Legendary Physicist and Florida State Professor Paul Dirac

[@ЗояФирсова-м2щ]

If somebody is reading this, appreciate the fact that this was released 12 years ago -- almost as long ago as was 1997 from 2009. Wow.

[@greensombrero3641]

the arrow of time! entropy. I recommend "The Strangest Man" by Farmelo. An excellent book!

[@nzuckman]

Smash mouth was right, the years start comin' and they don't stop comin'

[@Jedi_Are_Scum]

1997 till now? That's a blink of an eye.

[@user-hr2zt9gd1l]

It seems the documentary is indeed from 1997, 50 years after Florida State University last changed its name.

[@erawanpencil]

If one is interested in enduring connections to the past, note that Penrose had Dirac as a professor in the late 50's I believe, general relativity had only been around a few decades. Penrose of course is still around. He, Einstein, Dirac, and Schrödinger all believe(d) QM was a provisional theory, that there was something missing. Worth considering, from people that were actually there and made it; especially if a manyworlder declares that linear, deterministic locality is the only obvious conclusion.

[@souravmukherjee704]

Dirac was a mathematical genius indeed...his beautiful Dirac equation predicted the existence of anti-matter....great legend❤️❤️

[@rodovre]

a giant in physics and math.

[@quantumcat7673]

Quite amazing! This guy Paul Dirac, is a monument! I'm glad he rest in peace in Florida. I will visit for sure.

[@oxm18]

He was a mathematical legend!!!!!!!!!!

[@MrEngrriz]

The way he predicted the existence of antimatter from Einstien's mass energy equation is truly unbelievable. "It seems that if one is working from the point of view of getting beauty in one's equations, and if one has really a sound insight, one is on a sure line of progress". Paul Dirac

[@Franciscasieri]

His equation predicted it he was skeptical for almost two years until it was proven that antiparticles do exist... Durac famously said "My equation was smarter then I was."

[@spurakos000]

Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac..The man who turned his thoughts into equations

[@Franciscasieri]

His thoughts were an equation...

[@otiebrown9999]

A complete GENIUS! That no one could understand.

[@jdtaramona1]

Dirac summarized his complete and open background in engineering, mathematics and physics and that is it.

[@terencemeikle534]

Now here's a guy who should be a household name, like Einstein. He wasn't in any way a self-publicist (in fact, anyone who knows anything at all about Paul Dirac would laugh at that notion) but even on pure achievement alone, his name ought to be way better known. He's one of my big heroes.

[@tigerlord1985]

Salam, the only Pakistani science Nobel Laureate, rated him higher than Albert.

[@yahsaranae1758]

Well thanks to him and his raising and lowering operators, I can calculate by hand with ease the expectation values of a position and a momentum of a harmonic oscillator. Nuff said, except that he is a genius and that I admire him.

[@genghisthegreat2034]

No kitchen should be without a harmonic oscillator, and a few divs, curls and grads. Well done on enjoying his operator recipes 😉

[@brb4903]

Okay, first year physics student..

[@paromita_ghosh]

​@@brb4903what?

[@jceepf]

The English Prof could have phoned and talked to any top physics department chairman in USA (Harvard, Yale, MIT, Caltech, Cornell, etc....) and ask: "We have this Dirac dude here, ever heard of him?" and they would have been flabbergasted. His equation is a gem of mathematical beauty....

[@BarriosGroupie]

No... places like Harvard only employs top researchers at the cutting edge of physics rather than has-beens.

[@nikkytek4552]

@@BarriosGroupie Hee hee.

[@markhamilton8728]

@@BarriosGroupie as an undergraduate I majored in physics. I was very surprised that when Dirac’s name came up, people would put him in the stratosphere mathematically in the physics field. He’s the only person I can think of that may have well surpassed Einstein. His name is associated with about 40 concepts. Unbelievable.

[@rekdinhopoetico]

Pure genius!

