

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Sat Jul-02-11 11:08 AM
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4. yeah baby!

I grew up in the berkeley hills, and Telegraph was my old stomping ground... granted, I came about 20 years after the original movement, but it was still a pretty great place to be in the 80's

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Ricochet21

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Sat Jul-02-11 12:23 PM
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5. righto Japple

Edited on Sat Jul-02-11 12:26 PM by Ricochet21

Go ahead on Mr. Businessman, walking down the street, you can't dress like me.

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japple

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Sat Jul-02-11 04:34 PM
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6. Beautiful photo, Rick. If it were legal, I'd be smokin' it for sure

and the hospital I work for could random-drug-test all they want. THAT is the only thing that keeps me from enjoying an occasional doobie! Jimi, I can enjoy any time, thanks to my MP3.

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