Discover
/
Article

Philip Morrison—a profile

AUG 01, 1982
Valued for his scientific contributions to the Manhattan Project, to theoretical physics and to astrophysics, he has also contributed to the public understanding of science and has been one of the most thoughtful advocates of arms control.
Anne Eisenberg

When Philip Morrison, Institute Professor at MIT, came to the Polytechnic Institute of New York recently to give the Sigma Xi lecture, a diverse group attended. The group included physicists, chemists, engineers; people who admired Morrison for his sustained fight against red‐baiting in the 1950s (in 1953 a national newsletter called him “the man with one of the most incriminating pro‐Communist records in the entire academic world”); and people in the humanities who had enjoyed his book reviews, films, articles and textbooks. The diversity of the audience reflected the diversity of Morrison’s career.

This article is only available in PDF format

References

  1. 1. A. K. Smith, A Peril and a Hope: The Scientists’ Movement in America, 1945–47, U. of Chicago P., Chicago (1965).

  2. 2. F. Dyson, Disturbing the Universe, Harper & Row, New York (1979).

  3. 3. D. Lang, From Hiroshima to the Moon: Chronicles of Life in the Atomic Age, Simon & Schuster, New York (1959).

  4. 4. P. Morrison, Scientific American 213, September 1965, page 257.

  5. 5. “Counterattack: Facts to Combat Communism,” 6 March 1953, American Business Consultants, Inc., 55 West 42 Street, New York.

  6. 6. C. R. Darwin, Autobiography of Charles Darwin, 1809–1882, Norton, New York (1969).

More about the Authors

Anne Eisenberg. Polytechnic Institute of New York, Brooklyn.

Related content
/
Article
Figuring out how to communicate with the public can be overwhelming. Here’s some advice for getting started.
/
Article
Amid growing investment in planetary-scale climate intervention strategies that alter sunlight reflection, global communities deserve inclusive and accountable oversight of research.
/
Article
Although motivated by the fundamental exploration of the weirdness of the quantum world, the prizewinning experiments have led to a promising branch of quantum computing technology.
/
Article
As conventional lithium-ion battery technology approaches its theoretical limits, researchers are studying alternative architectures with solid electrolytes.
This Content Appeared In
pt-cover_1982_08.jpeg

Volume 35, Number 8

Get PT in your inbox

pt_newsletter_card_blue.png
PT The Week in Physics

A collection of PT's content from the previous week delivered every Monday.

pt_newsletter_card_darkblue.png
PT New Issue Alert

Be notified about the new issue with links to highlights and the full TOC.

pt_newsletter_card_pink.png
PT Webinars & White Papers

The latest webinars, white papers and other informational resources.

By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.