Brilliant minds in physics, often characterized by their theoretical and abstract approaches to understanding the universe, have historically led lives marked by eccentricity, illness, and even tragedy, according to Jonathan Black's book, 'The Secret History of the Universe.' The author explores the human and personal perspectives of these genius-grade physicists, revealing a tribe prone to what he describes as illness, madness, and early death.
Black's work highlights a disconnect between the abstract nature of physics and the desire of physicists to find or impose patterns on reality. He notes that while inventors and engineers contribute tangible advancements to daily life, physicists grapple with theoretical concepts where even solid objects are understood as pulsations of forces and mutating atoms, a phenomenon they term entropy. This abstractness, the book suggests, can lead to unconventional thinking and a tendency towards the mystical or religious.
Examples of this eccentricity abound in the book. Mathematician Georg Cantor, a pioneer of set theory, was institutionalized after believing King Edward VII was part of a Freemasonic plot. Theoretical physicist Ludwig Boltzmann, who kept a cow in his Vienna apartment, died by suicide. Nikola Tesla, a visionary of alternating current and wireless technology, harbored phobias, possessed acute hearing, and adhered to strict rituals, ultimately dying in poverty.
Logician Kurt Gödel, fearful of demonic creatures, hid from visitors and later starved himself to death. Paul Ehrenfest, a theoretical physicist, murdered his son before taking his own life. Paul Dirac, a co-founder of quantum mechanics, would climb trees to avoid interacting with colleagues, while Peter Kapitsa, a Nobel laureate, had a party trick of swallowing knives.
Inspiration and Personal Turmoil
The book also connects moments of scientific inspiration with personal turmoil, particularly sexual frustration. Alan Turing, a key figure in computer science and AI, struggled with his homosexuality. Wolfgang Pauli left his wife for a nightclub singer, and Erwin Schrödinger kept a diary detailing his sexual explorations. Albert Einstein, while a celebrated physicist, was also a violinist and womanizer, even seeking refuge from the Nazis in Norfolk with armed female escorts.
Bertrand Russell openly advocated for non-monogamy, stating that demanding faithfulness in love misunderstands life. Robert Oppenheimer, who led the Manhattan Project, is described as having a mercurial intelligence but also sociopathic tendencies, including attempted strangulation of a friend and poisoning a Cambridge professor.
The Legacy of Scientific Discovery
The convergence of these brilliant but often troubled individuals during the Manhattan Project led to the creation of the atomic bomb, a weapon of mass destruction. Black suggests that the ultimate achievements of physics and mathematics have resulted in thermonuclear weapons and the potentially destructive, 'irreversible and uncontrollable' horror of artificial intelligence.
Furthermore, the book touches upon the historical intersection of science with spiritualism and the occult. Marie Curie attended séances, and early understandings of radio waves led to beliefs in communication with the dead. Black posits that contemporary scientific concepts like black holes and time bending might even suggest the possibility of future aliens influencing the present.
The review concludes with a skeptical perspective on the more esoteric aspects of theoretical physics, questioning whether some theories are presented with a degree of playful deception, while emphasizing the need for empirical truth.