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Observing the Universe Freeman Dyson Disturbing the Universe, the autobiographical work by renowned physicist Freeman Dyson, is a profound piece that offers insight into the human qualities of the author. Although it does chronicle his career as a scientist, the scope of the book is greater than that. Dyson reflects on his life work as pertains to public knowledge. In many ways Dyson's story resonates tome extent or another, in all of our lives. Dyson's personality is earmarked by his keen abilities as an observer and an analyst, and by his struggle between conformity and individuality.
Early on in his life Dyson took typical youthful views of the world. He was a simple-minded idealist. Pondering the upcoming war he concluded, the basic cause of war is injustice. Italy men had a fair share of the worlds goods, if all of us were given an equal chance in the game of life, then there would be hatred and no war. Dyson also noted, The war for me was an unconditional evil.
The prime example of his attitude was his simple yet all-encompassing theory called Cosmic Unity. Enlightenment came to me suddenly and unexpectedly one afternoon in March in a blinding flash of inner light I saw the answer the problem of war and the problem of injustice. The answer was amazingly simple. I called it Cosmic Unity. Cosmic Unity said: There is only one of. We are all the same person.
I am you and I am Winston Churchill and Hitler and Gandhi and everybody. There is no problem of injustice because your sufferings are also mine. There will be no problem offer as soon as you understand that in killing me you are only killing yourself. He later laments, I must find a way to convert the world to may of thinking. Most people at some time have been extremely egocentric.
Witty young people such as Dyson are quick to pinpoint the worlds many problems, and possible solutions. Observing the habits of most young people, Dyson's youthful exuberance is not uncommon. Many youth act with great fervor on things they feel passionately about. Dyson was no exception. Freeman Dyson was a very bright young man. When he was a teenager he became engulfed in Piaggios Differential Equations.
During one Christmas break, the restless and inquisitive Dyson would spend nearly every waking hour pressing his bright young mind in Examples for Solution. Of his Christmas break honored, Never have I enjoyed a vacation more. This episode in Dysons life is can be considered another example of his devotion to something of which he feels strongly. Freeman Dyson's parents noticed that their son was becoming too narrow-minded, thus tried to broaden his outlook. His mother warned young Freeman that he would ruin his health and burn outfit brains if he did not change his ways. She lectured to him, Homo sum: human nil a me alien put.
I am human and I let nothing human be alien to me. Of Dyson's passion for science and mathematics she warned him to save his humanity. You will regret it deeply, she said, when one day you are a great scientist and you wake up to find that you have never had time make friends. It is quite evident that, if not immediately, this talk struck a chord somewhere in Dyson's formidable psyche. His mother was also understanding of his notion dubbed Cosmic Unity. She answered his view by saying that she has thought something quite similar for quite some time.
The fact that Dyson was finally starting to broaden his outlook foreshadowed the events of the next stage of his life. Dysonwent from being a follower of Gandhi, to a civilian scientist working at Bomber Command headquarters during World War II. This radical change was not made without some deep thought on Dysonspart. He had to rationalize. At the beginning of the war I believed fiercely in the brotherhood of man, called myself a follower of Gandhi, and was morally opposed total violence. After a year of war I retreated and said, unfortunately nonviolent resistance against Hitler is impracticable, but I am still morally opposed to bombing.
He goes on, After I arrived at Bomber Command I said, unfortunately it turns out that we are after all bombing cities indiscriminately, but this is morally justified as it is helping to win the war I could no longer find any excuses. Mike had fought single-handed the battle of the escape hatches and indeed saved many lives. I had saved none. Dyson learned firsthand, in a deeply meaningful way, the adage: there are no laws, only circumstances. He was conforming. He had approach things in a different way.
In an effort to gain self-respect, Dyson considered enlisting in the army himself. His mother brought him back to his senses, convincing him today at Bomber Command. Dyson had become less assertive. While at Bomber Command, Dysonconcluded quite assuredly that removing the gun turrets from the airplanes would increase speed and obviously save the lives ofthe would-be gunners.
In order to realize his notion Dyson would have involved Wing Commander McGowan in a major beauracraticbattle. He would have had to rustle some feathers. Change often involves confronting ones adversaries. Dyson backed down. His colleague Mike O Loughlin was a different breed. Mike was upset about the narrow escape hatches in the bombers.
He concluded if the hatches were widened by just two inches many lives would be spared. Mike spent two years lobbying Bomber Command to widen the escape hatches. Ultimately he succeeded. Its an admirable triumph of one feeble young man overcoming the conservative military establishment.
Frank Thompson, an friend of Dyson's, is a second example of an individual that would fight for a cause. Thompson went to Oxford, joined the Communist Party and proceeded to enlist inthe army. In an undercover mission to German-occupied Yugoslaviahe was captured as a prisoner of war. Asked why he had come to a foreign country to wage war Thompson replied, I came because this war is something very much deeper than a struggle of nation against nation. The greatest thing in the world now is the struggle of Anti-Fascism against Fascism.
They replied, Do you know that we shoot men who hold your opinion? Thompson retorts, I am ready to die for freedom. Frank Thompson was the embodiment of individualism and cause. Freeman Dyson was more of a thinker than a doer. He was thein of person that had to gather his thoughts before acting. April example of his calculated action involved a building caretaker named Dover Sharpe.
Dover Sharpe was injured in a booby-trapped bomb explosion. Dyson could have saved him. He hesitated, paralyzed by the intensity of the moment. Dover Sharpe died. Dyson knew nothing about Dover Sharpe save his name. Freeman Dyson had difficulty bringing his thoughts and ideas to fruition.
Dyson's style was lay back, observe the world, analyze and profess. This washes nature. Dyson was a humanist. The consequences of his scientific work did not elude him. Dyson was aware of the interminable nature of scientific conclusions.
He knew that whimsical ideas could turn into a Magic City. From the tone of this autobiography one can tell that Dysons Cosmic Unity was a theme throughout his life. He was careful to chronicle the influence of the various people, places, and institutions in his experiences. One cannot help but construe Cosmic Unity in this way.
You have made an impression on me, therefore I am you. The opposite is true. When one considers there of human interaction, we are all one. We are all cosmically unified.
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