What is genius? Define it. Now think of scientists who embody the
concept of genius. Does the name John Bardeen spring to mind?
Indeed, have you ever heard of him? Like so much in modern life,
immediate name recognition often rests on a cult of personality. We
know Einstein, for example, not just for his tremendous
contributions to science, but also because he was a character, who
loved to mug for the camera. And our continuing fascination with
Richard Feynman is not exclusively based on his body of work; it is
in large measure tied to his flamboyant nature and offbeat sense of
humor. These men, and their outsize personalities, have come to
erroneously symbolize the true nature of genius and creativity. We
picture them born brilliant, instantly larger than life. But is
that an accurate picture of genius? What of others who are equal in
stature to these icons of science, but whom history has awarded
only a nod because they did not readily engage the public? Could a
person qualify as a bona fide genius if he was a regular Joe? The
answer may rest in the story of John Bardeen. John Bardeen was the
first person to have been awarded two Nobel Prizes in the same
field. He shared one with William Shockley and Walter Brattain for
the invention of the transistor. But it was the charismatic
Shockley who garnered all the attention, primarily for his
Hollywood ways and notorious views on race and intelligence.
Bardeen's second Nobel Prize was awarded for the development of a
theory of superconductivity, a feat that had eluded the best
efforts of leading theorists-including Albert Einstein, Neils Bohr,
Werner Heisenberg, and Richard Feynman. Arguably, Bardeen's work
changed the world in more ways than that of any other scientific
genius of his time. Yet while every school child knows of Einstein,
few people have heard of John Bardeen. Why is this the case?
Perhaps because Bardeen differs radically from the popular
stereotype of genius. He was a modest, mumbling Midwesterner, an
ordinary person who worked hard and had a knack for physics and
mathematics. He liked to picnic with his family, collaborate
quietly with colleagues, or play a round of golf. None of that was
newsworthy, so the media, and consequently the public, ignored him.
John Bardeen simply fits a new profile of genius. Through an
exploration of his science as well as his life, a fresh and
thoroughly engaging portrait of genius and the nature of creativity
emerges. This perspective will have readers looking anew at what it
truly means to be a genius. Table of Contents Front Matter 1 The
Question of Genius 2 Roots 3 To Be an Engineer 4 A Graduate
Student's Paradise 5 Many-Body Beginnings 6 Academic Life 7
Engineering for National Defense 8 The Transistor 9 The Break from
Bell 10 Homecoming 11 Cracking the Riddle of Superconductivity 12
Two Nobels Are Better Than One Hole in One 13 A Hand in Industry 14
Citizen of Science 15 Pins and Needles and Waves 16 Last Journey 17
Epilogue: True Genius and How to Cultivate It Bibliography
Acknowledgements Notes Index Photo Plates
General
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