[@robertschlesinger1342]

Excellent presentation on Paul A.M. Dirac at FSU. I might add a couple of credible anecdotes regarding Dirac. A French physicist came to Dirac's home to discuss some cutting edge physics. The physicist was escorted into Dirac's study and he preceded for some time, trying with great difficulty to explain his work in English to Dirac. The physicist was clearly having considerable frustration with his limited spoken English. After quite some time, Dirac's sister, Betty, entered the study with some tea and biscuits, speaking fluent French, and wherein Dirac responded in fluent French. The French physicist who had spent considerable time frustrated in trying to express himself in English inquired of Dirac: Why didn't you tell me you spoke French. Dirac replied: You didn't ask. Another anecdote is from his days at Florida State University. The Physics Department held seminars which Dirac would often attend, sitting near the front row. He appeared to be dozing off throughout the presentations, but during the question & answer period, he would make brilliant comments and ask appropriate questions. He seemed asleep, but was all the while quite lucid.

[@mortalclown3812]

I'm quite right-brained, but discovered Professor Dirac through a series of his remarks about different subjects. His regard for and awareness of the poetic was enchanting. Dirac insisted that physics and poetry were polar opposites, yet mastered both in his prose explanations. I came here to learn more about his 82 years on planet... and to wonder if my next incarnation will bring enough intelligence to understand his primary occupation.

[@csaracho2009]

Now prose is "poetry"? Good to know.

[@kurbi2275]

I can recommend you the amazing biography of Paul Dirac "The strangest man", I'm half way through and I'm hooked. If you want to know more about physics and the historical implications and the personalities of all those great men and women, buy it. You won't regret it :)

[@JennyCaneen-n3k]

The Dirac library at FSU was - of course - named after him. And thanks to Dr. Dirac, Tallahassee has The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory! I took a tour there when I started grad school and had a great conversation with one of the physicists there. Oh, and the Dirc library is beautiful land quiet: a great place to study!

[@tonyrosam]

very interested to see if anyone from FSU can find video lectures of his classes!

[@myopenmind527]

Watching this in 2024. Thanks for posting%

[@FloridaState]

This video is a segment in the university's "Fifty Years of Florida State University" series.

[@muratpinar7478]

"Dirac is not a person. Dirac is an equation..."

[@susanbell6781]

Read "The Srangest Man " The story of Paul Dirac. A true page turner. I could not lay that book down.

[@rishavdhungel4702]

Susan Bell Hi do you have soft copy of the book 😊

[@Sean_Coyne]

Read it twice. There is a good KZbin video on a lecture by the author. I have always been a great admirer of Dirac, despite, or perhaps because of his nature. His approach to mathematics and physics was, as he would be happy to hear, beautiful.

[@hendrycaven]

I do.

[@mrnarason]

I just finished it, going to read Pais' biography next.

[@greensombrero3641]

It is one incredible biography! well said.

[@TheDavidlloydjones]

Somebody at FSU seems to have awfully good taste. Their economics department also published a little-known but very significant essay of Friedman's, "Gold," which everybody assumed would be in favor of basing money arbitrarily on some commodity, e.g. an expensive metal. Instead, Friedman makes one of his most radical statements in the opposite direction, that ideally money should be based on nothing but "trust." It's a surprise to find Dirac at this obscure place -- and good for them!

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

yes Friedman trusted Pinochet via the Nazi-CIA genocidal death squads.

[@KoRNk1LLz]

I’m just glad I’m here

[@vaggo55]

Este señor descubriò las antipartìculas. Increìble!

[@CalonegoMusic]

Legend

[@slovakmath]

@stretch4859 he was a fascinating man, i never got to meet him but many of my professors in school took classes from him. the stories they told were very funny. he was a very good teacher too. most people of his caliber insist on teaching graduate level courses. but feynman rather insisted on teaching freshman physics to undergrads

[@stretch4859]

@slovakmath hi. i'm have been reading books on physics for the past years and find all this fascinating and just googled qed and didn't know that Feynman was considered one of the founding the fathers of qed. I shall have to read more about him. Thanks for posting that about qed.

[@Juan01052004]

A Genius of the highest level. Lucky the ones who could attend one of his classes, even though he was kind of introverted, or maybe too smart to waste time with normal people 😂

[@itsiwhatitsi]

He was one of the most complex and weird physicist. After him Physics became more abstract and complicated

[@QMPhilosophe]

+Itsiwhatitsi He was amazing! Should have won 3 Nobel Prizes.

