London
A Tale of Two Continents by Abraham Pais, Princeton, 拢25/$35,
ISBN 0691012431
ABRAHAM PAIS is the Samuel Pepys of 20th-century physics. Through five
superbly researched books in 15 years, he has painted a rich picture, full of
insight, on a huge scientific canvas. Physicists are fortunate that such a
diarist has been working among them.
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Until now, Pais concentrated on other scientists鈥� work. In A Tale of Two
Continents, however, he tells us about his own extraordinary life in the
charming, rather formal style that has become his hallmark. Autobiography is an
unrivalled way of telling the truth about other people and Pais takes full
advantage of this, drawing well-observed portraits of some of his most
illustrious acquaintances, including 50 Nobel laureates (yes, he has
counted).
He met many of them at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New
Jersey, where he worked from 1946 to 1963. The 鈥渦ppity milieu鈥� there doesn鈥檛
appear to have been much to his taste. One visitor, he tells us, described the
town as a 鈥渕agnificent place where science flourishes but never bears fruit鈥�,
while Einstein called it a 鈥渜uaint ceremonious village of puny demigods on
蝉迟颈濒迟蝉鈥�.
Einstein was the subject of Pais鈥檚 first foray into the history of science,
Subtle is the Lord. This complete and vivid account of the master鈥檚
scientific life and work was the biography Einstein would have wanted, full of
science and devoid of tittle-tattle. Some reviewers have said that the book
demonstrates a love of Einstein, but Pais points out that his feelings towards
his colleague were rather cooler: he does not even count himself among
Einstein鈥檚 friends, but says that he felt respect and affection. To this day,
Pais still keeps a memento of the relationship鈥擡instein鈥檚 last pipe.
Pais seems to have met just about everyone important in shaping modern
physics. He draws finely observed vignettes of a host of superstars, including
the quantum pioneers Paul Dirac and Wolfgang Pauli and the Manhattan Project
scientific supremo J. Robert Oppenheimer. Dinner at the Oppenheimers鈥� sounds,
from Pais鈥檚 wonderful description, akin to a scene from the Addams family.
Among all Pais鈥檚 acquaintances, he most esteemed Niels Bohr, the patriarch of
quantum physicists, who became his father figure. Bohr, revelling in the quantum
paradoxes, was one of the most influential thinkers of his age鈥攁lthough
many of his thoughts were impenetrable even to his most devoted listeners. Pais
concedes that he was a 鈥渄ivinely bad鈥� orator, and points to Bohr鈥檚 belief that
you should not try to speak more clearly than you think. This is a wonderful
excuse for confused and inarticulate lecturers everywhere, though not much
comfort for their audiences.
Pais writes eloquently of his early life in the Netherlands and his
remarkable career as a theoretical physicist in Europe and the US. He is not shy
about his own achievements or of quoting favourable opinions of his work from
the most impeccable sources.
Physics has not been the whole of Pais鈥檚 life. He likes musicals, haute
cuisine, art and travel and has a weakness for bullfights. These, with some
embarrassing disclosures about his personal life鈥攕ome which we might in
all mercy have been spared鈥攈elp us to draw a rounded portrait of our
author. At the end of this delightful, if rather long book, we feel that we have
come to know him as a friend and that we have been privileged to be his
confidante. Of an autobiography, one can ask little more.