Great Physicists and the Pets Who Inspired Them

Sometimes the best kind of scientific collaborator is a silent partner who lends a hand (or a paw) simply by keeping things uncomplicated.

From Maxwell’s dogs and Hubble’s cat to Tycho Brahe’s unfortunate elk, four-legged friends have been a mainstay in lives of great scientists.

Here’s a look at influential scientists whose pets gave them paws for reflection.

Watch a Perimeter Institute talk on Einstein and his (two-legged) collaborators.

Read Tesla's letter to a friend about his early fascination with electricity.

Read the evidence for (and against) Newton's invention of the cat door.

Check out the Slice of PI on the life and work of Edwin Hubble.

Check out the Slice of PI on Richard Feynman's most notable quotes.

Watch "Boltzmann's Dog and Darwin's Finch," a biophysics colloquium at Perimeter Institute.

Watch a short documentary about the life and work of James Clerk Maxwell.

Learn more about the astronomical work and odd life of Tycho Brahe.

Find out more about Burschie and all of Schrödinger's animals in this PBS Nova article "Schrödinger’s Menagerie".

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About PI

Perimeter Institute is the world’s largest research hub devoted to theoretical physics. The independent Institute was founded in 1999 to foster breakthroughs in the fundamental understanding of our universe, from the smallest particles to the entire cosmos. Research at Perimeter is motivated by the understanding that fundamental science advances human knowledge and catalyzes innovation, and that today’s theoretical physics is tomorrow’s technology. Located in the Region of Waterloo, the not-for-profit Institute is a unique public-private endeavour, including the Governments of Ontario and Canada, that enables cutting-edge research, trains the next generation of scientific pioneers, and shares the power of physics through award-winning educational outreach and public engagement. 

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