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The Multiple Lives of the General Relativity Community, 1955–1974

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Biographies in the History of Physics

Abstract

The history of general relativity presents intriguing challenges for historians and philosophers of science. Its origins and receptions have figured prominently in debates about conceptual transformations, the dynamics of theory change, relationships between theory and experiment and, of course, physical and philosophical notions of space and time.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See correspondence between Howard P. Robertson and J. L. Synge, H. P. Robertson Papers, 100240MS, Caltech Archives, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, box 5, folder 25.

  2. 2.

    “Conférence pour l’Organisation des Etudes concernant la Création d’un Laboratoire europée de Physique nucléaire, Paris, 17–21 Décembre 1951” UNESCO/NS/NUC/4, http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001540/154028fb.pdf. Accessed 13 February 2017; and “Minutes of the First Session of the CERN European Council for Nuclear Research,” Paris, 5–8 May 1952, http://cds.cern.ch/record/19494/files/CM-P00075404-e.pdf. Accessed 13 February 2017.

  3. 3.

    A. Mercier, Sur la Théorie de la Gravitation et de la Relativité Générale GRG, p. 15. Handakten Prof. André Mercier (1934–1998), Staatsarchiv Bern, Bern, folder BB 8.2 1556, Dossier on GRG.

  4. 4.

    See also Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman to Werner Heisenberg, 9 November 1954, Nachlaß Werner Heisenberg, Rep. 93, Abteilung III, Max Planck Archiv, Berlin, folder 1704.

  5. 5.

    See also A. Mercier, Sur la Théorie de la Gravitation et de la Relativité Générale GRG. Handakten Prof. André Mercier (1934–1998), Staatsarchiv Bern, Bern, folder BB 8.2 1556, Dossier on GRG.

  6. 6.

    See the correspondence concerning the Chapel Hill conference in Cécile DeWitt-Morette Papers, Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin, Box 4RM235.

  7. 7.

    “Pratiquement toutes les écoles de relativistes du monde furent représentées.” A. Mercier, Leçons sur la Théorie de la Gravitation et de la Relativité Générale GRG, p. 15, Handakten Prof. André Mercier (1934–1998), Staatsarchiv Bern, Bern, folder BB 8.2. 1556, Dossier on GRG.

  8. 8.

    Rosenfeld and Møller to members of the Committee on General Relativity and Gravitation, 2 January 1961, Vladimir Fock Papers, 1919–1974, Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences. St. Petersburg Branch, St. Petersburg, Fond 1034, Inventaire 2, folder 180.

  9. 9.

    Minutes of the Meeting of the ICGRG, 30 June and 7 July 1965, Papers of the International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation (hereafter PISGRG), Library of the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin, folder 1.1.

  10. 10.

    Mercier to Scientists throughout the world who work in the field of GRG, 27 October 1969, Peter Bergmann Papers (unprocessed collection), Syracuse University Archives, Syracuse, NY (hereafter PBP).

  11. 11.

    Mercier to ICGRG members, 22 September 1969, PBP.

  12. 12.

    Bergmann to Bondi, 8 October 1969, PBP.

  13. 13.

    See also “Mercier Claims Science May Unite World Politics,” The Times Picayune, New Orleans, 14 December 1968, Handakten Prof. André Mercier (1934–1998), folder BB 8.2. 1579.

  14. 14.

    Minutes of the Meeting of the ICGRG, 30 June and 7 July 1965, PISGRG, folder 1.1.

  15. 15.

    See Footnote 14.

  16. 16.

    Bondi to all the members of the ICGRG, 12 July 1968, PBP.

  17. 17.

    Peres to Bergmann, 14 May 1968, PBP.

  18. 18.

    Bergmann to Bondi, 17 May 1968, PBP. See also Bergmann to Bondi, 3 May 1968, The Papers of Sir Hermann Bondi, GBR/0014/BOND, Churchill Archives Centre, Churchill College, Cambridge, UK (hereafter BOND), folder 4/4 A.

  19. 19.

    Bondi to the Members of the ICGRG, 12 July 1968, PBP.

  20. 20.

    Utiyama to Bondi, 18 July 1968; and Kilmister to Bondi, 24 July 1968, BOND, folder 4/4A, Bergmann to Bondi, 24 July 1968, PBP.

  21. 21.

    Telegram from Mercier to Bergmann, 26 August 1968, PBP. Mercier also sent a letter to all the scholars invited to the Tbilisi conference in which he reported the text of the telegram. Mercier to Scientist invited to partake in the Tiflis-Conference on Gravitation and the Theory of Relativity, 27 August 1968, BOND, folder 4/4A.

  22. 22.

    Telegram from Bondi to Members of the ICGRG, 29 August 1968, PBP, also in BOND, folder 4/4A.

  23. 23.

    Telegram from Peres to Bondi, 5 September 1968; telegram from Kereselidze to Bondi, 4 September 1968; Miss Speathe to Bondi, 4 September 1968, BOND, folder 4/4A; Rosen to Fock, 15 October 1968, PBP.

  24. 24.

    Telegram from Bondi to Bergmann, 6 September 1968, PBP. Various telegrams to ICGRG members, members of the Organizational Committee of the Tbilisi conference and to the Secretary of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, 6 September 1968, BOND, folder 4/4A.

  25. 25.