[@MrPoutsesMple]

+Itsiwhatitsi I'd say it became more beautiful and came closer to mathematics. I believe that he was one of the few mathematical physicists of his time.

[@colinmaharaj]

+Itsiwhatitsi Feynman made it simpler, fun :)

[@ayushdhingra855]

True... More complicated

[@markhamilton8728]

Outside of Jimbo Fisher, Dr Dirac was the greatest physics/mathematical mind combination to step on any campus in the world ever.

[@ktuluflux]

Lol

[@Franciscasieri]

Very underrated comment...by about 75M

[@pg3219]

"I think the correct connection between Quantum theory and Relativity has not yet been discovered" Paul Dirac in a 1982 interview

[@Dyslexic-Artist-Theory-on-Time]

very nice video!!

[@michaeldunn355]

There has to be a longer version of this Video...surely! Any color Videos of his lectures?

[@bmclaughlin01]

@slovakmath - I'm sorry, you are wrong Slovakmath. No one can't doubt Einstein's contribution to Physics. Dirac, Feynman, Witten, etc have done amazing work but the IDEA of "general" relativity and of course the mathematics that followed is one of mankind's great achievements. You can reply with some sarcastic comment but that will only re-inforce your ignornance. Einstein, Dirac, Feynman and Witten are all giants.

[@pattyfromtoledo]

cool info - thanks for posting!

[@RaedZghair-pw8fp]

He was a genius man.

[@waldwassermann]

The observer is the observed. - Jiddu Krishnamurti, Philosopher. Essentially it's all about companionship. - Wald Wassermann, Physicist.

[@jeffreyluciana8711]

Paul Dirac and I had lunch at the same time

[@onnelako]

just read The Strangest Man, I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested of his works and of his personality (definitely the strangest man:D

[@elmerpoppoff2738]

I did. Highly recomended

[@TupacMakaveli1996]

Man I wish Dirac could have threw lectures on what is the actual problem of physics loll

[@shrodingersman]

He should have never been made to retire!!!!!!

[@BarriosGroupie]

They didn't employ Dirac for his teaching and research skills but because of his fame, as with Einstein at the Advanced Institute for Studies in Princeton. I suppose it was good for Florida State University because it would attract students eager to interact with Dirac.

[@deltasquared7777]

Nonsense--FSU employed Dirac on the basis of his genius, knowledge, experience, and his ability to teach and inspire students. Dirac had more profound insight into physics in his little finger than the rest of the world combined.

[@BarriosGroupie]

@@deltasquared7777 lovely sentimental comment but not true

[@deltasquared7777]

@@BarriosGroupie I don't know where you get your misinformation from. Dirac published over 60 papers during his Florida State years. His abilities as an active teacher are marked by his 1975 'General Theory of Relativity' book based on a series of lectures he gave at FSU. His last paper in 1984, the year he died is titled 'The Inadequacies of Quantum Field Theory'. (have you read and analyzed it, and can you comment on it?)

[@taka-taktak]

Genius.

[@mauriciofurlan7773]

Poderiam ter colocado legendas em português

[@eman85mph]

That'd be one wild lookup... checking on professors... who's this guy Paul Dirac... let's google him... 🤯⚛️🦉

[@guerrilla5002]

That's amazing he continued to flurish later in life.

[@desmcc01]

Hi one favorite past times was watching Cher sing on T.V. Classic :)

[@susanbell6781]

Fantastic bio

[@realimage3656]

good!

[@korujaa]

A giant

[@CliffSedge-nu5fv]

News headline: _Florida Man Writes Equation Destroying Matter_

[@sameertomar5099]

Dirac is not a person he is an equation .

[@sameertomar5099]

Great

[@nanotektor]

Dirac was the real "Sheldon Cooper"

[@BarriosGroupie]

Lubos Motl is the real Sheldon Cooper. The guy has a blog with outrageous views on race, the left, feminism, Trump etc.

