Robert Bruce Lindsay (1 January 1900 – 2 March 1985) was 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

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 ...

professor, known for his prolific authorship of physics books in

acoustics Acoustics is a branch of physics that deals with the study of mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including topics such as vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician ...

, and historical and philosophical analyses of

Biography

R(obert) Bruce Lindsay's January 1, 1900 birth date hailed a new century. At the age of 20, he received both a BA and an MS in physics from

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

. Before receiving his Ph.D. for atomic models of

alkali metals The alkali metals consist of the chemical elements lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K),The symbols Na and K for sodium and potassium are derived from their Latin names, ''natrium'' and ''kalium''; these are still the origins of the names ...

from

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

in 1924, he spent the 1922–23 academic year as a Fellow of

The American-Scandinavian Foundation The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) is an American non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting international understanding through educational and cultural exchange between the United States and Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway ...

at the

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...

under

Niels Bohr Niels Henrik David Bohr (; 7 October 1885 – 18 November 1962) was a Danish physicist who made foundational contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum theory, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922. B ...

and

Hans Kramers Hendrik Anthony "Hans" Kramers (17 December 1894 – 24 April 1952) was a Dutch physicist who worked with Niels Bohr to understand how electromagnetic waves interact with matter and made important contributions to quantum mechanics and statistical ...

. Lindsay and his wife Rachel translated Kramers’ book, ''The Atom and the Bohr Theory of its Structure'', in 1923, receiving approximately $125, on which they toured Europe. Lindsay went to

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

in 1923 as instructor in physics, and was promoted to assistant professor in 1927. He returned to

Brown Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model used ...

in 1930 as associate professor of theoretical physics, and was named Hazard Professor of Physics in 1936. He acted as chairman of the Physics Department at

from 1934 until he became dean of the Graduate School in 1954. Lindsay received the

ASA Gold Medal The ASA Gold Medal is an annual award presented by the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) to individuals in recognition of outstanding contributions to acoustics. The Gold Medal was first presented in 1954 and is the highest award of the ASA. Pa ...

in 1962, before retiring as dean of the Graduate School in 1966 and from teaching in 1970. He died March 2, 1985 in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...

Scientific contributions

A specialist in acoustics, particularly underwater sound, Lindsay’s career began in experimental physics, but eventually focused on the creation of thought-provoking physics books and courses. His innovative courses, such as “The Role of Science in Civilization” and “Energy and Man”, went beyond mere technical knowledge. Most of Lindsay's books were reprinted multiple times, and many remain in print. He is the namesake of the prestigiou
R. Bruce Lindsay Award

/ref> presented by the

Acoustical Society of America The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is an international scientific society founded in 1929 dedicated to generating, disseminating and promoting the knowledge of acoustics and its practical applications. The Society is primarily a voluntary orga ...

since 1942.

