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John Michael Ziman (16 May 1925 – 2 January 2005) was a British-born New Zealand
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 humanist who worked in the area of
condensed matter physics Condensed matter physics is the field of physics that deals with the macroscopic and microscopic physical properties of matter, especially the solid and liquid phases which arise from electromagnetic forces between atoms. More generally, the ...
. He was a spokesman for science, as well as a teacher and author. Ziman was born in Cambridge, England, in 1925. His parents were Solomon Netheim Ziman and, Nellie Frances, née Gaster. The family emigrated to New Zealand when Ziman was a baby. He obtained his early education at Hamilton High School and the
Victoria University College Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of New Zealand Parliament, Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Z ...
. He obtained his PhD from
Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...
and did his early research on the theory of electrons in liquid metals at the University of Cambridge. In 1964 he was appointed professor of theoretical physics at
University of Bristol The University of Bristol is a Red brick university, red brick Russell Group research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Society of Merchant Venturers, Merchant Venturers' sc ...
, where he wrote his ''Elements Of Advanced Quantum Theory'' (1969) which explains the rudiments of quantum field theory with an elementary condensed matter slant. During this period, his interests shifted towards the philosophy of science. He argued about the social dimension of science, and the social responsibility of scientists in numerous essays and books. He married twice, to Rosemary Dixon in 1951 and secondly to Joan Solomon, and was survived by her and three of his four children.


See also

*
Nearly free electron model In solid-state physics, the nearly free electron model (or NFE model) or quasi-free electron model is a quantum mechanical model of physical properties of electrons that can move almost freely through the crystal lattice of a solid. The model i ...


Selected publications

* * * * * * * * * ''An Introduction to Science Studies: The Philosophical and Social Aspects of Science and Technology,'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987, * * *


References

1925 births People from Cambridge English Jews 2005 deaths English physicists British emigrants to New Zealand New Zealand Jews New Zealand people of English-Jewish descent New Zealand physicists Naturalised citizens of New Zealand Fellows of the Royal Society Alumni of King's College, Cambridge Academics of the University of Bristol People educated at Hamilton High School Jewish physicists {{physicist-stub