Freeman Dyson, a visionary and renaissance physicist, dies at 96



Freeman Dyson, a visionary physicist and technophile who helped crack the secrets of the subatomic world, tried to build a spaceship that could carry humans across the solar system, worked to dismantle nuclear arsenals and wrote elegantly about science and human destiny, died Feb. 28 at a hospital near his home in Princeton, N.J. He was 96.

The cause was complications from a fall, said a son, George Dyson.

Mr. Dyson, born in England between the world wars, spent most of his professional life as a kind of genius-in-residence at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, overlapping in his early years with Albert Einstein.

In a career spent traversing fields as diverse as physics, biology, astronomy, nuclear energy, arms control, space travel and science ethics, Mr. Dyson was always obliging when a journalist called him for a grabby quote about the trajectory of humanity. His ideas were reliably un­or­tho­dox; the Pulitzer Prize-winning classical composer Paul Moravec once called him “the world’s most civil heretic.”

Of all his notions, his most famous was that alien civilizations, seeking to maximize their supply of energy, would build elaborate megastructures around their parent stars to capture much of the solar radiation. Astronomers periodically see something that they speculate might be one of these “spheres” — although Mr. Dyson freely admitted he lifted the idea from science-fiction writer Olaf Stapledon.

Long before he became an oracle, he labored in the trenches of mathematics and physics. He succeeded in the late 1940s in developing an early landmark synthesis of the latest thinking in the theory known as quantum electrodynamics. His resulting paper, “The Radiation Theories of Tomonaga, Schwinger and Feynman,” was regarded as an instant classic and gave Mr. Dyson lifelong credibility in the sciences even as he went on to tackle more speculative interests.

Now that would have been a guy I would have loved to have a long lunch or dinner with and just let him talk till his heart was content. I bet some of his theories would keep me up at night just imagining if the were true.

In the Death Gate Cycle books, the planet Pryan is a Dyson Sphere.



...still hoping for the movies.

They actually did an episode of Star Trek:TNG involving a Dyson Sphere. It was a structure that totally encompasses a star, the surface of the sphere being the orbital distance of a planet, but in 3 dimensions. (It's green!)

He would have been cool to sit down with over a couple pints.

R=EM

Fuck cancer.

Timothy F. Kelleher, Jr. Veteran

February 27, 2020

KELLEHER, Timothy Francis, Jr. 90, of Dedham, entered peacefully, into eternal life, February 27, 2020, surrounded by the love of family and dear friends, at the Stanley R. Tippet Home, Needham.

Mr. Kelleher was the beloved husband of the late Catherine Louise (O’Brien) Kelleher, his cherished Kay, with whom he shared nearly sixty years of marriage. Born May 7, 1929, in Hartford, Connecticut, the son of the late Timothy Francis Kelleher and Alice Mary (Cashman) Kelleher, he moved with his family to Dedham in his early years. He considered himself a proud, life-long Dedham resident, and along with his dearest Kay, created a wonderfully rich, fulfilling life for his family, in the community he so loved.

Tim was the consummate gentleman, who served his faith, family, community and country with deep pride. He was a graduate of Noble and Greenough School, class of 1948. Tim was a communicant of St. Mary’s of the Assumption parish, serving in the St. Vincent De Paul Society, where along with Kay, was recognized for his long-standing service and commitment to helping others.The Dedham Council on Aging, Meals on Wheels, the Dedham Food Pantry and the Endicott Estate Greenhouse were beneficiaries of his boundless energy, tireless effort and magnanimous spirit. Tim served proudly, with honor, in the United States Army during the Korean War. He was formerly employed in the insurance industry, before retiring after many years of service to Commonwealth Gas Company. He was a member of the Dedham Retired Men’s Club and Knights of Columbus.

In addition to his investment in the community, Tim was a devoted friend to many, and, in turn, was blessed by these deep abiding friendships. Along with Kay, he enjoyed gathering family and friends, to celebrate life's occasions. Tim's generosity of spirit was powerfully felt by the people he touched, and his family is grateful for the many friends and caregivers, who shared his journey.

Tim will be dearly missed by his children, Brien and his wife Debbie of Walpole, Timothy and his wife Kelly, of Marion, Ann and her husband Jesse of Dedham, his cherished grandchildren, Aimée Kelleher of Boston, Timothy Kelleher, IV of Bristol, RI, Chloë Kelleher of Boston, Eva and Kay Stanesa of Dedham, and many very special nieces and nephews. Also survived by Helen and David Carlson of Guilford, CT. In addition to his wife, Tim was predeceased by his sister Alice Mary, her husband John "Bud" Black, his brother and sister-in law, Mark and Ann Fleitzer, his niece Rose and his nephew John. Always the first to offer a hand, or tool, Tim leaves a legacy of integrity, kindness, friendship and joy.

Visiting hours at the George F. Doherty & Sons Wilson-Cannon Funeral Home, 456 High St., DEDHAM, Monday, Mar. 2 from 4-8pm. Funeral from the funeral home, Tuesday, Mar. 3 at 9am followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Mary’s Church, Dedham at 10am Relatives and friends kindly invited. Interment in Brookdale Cemetery, Dedham. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Tim’s memory to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, c/o St. Mary’s Conference, 420 High St., Dedham, MA 02026 or to HESSCO Elder Services, Dedham Meals on Wheels program, www.hessco.org.

Henri Richard, the younger brother of Maurice "Rocket" Richard and a 20-year veteran of the Montreal Canadiens died Friday after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

He was 84.

Although his nickname "The Pocket Rocket" was in reference to his short stature (he was five-feet-seven inches tall) and a play on older brother Maurice's nickname, Richard became a legend in his own right after leading a storied 20-year career with the Montreal Canadiens that saw him win 11 Stanley Cups.

Born Feb. 29, 1936, Richard spent his youth on many of the same skating rinks as his brother, who went on to become one of the most famous Habs to grace the Montreal Forum's ice.

When the shorter, younger brother joined the Canadiens in the 1955-56 season, it was at first dismissed as a publicity stunt.

"A lot of people said I wouldn't make it in the NHL," Richard told the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.
But as time went on, and as Richard went on to help the Habs win 11 NHL championships, it was clear there was more to him than what met the eye.

Richard wore his number 16 for 20 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens until his retirement in 1975, two more seasons than his brother, who died in 2000. He was the ninth player in the NHL to achieve 1,000 points, which he did in 1973.

He shared the ice with many of the Canadiens' most legendary players: Jean Béliveau, Jacques Plante, Bernie "Boom Boom" Geffrion and Dickie Moore. He succeeded Béliveau as the Habs' captain in 1971.

On top of it all, Richard was loyal to a fault. Besides the Canadiens' junior team, he never played for another team during his career.

"Because of the age difference, I didn't think it would be possible but I played with my brother for five years (1955-1960). Maurice used to say that if I hadn't been there, he wouldn't have played that long," Richard told the Hockey Hall of Fame.

"Some people say it was destiny, but I just think I was in the right place at the right time. That was a great team. There were so many great hockey players. I wouldn't have said it before, but now that it's all over, I thought winning like that was normal."

Richard played 1,256 regular-season games, another Canadiens record. He scored 358 goals and had 1,046 points, third in team history behind Guy Lafleur (1,246) and Beliveau (1,219)

He added 129 points in 180 playoff games.

RIP Henri Richard,