Freeman Dyson

Freeman John Dyson <a href="/facts/Fellow_of_the_Royal_Society/cWs8TdC5">FRS</a> (15 December 1923 – 28 February 2020) was a British-American <a href="/facts/Theoretical_physics/Cs2Y12rQ">theoretical physicist</a> and mathematician known for his works in <a href="/facts/Quantum_field_theory/VoewsNJV">quantum field theory</a>, <a href="/facts/Astrophysics/krFPRWLA">astrophysics</a>, <a href="/facts/Random_matrix/Yqo1lwFW">random matrices</a>, <a href="/facts/Mathematical_formulation_of_quantum_mechanics/fRLw4sFU">mathematical formulation of quantum mechanics</a>, <a href="/facts/Condensed_matter_physics/EBVI5nmL">condensed matter physics</a>, <a href="/facts/Nuclear_physics/fzQbt1aF">nuclear physics</a>, and <a href="/facts/Nuclear_engineering/wu26D25C">engineering</a>. He was professor emeritus in the <a href="/facts/Institute_for_Advanced_Study/jQQCURKt">Institute for Advanced Study</a> in <a href="/facts/Princeton%2c_New_Jersey/fceTzdde">Princeton</a> and a member of the board of sponsors of the <a href="/facts/Bulletin_of_the_Atomic_Scientists/TRCfTtsy">Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists</a>.
Dyson originated several concepts that bear his name, such as <a href="/facts/Dyson%2527s_transform/7rgxPM0l">Dyson's transform</a>, a fundamental technique in <a href="/facts/Additive_number_theory/43Fm5NFN">additive number theory</a>, which he developed as part of his proof of <a href="/facts/Mann%2527s_theorem/VD0CTgCD">Mann's theorem</a>; the <a href="/facts/Dyson_tree/EUxwGDsr">Dyson tree</a>, a hypothetical <a href="/facts/Genetic_engineering/vwdlDR61">genetically engineered</a> <a href="/facts/Plant/X5BMDMvS">plant</a> capable of growing in a <a href="/facts/Comet/w34utQCd">comet</a>; the <a href="/facts/Dyson_series/DwtUmokG">Dyson series</a>, a <a href="/facts/Perturbation_theory_(quantum_mechanics)/lYGgk9Ph">perturbative</a> series where each term is represented by <a href="/facts/Feynman_diagram/BRFNvDdr">Feynman diagrams</a>; the <a href="/facts/Dyson_sphere/1xLU6xd3">Dyson sphere</a>, a <a href="/facts/Thought_experiment/GXlr0lz9">thought experiment</a> that attempts to explain how a <a href="/facts/Spacefaring/zPrnATzo">space-faring</a> civilization would meet its energy requirements with a hypothetical <a href="/facts/Megastructure/2JuASMeR">megastructure</a> that completely encompasses a <a href="/facts/Star/PFbd6ICx">star</a> and captures a large percentage of its power output; and <a href="/facts/Dyson%2527s_eternal_intelligence/89dxmFfw">Dyson's eternal intelligence</a>, a means by which an <a href="/facts/Immortality/nDAb6CKo">immortal</a> society of <a href="/facts/Intelligence_(trait)/pRmAeRsw">intelligent</a> beings in an <a href="/facts/Open_universe/EJFEm9bw">open universe</a> could escape the prospect of the <a href="/facts/Heat_death_of_the_universe/gRDfKxSE">heat death of the universe</a> by extending <a href="/facts/Subjective_time/9xxfx8gb">subjective time</a> to infinity while expending only a finite amount of energy.
Dyson disagreed with the <a href="/facts/Scientific_consensus_on_climate_change/HUQURQGn">scientific consensus on climate change</a>. He believed that some of the effects of increased CO2 levels are favourable and not taken into account by climate scientists, such as increased agricultural yield, and further that the positive benefits of CO2 likely outweigh the negative effects. He was sceptical about the <a href="/facts/Scientific_modelling/aNyvIyUQ">simulation models</a> used to predict <a href="/facts/Climate_change/rEN4BDE7">climate change</a>, arguing that political efforts to reduce causes of climate change distract from other global problems that should take priority.

Freeman Dyson open-in-new

Freeman Dyson