References

Books

* George W. Stewart & Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''Acoustics: A Text on Theory and Applications'', 368pp. (1930) (ASIN B0019ADTDA). eprint Stewart Press (2007) ()* Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''Physical Mechanics: An Intermediate Text for Students of the Physical Sciences (University Physics Series)'', Van Nostrand, 451pp. (1933) (ASIN B000MXV9OG, B0007GWH0S) eprint Van Nostrand, 480pp. (1961) ()* Robert Bruce Lindsay & Henry Margenau, ''Foundations of Physics'', John Wiley & Sons, 542pp. (1936) (ASIN B000H1ITV4). Reprint Dover Publications (1957) () & Ox Bow Press (1981) (, ) * Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''General Physics for Students of Science'', John Wiley & Sons (1940) (ASIN B0006AOTLU). eprint Chapman & Hall (1940) (ASIN B000OKBA82)* Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''Introduction to Physical Statistics'', John Wiley & Sons, 306pp. (1941) (ASIN B0007G0BCE). eprint Dover Publications (1968) ()* Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''Student's Handbook of Elementary Physics'', Dryden Press (1943) (ASIN B0006AQ1XY). * John William Strutt (Lord Rayleigh) & Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''Theory of Sound'', 2V, Dover Publishing (1945) (ASIN B000P7O6IK). eprint Dover Publishing (1976) ()* Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''Concepts and Methods of Theoretical Physics'', Van Nostrand, 515pp. (1951) (ASIN B0014KSH8C, B0000EGNM9). eprint Dover Publishing (1970) (), Japanese translation (1957)* Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''Mechanical Radiation'', McGraw Hill, 415pp. (1960) (ASIN B0006AW5E8). * Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''The Role of Science in Civilization'', Harper & Row, 318pp. (1963). eprint Greenwood Publishing Group (1973) ()* Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''The Nature of Physics: A Physicist's Views on the History and Philosophy of his Science'', Brown University Press, 212pp. (1968) (ASIN B000NZZJ9E, B00104FWZS, B000UW0N0K). eprint University Press of New England ()* Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''Julius Robert Mayer, Prophet of Energy (Men of Physics Series)'', Pergamon Press, 238pp. (1970) (ASIN B0006C3Z6I). eprint Elsevior, 244pp. ()* Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''Basic Concepts of Physics'', Van Nostrand, 608pp. (1971) (). eprint Van Nostrand, 464pp. ()* Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''Acoustics: Historical and Philosophical Development (Benchmark Papers in Acoustics, V1)'', Dowden, Hutchinson & Ross, 480pp. (1973) (). * Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''Physical Acoustics (Benchmark Papers in Acoustics, V4)'', Dowden, Hutchinson & Ross, 480pp. (1974) (). * Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''Energy (Benchmark Papers on Energy, V1)'', John Wiley & Sons, 384pp. (1976) (). * Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''Applications of Energy: Nineteenth Century (Benchmark Papers on Energy, V2)'', John Wiley & Sons, 432pp. (1976) (). * Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''Coal (Benchmark Papers on Energy, V3)'', Halsted Press, 400pp. (1976) (). * Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''The Second Law of Thermodynamics (Benchmark Papers on Energy, V5)'', Halsted Press, 329pp. (1976) (). * Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''The Control of Energy (Benchmark Papers on Energy, V6)'', Halsted Press, 404pp. (1977) (). * Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''Early Concepts of Energy in Atomic Physics (Benchmark Papers on Energy, V7)'', Stroudsburg, Dowden, Hutchinson & Ross, 329pp. (1979) (ASIN B000OUUR2M). * Robert Bruce Lindsay, ed. ''Mechanical, Thermal, and Chemical Storage of Energy (Benchmark Papers on Energy)'', Academic Press, 379pp. (1981) (). * Robert Bruce Lindsay, ed. ''Electrochemical, Electrical, and Magnetic Storage of Energy (Benchmark Papers on Energy)'', Academic Press, 350pp. (1981) (). * Robert Bruce Lindsay, ''Energy in Atomic Physics, 1925-1960 (Benchmark Papers on Energy)'', Van Nostrand Reinhold, 381pp. (1983) (). * Robert Bruce Lindsay,
Oral history interview with Robert Bruce Lindsay
' (May 6 & July 9, 1964). * Robert Bruce Lindsay,
Intellectual autobiography of R. Bruce Lindsay
'.

Scientific Papers

* R. B. Lindsay, “The Carbon Atom Model and the Structure of Diamond”,
Physical Review
', S2, V29, N4, pp. 497–509 (1927). * R. B. Lindsay, “High Frequency Sound Radiation from a Diaphragm”,
Physical Review
', S2, V32, N3, pp. 515–519 (1928). * R. B. Lindsay, “Note on the Theory of Acoustic Wave Filters”,
Physical Review
', S2, V34, N4, pp. 652–655 (1929). * R. B. Lindsay, “Connectors in Acoustical Conduits”,
Physical Review
', S2, V34, N5, pp. 808–816 (1929). * R. B. Lindsay, “A Canonical Transformation and the Vibrations of a Loaded String”,
Physical Review
', S2, V38, N3, pp. 491–500 (1931). * W. S. Wilson & R. B. Lindsay, “Atomic Wave Functions for Some Excited States of Helium”,
Physical Review
', S2, V47, N9, pp. 681–686 (1935). * R. B. Lindsay, “Finite Acoustic Filters”
Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
V8, N4, pp. 211–216 (1937). {{DEFAULTSORT:Lindsay, Robert Bruce 1900 births 1985 deaths People from New Bedford, Massachusetts 20th-century American physicists Brown University alumni University of Copenhagen alumni Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni Yale University faculty Brown University faculty ASA Gold Medal recipients Fellows of the American Physical Society