[@shahinarya]

I was in Bristol over the holidays visiting relatives. One day in a cab from the airport I was lucky to have a talkative driver who told me "everything there was to know about Bristol". He knew a lot but was terribly surprised when I told him about Paul Dirac. He had no clue what I was talking about. What a shame! Of course, this reminds me of my visit to Austria, back in the 80's, where o my pleasant surprise I noticed Erwin Schrodinger's picture on their money!! That was, I though, amazing :)

[@AnuarPhysics]

Oh, that's cool!

[@StephenRayner]

@goodsirknight Yea son! bought the book today after reading as much as I could on Iphone. Also "The quantum story" is good :)

[@andrewjordan4193]

Priests at Westminster Abbey initially objected to a plaque dedicated to Dirac, citing his atheism. I suspect he woud have found that amusing.

[@enlongchiou]

Dirac's equation (e-)=me*(c/137.036)^2*A=k*e^2=ch/(2pi*137.036)=(e+) deduce 1/(2pi*137.036)=0.001161409725 : Schwinger's weak QED for anomalous electron magnetic moment of (g-2)/2 factor from positron e+ win both man Nobel Prize.

[@lexs7218]

the Dirac equation is the newton's f = ma of quantum mechanics

[@stephenphillips4984]

No, it's not. Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle is. An equation for a particular type of subatomic particle (fermion) can never be a "principle" of quantum mechanics as f = ma is to Newtonian mechanics. You confuse a mathematical principle with a certain application of it.

[@smoyer60]

@smoyer60 The wikipedia page of Dirac contains an article on his religious views and it is very interesting. By the way, I am not posting this to incite a religious debate. I'm only stating a few facts

[@priscillawrites6685]

Dirac went to public school with Archibald Leach aka Cary Grant

[@parvdize3968]

a goat

[@rareproductions1824]

he predict magnetic monopoles

[@smoyer60]

@antimatterXXXIII I'm assuming that the fella who commented about Jesus' existence was pointing to the fact that Dirac was a well known atheist within the scientific community. He was also considered one of the greatest theoretical physicists of all-time. He was truly a pioneer in the field and the world, as far as academia is concerned, lost a true jewel when he died.

[@deltasquared7777]

Well, our friend Dirac, too, has a religion, and its guiding principle is "God does not exist and Dirac is His prophet." (Wolfgang Pauli)

[@pacajalbert9018]

Na výkrese kreslil som hviezdy ✨ sa smiali

[@roverdover4449]

I think his wife was calling the shots (socially) at that time. Not that that was a bad thing. He thought about Physics, and his wife handles everything else. Not totally sure about that, just got that feeling from other sources.

[@TheSirianKnight]

Stick THAT in your Funk & Wagnalls SIR!

[@Weiszcracker]

Florida reminded him of England?

[@Sean_Coyne]

Of course not. But his wife, Manci, hated Cambridge and Florida State was quite literally a warm and inviting place by comparison. They both really enjoyed their last years there. Paul Dirac had a kind of autism and was a very strange man with no social skills at all, but very gentle and certainly brilliant beyond comprehension. Thank you USA for taking him in.

[@susanbell6781]

I agree

[@HenryCasillas]

☮️

[@otissumnerbrown]

Truly an incredible person. But his discussions could be terse. Inventing the positron - as theory - was genius.

[@yowzephyr]

Thumbs Up if you were sent here by the Hodge Twins.

[@JakeHunter2010]

A beauty brilliant mind should be cherished. #JakeHunter88

[@slovakmath]

@cawleym1 I find it hard to believe you really think that mathematicians dont have subjective & biased opinions. I think this really says a lot about your capacity of reason. I based my comment on personal experience & that shared by friends & colleagues (nearly all of which agree with me by the way). Go to the physics dept of your local university, ask the professors in the hallway (tell them its a school project) if they believe Einstein or Feynman the intellectual superior.

