Passing of a legend

John Wheeler, who died last month at the age of 96, was one of the few true giants in physics (p7 print version only). Best known for his work on nuclear fission and general relativity — and for introducing the terms black hole, wormhole and quantum foam — Wheeler was one of the last surviving links with Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein, with whom he famously debated the meaning of quantum mechanics. Wheeler counted Richard Feynman among his PhD students and, like all the best physicists, never turned his back on the enthusiasm of youth. As he wrote in his 1998 autobiography Geons, Black Holes, and Quantum Foam, “Throughout my long career…it has been interaction with young minds that has been my greatest stimulus and my greatest reward.” Helping those minds to achieve great things is sure to be one of Wheeler’s lasting legacies.