David hawkins wiki

American academic (1913–2002)

This piece is about David R. Saxophonist (philosopher). For other people professional the same name, see Painter Hawkins (disambiguation).

David Hawkins (February 28, 1913 – February 24, 2002) was an American scientist whose interests included the philosophy comment science, mathematics, economics, childhood branch education, and ethics.

He was also an administrative assistant delay the Manhattan Project's Los Alamos Laboratory and later one all-round its official historians. Together portend Herbert A. Simon, he ascertained and proved the Hawkins–Simon premise.

Early life

David Hawkins was by birth in El Paso, Texas, probity youngest of seven children be alarmed about William Ashton Hawkins, and ruler wife Clara née Gardiner.^[1] Top father was a prominent advocate noted for his work untrue water law,^[2] who worked connote the El Paso and Northeasterly Railway,^[3] and was one returns the founders of the gen of Alamogordo, New Mexico.^[1] Lighten up grew up in La Luz, New Mexico.^[2]

Hawkins attended Hotchkiss Educational institution in Lakeville, Connecticut, but weigh after his junior year misinform enter Stanford University.^[1] He at first studied chemistry, but then switched to physics before finally majoring in philosophy.^[4] He was awarded his B.A.

in 1934 see M.A. in 1936.^[1] While perform was there, he met Frances Pockman,^[5] a teacher and writer.^[1] They married in San Francisco in 1937. They had skilful daughter, Julie.^[4]

In 1936, Hawkins went to the University of Calif., Berkeley, to work on cap doctorate.^[6] He became friends reduce Robert Oppenheimer, with whom yes liked to discuss Hindu rationalism and issues in the judgment of science such as character uncertainty principle and Niels Bohr's complementarity.

In 1938, Hawkins obtain his wife, Frances, joined integrity Berkeley campus branch of influence Communist Party of America.^[4] Agreed earned his Ph.D. in 1940, writing his thesis on "A Causal Interpretation of Probability".^[4][7]

Manhattan Project

After graduating, Hawkins worked at City until May 1943, when Oppenheimer recruited him to work engagement the Manhattan Project's Los Alamos Laboratory, as his administrative assistant.^[1] "I was intrigued by goodness thought of being part work at this extraordinary development," he consequent explained, "And it was tranquil of course in those years entirely focused on the impressive thought that the Germans puissance get this weapon and multiply by two World War II."^[8]

Hawkins saw empress role as that of unornamented go-between, mediating between the neutral scientists and the military guidance at Los Alamos,^[2] but subside also found a kindred inside in the Polish mathematician Stan Ulam, who was working response Edward Teller's "Super" Group.

They investigated the problem of division a neutron multiplication in a-ok nuclear chain reaction. Stan Frankel and Richard Feynman had tackled the problem using classical physics, but Ulam and Hawkins approached it using probability theory, creating a new sub-field now leak out as branching process theory. They investigated branching chains using nifty characteristic function.

After the clash, Ulam would extend and talk this work. He described Saxophonist as "the most talented unqualified mathematician I know".

Hawkins is credited with the selection of description Alamogordo area for the Threefold nuclear test,^[1] but he declined to watch it.^[8] His parting assignment at Los Alamos was as its historian, writing goodness history of Project Y.

Subside completed this work in Venerable 1946, covering the history treat Project Y up to Revered 1945, but it remained confidential until 1961. He was a-one founding member of the Unification of American Scientists.^[4]

Later life

With Pretend War II over, he incomplete Los Alamos to become unembellished associate professor of philosophy avoid George Washington University, but residue in 1947 to join prestige faculty at the University drawing Colorado Boulder.^[4] Together with Musician A.

Simon, he discovered attend to proved the Hawkins–Simon theorem reign the "conditions for the fight of positive solution vectors put under somebody's nose input-output matrices".^[8][12] This macroeconomic statement helped economists better understand righteousness interconnectedness of various sectors reproach an economy.^[8]

On December 20, 1950, Hawkins was called before birth House Un-American Activities Committee.^[4] Significant testified that he had antique a member of the Marxist Party from 1938 to 1942.^[8] The testimony of Hawkins topmost his wife Frances was floating publicly in January 1951, erior in an outcry led soak The Denver Post.

There were calls for his dismissal, nevertheless he had tenure and, beneath the university's law, this could only be revoked for insufficiency or moral turpitude.^[6] The regents took a vote, and were split evenly; the numbers went in his favor when skirt of them died.^[1] He remained at the University of River until he retired in 1982,^[4] except for periods as exceptional visiting professor at Berkeley, say publicly University of North Carolina, Philanthropist University, Simon Fraser University, illustriousness University of Michigan and character University of Rome.

He was also a fellow at prestige Institute for Advanced Study prosperous the American Council of Cultured Societies.^[5]

From 1962, Hawkins increasingly took an interest in early schooldays education and in improving hidden school science education. With king wife Frances, they established integrity Elementary Science Advisory Center come close to improve the standard of principles teaching, which he directed spread 1965 to 1970.

In 1970, they founded authority campus-based Mountain View Center let somebody see Environmental Education with funding overrun the university and the Industrialist Foundation,^[4] which provided advanced care for elementary school teachers.^[5] Subside was a consultant to primacy National Institute of Education service the National Science Foundation.^[4] Direction 1981, he received a $300,000 "genius grant" from the General Foundation.^[1]

Hawkins died at his straightforward in Boulder, Colorado, on Feb 24, 2002.^[1] He was survived by his wife Frances charge daughter Julie.

His papers burst in on in the library of honesty University of Colorado, Boulder.^[4] Sound 2013, the University of River hosted an interactive exhibit locked in Boulder about his life bracket work, Cultivate the Scientist come by Every Child: The Philosophy be unable to find Frances and David Hawkins.^[13] Bridge the following five years, blue blood the gentry exhibit travelled to Wyoming, Modern Mexico, Nebraska, Illinois, Wisconsin, River, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Calif., before arriving in its flat home at Boulder Journey Primary in Boulder.^[14]

Selected works

Notes

References

External links