    Peter Havas to Bondi, 29 August 1968; Goldberg to Organizing Committee, 3 September 1968; telegram from Bergmann to Fock, 3 September 1968, PBP; Penrose to Bondi, 28 August 1968, Jules Géhéniau to Bondi, 30 August 1968; and telegram from Alfred Schild to Bondi, 30 August 1968, BOND, folder 4/4A.

  26. 26.

    Minutes of the ICGRG during the GR5 conference held in Tbilisi on 12 September 1965, PBP.

  27. 27.

    Robinson to Mercier, 5 April 1969, Engelbert Schucking Papers, Library of the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin, Box 5, folder Ivor Robinson.

  28. 28.

    Møller to Bondi, 15 October 1968, Christian Møller Papers, Correspondence 1971–81, Niels Bohr Archive, Copenhagen (hereafter CMP), Box A-D, folder 3.

  29. 29.

    Bergmann to all members of the ICGRG, undated, probably November 1968 ca., PBP.

  30. 30.

    In a personal communication, Joshua Goldberg similarly stated that the ICGRG was increasingly seen by the younger scholars as a “self-appointed group” of experts without any right to administrate the GRG international community at the institutional level.

  31. 31.

    DeWitt to Mercier, 28 April 1971, GR6 Conference in Copenhagen, NORDITA Archive, Niels Bohr Archive, Copenhagen, 1971 (hereafter GR6P), Box A-L.

  32. 32.

    Bondi to the members of the Committee on GRG, “The events of summer 1968,” undated handwritten note, probably 4 September 1968. It is likely that it was actually sent to the ICGRG members. See Bondi to Mrs. Browne, 4 September 1968. See also Bondi to Mercier, undated handwritten note, BOND, folder 4/4A.

  33. 33.

    DeWitt to Mercier, 28 April 1971, GR6P, Box A-L.

  34. 34.

    “Minutes of the Meetings on the Committee on GRG, held on occasion of the GR6-Conference in Copenhagen,” p. 5, Papers of George Dautcourt, personal collection, Berlin (hereafter DAUT).

  35. 35.

    Mercier to members of the sub-committee on the foundation of the society, 18 May 1972; and Mercier to A. A. Sokolov and N. V. Mitskiévic, 1 February 1973, PISGRG, folder 1.2.

  36. 36.

    Georg Dautcourt to Møller, 29 October 1971, PISGRG, folder 1.3.

  37. 37.

    Ivanenko to Møller, 22 July 1971, PGR6, Box A-L. Dautcourt, “Bericht über die 6. Internationale Gravitationskonferenz in Kopenhagen,” DAUT.

  38. 38.

    “Minutes of the 1st Meetings of a General Assembly towards the foundation of Society for General Relativity and Gravitation GRG,” p. 4, DAUT; and Kip Thorne, personal communication.

  39. 39.

    Dautcourt, “Bericht über die 6. Internationale Gravitationskonferenz in Kopenhagen,” DAUT.

  40. 40.

    Soviet participants of the GR6 Conference to the Chairman of the Plenary GR6, 9 July 1971, GR6P, Box A-L.

  41. 41.

    “Minutes of the 1st Meetings of a General Assembly towards the foundation of Society for General Relativity and Gravitation GRG,” p. 4, DAUT.

  42. 42.

    Ivanenko to Møller, 22 July 1971, GR6P, Box A-L; Ivanenko to Mercier, undated, probably June 1972, attached to Mercier to sub-committee, 14 July 72, PISGRG, folder 1.3.

  43. 43.

    Wheeler to Møller, 4 April 1972, John Archibald Wheeler Papers, 1880–2008, Mss.B.W564, American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, PA, Box 18; Thorne to Mercier, 25 July 1972, PISGRG, folder 1.3.

  44. 44.

    Mercier to the members of the ICGRG, 30 May 1972, PISGRG, folder 1.2; Mercier to Rosen, 10 October 1972, PISGRG, folder 1.3.

  45. 45.

    Møller to Mercier, 5 February 1973, CMP, folder GR7 1974.

  46. 46.

    Thorne to Sciama, 1 November 1972, PISGRG, folder 1.3.

  47. 47.

    Draft Constitution of The International Society for General Relativity and Gravitation, attached to the letter from Mercier to the members of the ICGRG, 18 November 1972, PISGRG, folder 1.2.

  48. 48.

    Constitution of the International Society for General Relativity and Gravitation (as finalized by the ICGRG at its meeting in Paris on 22 June 1973), International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation Records, 1961–1982, AR235, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library and Archives, College Park, MD.

  49. 49.

    Mercier to Relativists throughout the World, 10 October 1973, PISGRG, folder 1.4.

  50. 50.

    Mercier to Christian Møller, 7 January 1974, PISGRG, folder 1.4.

  51. 51.

    Mercier to Members at large of the International Society on GRG, 28 March 1974. International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation Records, 1961–1982, AR235, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library and Archives, College Park, MD.

  52. 52.

    H. -J. Treder to Møller, 17 June 1971, GR6P, Box M-Z.

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  1. Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin, Germany

    Roberto Lalli

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  2. Union College, Schenectady, NY, USA

    Mark Walker

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Lalli, R. (2020). The Multiple Lives of the General Relativity Community, 1955–1974. In: Forstner, C., Walker, M. (eds) Biographies in the History of Physics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48509-2_11

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