Murray Gell-Mann - How I ended up studying physics at Yale (10/200)

To listen to more of Murray Gell-Mann’s stories, go to the playlist: • Murray Gell-Mann (Scie...
New York-born physicist Murray Gell-Mann (1929-2019) was a theoretical physicist. His considerable contributions to physics include the theory of quantum chromodynamics. He was awarded the 1969 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the theory of elementary particles. [Listener: Geoffrey West; date recorded: 1997]
TRANSCRIPT: When I filled out the application form for Yale, I consulted my father - not something that I usually did but in this case I did - and… I said, ‘There's a blank here for… the probable for the major subject. What do you think?’ And my father said, ‘Well, what were you going to put down?’ I said, ‘Well, if they permit it, I would like to put down linguistics or archaeology, something of that kind. Or maybe some form of... some kind of biology that's related to natural history’. What I meant really was evolutionary biology. He said, ‘Oh that's absurd - you'll starve!’ because he was so much influenced by the Depression and the problems that he had had in providing for his family. It was only for a very few years when the school flourished that he was… that he felt at all secure financially. And that ended just when I was born... I said, ‘Well, what do you think… what do you think I should put down?’ He said, ‘Engineering, then you'll be able to earn a living’. I said, ‘Well, I don't like engineering. I'm not good at it. If I designed something it would fall apart, and besides I really don't like it. I'd rather starve than be an engineer’. So he said, ‘Well, why don't we compromise on physics?’ And then I explained what I thought about the physics course, physics textbooks and physics courses that I had… with which I had come into contact, and he said, ‘Oh, it'll get much better. You don't understand, advanced physics will include relativity and quantum mechanics, and those are beautiful subjects and you'll love them’. So I thought, well, why don't I just write down physics and please the old man. If I'm actually admitted to Yale, if I really receive the one scholarship that would permit me to attend Yale - the Medill McCormick Scholarship - then I can look into this matter again and I can always change my mind when I get to Newhaven, and major in… use as a major subject whatever I want. But then I was admitted to Yale and I did get that one scholarship that would permit me to attend and when I got there I was too lazy to switch. So I took physics courses and pretty soon I got to quantum mechanics and relativity and my father was absolutely right, they were very exciting.

[@projectaphids6012]

When you're too lazy not to win the Nobel prize...

[@udiwee4016]

Father's are always right. They know who the Son is from the very infant age. The inquisitiveness, questioning and inquiring mindset of yours must have clearly understood by the father. What a good farsighted man your father was. Above all, he knew the frontiers of quantum physics means he is of high caliber of thought. Great!

[@RedneckBarStoriesRonVincent]

Amazing how what at first appears to be a casual decision has such deep consequences.

[@ARBB1]

The butterfly keeps flapping.

[@efegokmen]

I am not surprised

[@NothingMaster]

Finally an entertaining episode, where he doesn’t ruin it with unnecessary technical descriptions and jargon.

[@LouisEmery]

Last bit: "My father was absolutely right." I would like my children to say the same.

[@zoperxplex]

Either they had stretched this video horizontally to make his face look thinner or he has lost weight in his old age.