Arthur I. Miller
Arthur I. Miller is an accomplished physicist and historian, known for his contributions to the history and philosophy of science, particularly during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He earned his B.S. degree in physics from the City College of New York and completed his Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Miller's academic career includes a visiting professorship in Paris and a position at University College London, where he focused on the connections between science, technology, cognitive science, and artistic expression.
His notable publications include "Einstein and Picasso: Space, Time, and the Beauty That Causes Havoc," which explores the parallels between Albert Einstein's theory of relativity and Pablo Picasso's artistic innovations, particularly regarding concepts of time and space. This book received a Pulitzer Prize nomination, underscoring its impact. Another significant work, "Empire of the Stars: Obsession, Friendship, and Betrayal in the Quest for Black Holes," details the creative processes leading to the theoretical discovery of black holes.
Miller has also held various prestigious fellowships and has been recognized for his contributions to the field, including serving as vice chairman and chairman of the division of the history of physics for the American Physical Society. His outreach efforts extend to television appearances, further conveying his ideas to a wider audience.
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Arthur I. Miller
Author
- Born: 1940
- Died: 1999
Biography
Arthur I. Miller attended the City College of New York, where he earned his B.S. degree in physics. He then studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received his Ph.D. in physics. In the autumn of 1977, he was a visiting professor at L’École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris, France. He later became a professor of the history and philosophy of science at University College of London.
Miller’s work focuses on the history and philosophy of science and technology in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. His studies encompass cognitive science, scientific creativity, and the interrelationships between art and science. He has written several books about the history of physics, most notably Einstein and Picasso: Space, Time, and the Beauty That Causes Havoc (2001). This work examines the similarities of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity and Pablo Picasso’s painting Les Demoiselles d’Avignon both in terms of topic and timing. Miller argues that both Einstein and Picasso sought to solve the question of the nature of time and space and, in particular, the concept of simultaneity. The book was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
Miller’s subsequent work, Empire of the Stars: Obsession, Friendship, and Betrayal in the Quest for Black Holes (2005), describes the creative processes behind the discovery of black holes. The book recounts the moment of intuition when young Indian scientist Subramanyan Chandrasekhar realized that black holes had to exist and details how the established scientific community for decades failed to recognize this discovery.
Miller was an associate editor of the American Journal of Physics. He received fellowships and grants from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, American Philosophical Society, American Council of Learned Societies, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Science Foundation, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, and the Fritz Thyssen Stiftung. His popular appeal is evidenced by his television appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman and on a Public Broadcasting Service production about Einstein.
From 1983 to 1985, Miller was the vice chairman and chairman of the division of the history of physics for the American Physical Society. He also is a corresponding fellow of l’Académie Internationale d’Histoire des Sciences, a member of the International Academy of the History of Science, and director of the International History of Physics School at the Ettore Majorana Centre for Scientific Culture in Erice, Sicily, Italy.