Abstract
DURING the war of 1914–18 a physics student applied for postponement of military service to enable him to sit for his university examination. One member of the tribunal asked if the student would not be better occupied at a base hospital. Nobody saw the connexion until two words of explanation were given- “mixing physic”. At the same time rumour had it that certain physicists working on radio-telegraphy were described officially as chemists because the Services had not officially heard of the term physicist. More recently the literature of popular science has helped to spread the idea that a physicist is essentially a splitter of atoms. In a leading article in the November number of the Journal of Applied Physics, published by the American Institute of Physics, fears are expressed that the services of physicists are liable to be neglected because service and business officers are still under the impression that physicists “being only interested in atoms” cannot be expected to be of much assistance.
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What is a Physicist?. Nature 147, 617–618 (1941). https://doi.org/10.1038/147617a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/147617a0