Preface

Summary

In this book I have tried to tell something of the life of Erwin schrödinger in such a way that even those who are not scientists may be able to understand the greatness of his work, the range of his ideas, and the kind of person he was. Montaigne wrote that ‘our life is divided betwixt folly and prudence: whoever will write of it only what is reverend and canonical will leave about the one-half behind’. In order to come closer to the whole of schrödinger, I have included some account of his personal life. It is not thirty years since his death and thus many personal memories and sensitivities have not yet receded into history, a situation that is both a help and a hindrance for a biographer. It is possible to interview former friends and colleagues, but some important collections of letters and memoirs remain closed to research.

My book was made possible by the generosity with which schrödinger's eldest daughter, Mrs Ruth Braunizer, made available many of the archives concerning her father's life.

Special thanks are due to Professor Ludvik Bass of the University of Queensland, schrödinger's last postdoctoral student, who reviewed the entire manuscript; his scientific and historical comments have been invaluable.

Dr Linda Wessels of Indiana University provided many helpful suggestions. Professor James McConnell of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies never failed to answer my seemingly endless questions about schrödinger's Dublin years. Dr Anthony Bracken reviewed several theoretical sections; Professor David MacAdam clarified some of the difficulties of color theory. My friend and neighbor, Robert Halporn, assisted in the decipherment of Gothic script and in explaining life in Vienna and the Austrian educational system. Dr John Fletcher helped with the study of schrödinger's poetry. Professor Sture Nordholm provided translations of the Nobel Archives, and Dr Kirsten Streib translated some of Niels Bohr's letters from the Danish. Professor Karl v. Meyenn of Barcelona made available unpublished material about schrödinger in Spain, and Professor Kenji Sugimoto shared his collection of photographs. My family was enlisted in various ways: Professor Joseph Wiecha as consultant on German language and literature, my sister Mary Wiecha for comments on style and content, and my nephew Dr John Wiecha for one of the interviews.