Born in a family of educators, Pais was a bright student since his
childhood days. He was interested in languages and learnt English,
French and German in high school. It was during his college days that he
was drawn to exact sciences and later went on to pursue his doctorate
in theoretical physics. Being Jewish, Pais and his family faced grave
dangers during the World War II but he and his parents survived the war
with the help of some non-Jewish friends. His sister Annie was killed in
the concentration camps. Working with the likes of Niels Bohr and
Albert Einstein, after the war, he had an enriching experience. His
theories on ‘associated production’ and composition of the sub atomic
particle ‘Kaon’ were pioneering works in nuclear physics. His books on
history of modern physics were famous among the patrons of science all
over the world. Albert Einstein’s biography written by this prominent
science historian is considered one of his best works. He continued to
work even after retiring as a Professor Emeritus from the Rockefeller
University. In his memory, the American Physical Society has been
awarding ‘Abraham Pais Prize for History of Physics’ since 2005. To know
more about his life and works read on.
Childhood & Early Life
Pais
was the eldest child born to his Jewish parents Isaiah Jacques Pais and
Kaatje Cato van Kleeff in Amsterdam on May 19, 1918. Isaiah and Kleeff
had met each other during their training for teaching in
elementary-school. Kleeff left her job after their marriage.
Major Works
- Pais is known for his works on particle physics. The theory on ‘associated production’ and composition of Kaon particles are his major contribution to the field of nuclear physics.
- His biography on Albert Einstein ‘Lord is Subtle’ is acclaimed as one of the finest biographies of a scientist ever written. The book even won the ‘US National Book Award’.Awards & Achievements
- In 1976, Pais was honoured with the ‘Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Prize’ for his contribution to particle physics.
- The ‘Rockefeller University’ presented him the ‘Lewis Thomas Prize’ for his writings on the scientific community in 1995.Personal Life & Legacy
- Abraham Pais was married to Jeanne who was arrested along with him by the Gestapo during the World War II. Later he got married to Lila Lee Atwil. Ida Nicolaisen was his third wife, with whom he spent the last days of his life. Abraham’s son Josh Pais is a Hollywood actor.
- He died of heart failure in 2000 at Copenhagen. In his last days he was working on a biography of Robert Oppenheimer..Trivia"One of the strangest things I learned, one of the strangest things, is how to think. There was nothing else to do. I couldn't see people, or go for a walk in the forest. All I had was my head and my books, and I thought a lot.", is a quote by the famous Dutch-American physicist.
