A Giant of Physics Dies at 98

Hans Bethe, professor emeritus of my alma mater Cornell University, passed away at 98 years of age today. I was fortunate enough to attend a couple of lectures by him during my decade in Ithaca, NY including the talk mentioned in this BBC in memorium article.

Professor Bethe was head of the theoretical physics division during the Manhattan Project. He was a mentor to Richard Feynman, a famous larger than life physicist. He also lobbied hard for the safe use of nuclear energy (note safe energy and nuclear energy are not contradictory). Towards the end of his life he also lobbied heavily for wordwide nuclear disarmament.

One of my fondest memories of Professor Bethe is seeing him driving his car around Ithaca in about 1996 or 1997. He was at a stop sign near the Cornell Dairy Bar and his head was tilted to the side as he pulled his small sedan into the intersection. I found myself wondering if perhaps the smartest man alive should really still be driving.

In a little reported side note, the NY State Board of Useless Statistics had to lower the average IQ of New York State by 40 points with his death.