John Stachel (; born 29 March 1928) is an American
physicist
A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe.
Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate caus ...
and
philosopher of science
A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...
.
Biography
Stachel earned his
PhD at
Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology is a private research university in Hoboken, New Jersey. Founded in 1870, it is one of the oldest technological universities in the United States and was the first college in America solely dedicated to mechanical ...
in
Physics
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...
about a topic in
General relativity
General relativity, also known as the general theory of relativity and Einstein's theory of gravity, is the geometric theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1915 and is the current description of gravitation in modern physics ...
in 1958. After holding different teaching positions at
Lehigh University
Lehigh University (LU) is a private research university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer and was originally affiliated with the Epis ...
and the
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...
, he went 1964 to
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...
where he was professor of physics until his
emeritation.
In 1977, Stachel became the first editor of the
Einstein Papers Project
The Einstein Papers Project (EPP) produces the historical edition of the writings and correspondence of Albert Einstein. The EPP collects, transcribes, translates, annotates, and publishes materials from Einstein's literary estate and a multitude ...
, then at
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...
. The first two volumes (out of a projected twenty-five) of ''The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein'' were published during his tenure.
He is head of the Boston University
Center for Einstein Studies and, together with
Don Howard, publishes the book series ''Einstein Studies''.
Stachel also authored a text, entitled ''Einstein: From 'B' to 'Z'.''
In 2005 he delivered the
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences.
It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars span ...
's Master-Mind Lecture.
Bibliography (selection)
* A. Einstein; J. Stachel,
D.C. Cassidy, et al., eds., ''The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein, Vol. 1: The Early Years, 1879-1902'', Princeton University Press 1987,
* A. Einstein; J. Stachel, D.C. Cassidy, et al., eds., ''The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein, Vol. 2: The Swiss Years: Writings, 1900-1909'', Princeton University Press 1989,
*
A. Ashtekar, J. Stachel, eds., ''Conceptual Problems of Quantum Gravity'', Springer 1991,
* D. Howard, J. Stachel
''Einstein, The Formative Years 1879-1909'' Birkhäuser 2000,
* J. Stachel
'Einstein from 'B' to 'Z' '' Birkhauser 2002,
* A. Ashtekar et al., eds.
Kluwer 2003,
See also
*
Point-coincidence argument In general relativity, the hole argument is an apparent paradox that much troubled Albert Einstein while developing his famous field equations.
Some philosophers of physics take the argument to raise a problem for '' manifold substantialism'', a d ...
References
External links
HomepagePapers & PresentationsBrief CV
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stachel, John
1928 births
Living people
American relativity theorists
Quantum gravity physicists
Stevens Institute of Technology alumni
Lehigh University faculty
University of Pittsburgh faculty
Boston University faculty
Historians of physics