[@dhimanroy1671]

Feynman or Dirac! Tough but maybe Dirac

[@slovakmath]

@cawleym1 there is no abstract scale and nobel prizes have nothing to do with it reread my comments

[@nanotektor]

I've been stupified by your comment. You lose, I'm not a biologist...I'm a chemist and a physicist! yes, I'm a "sacrilegous" physicist for all of you...and I do believe in evolution! Guys, personal beliefs and science do not oppose to each other. Not everything is written in our books.

[@uzairhussain4856]

Dirac was at the level of feynman einstien maxwell newton and so on?

[@jonathanbaxter5821]

Einstein and Newton are in their own tier. Then Feynman and Maxwell. I'd say Dirac is in the second group. Maybe a little above, but not in Einstein and Newton's.

[@zakisaad7820]

Dirac was a genius ...he completed his PhD at age of 24

[@fbng]

newton *BIG GAP* einstein maxwell *GAP* dirac, schrodinger, placnk etc... *BIG GAP* feynmann

[@nanotektor]

Prove it! A Nanoletters paper and a Science or Nature paper coming...I do not think so

[@antimatterXXXIII]

Dirac did not "overthrow the foundations of classical physics". This is just an idiotic thing to say, because in fact Dirac used the structure of classical physics as embodied in Hamiltonian dynamics and the idea of a Poisson bracket to construct the framework of quantum mechanics. The cultural appreciation of science is just abysmally bad, and one stupid thing after another is said in the attempt to dehumanize the people who do physics. Dirac was not a supercomputer. He was a man.

[@vinitchauhan973]

antimatterXXXIII yea I got annoyed when he said "not a man.

[@deltasquared7777]

Dirac was not a supercomputer. He was a Superman.

[@nanotektor]

@SpecterReflector You cannot asume/prove that Jesus did not exist. I'm a catholic (not a fundamentalist) and a scientist, and as a scientist I do believe that we must respect other's beliefs.

[@Raydensheraj]

You also can't provide ANY non Christian evidence that he DID exist. And even if you could - the claim that he was the Son of an invisible superbeing I quite "interesting". Any evidence AT ALL for that? Let's not get to other things....like Talking donkeys - the Bible has a lot of absolutely ridiculous fairy tales & fables.

[@goodsirknight]

yes. very reckless of me - turns out the book was superb though.

[@ebutuoyYT]

Brizzle, gert lush.

[@slovakmath]

@bmclaughlin01 sarcastic? I dont need to be and dont get mad, this is a simple discussion, no one is angry here. of course general relativity was a massive achievement, you missed my whole point

[@ganeshsreedhar4657]

Mwah Florida mahn

[@slovakmath]

@cawleym1 Then while on campus go to the maths department and ask several of the professors their opinion whether Gauss or Einstein the intellectual superior. And then ask Witten / Einstein... I shall await your heartfelt letter begging me for fogiveness

[@bmclaughlin01]

@fntime - Goodfellas :)

[@antimatterXXXIII]

@SpecterReflector That's just absolute bullshit. WTF does Dirac have to do with Jesus?

[@slovakmath]

@cawleym1 2) and how can you possibly say I insulted anyone? all i did was to ask you to go to the local university and ask the opinions of teh mathematicians and physicists who work there regarding this. I insulted nobody. I can only assume you are referring to "fntime" comment to me (obviously an adolescent who I wont bother to write). I havent been rude at all in any of my statements. All i said from the start is people like Feynman Witten Dirac etc deserve more credit from the lay masses

[@nachiel6]

@SpecterReflector Yes, Dirac WAS real and Jesus IS real

[@russellalesi5715]

Well, you are one for two....

[@MarsBorg]

Dirac was real but Jesus is a mind virus.

[@slovakmath]

@fntime explain why you believe this is true

[@JustAnotherJosePinto]

so if you are a scientist and respect logic reason and critical thinking and the scientific method then why would you say something implying that you believe in the jesus bullshit? not everybody's opinion should count. if you are in a string theory conference and you say that you don't agree with their ideas nobody will take you seriously because you don't know anything about string theory. if people say that jesus is god why are we taking them seriously? what do they know about the universe?

[@u2b83]

Ppl go to Florida to die lol He probably could have lived another 5 years otherwise.

[@Mahmood42978]

Great info, but the narration is cringey.