Albert Hibbs
Encyclopedia
Albert Roach Hibbs was a noted mathematician
known worldwide as "the voice of JPL
". He was born in Akron, Ohio
on October 19, 1924 and died on February 24, 2003 of complications following heart surgery.
In 1949, Hibbs and Roy Walford
took time off, from graduate school and medical school respectively, to go to Reno
and Las Vegas
to beat the casino
s at roulette
. Studying biases in the roulette wheels, they made thousands of dollars (a significant sum at the time), variously estimated between $6,500 (Life magazine
) and $42,000 (a Walford obituary). According to Albert Hibbs himself, during an episode of You Bet Your Life
on which he was a contestant, he made "about $12,000."
Hibbs earned his Ph.D. in 1955 under Richard Feynman
, with a dissertation titled "The Growth of Water Waves Due to the Action of the Wind". He also transcribed and edited Feynman's lectures in quantum electrodynamics, and coauthored their book on path integrals
and quantum mechanics
. He called upon his mentor at least once to provide recommendations to NASA
for his selection as a science astronaut in the Apollo program. In 1967, Hibbs was chosen to become an astronaut on the Apollo 25 moon mission, but the program was canceled before it would have been launched.
In 1962, Hibbs began hosting a Saturday morning educational program
on NBC
television entitled Exploring
. It mostly, but not exclusively, covered scientific
topics, featuring segments with the Ritts puppets, cinematic short subject
s, animated versions of famous legends, and music. It ran for several years, but received poor ratings, and was constantly shifted around the schedule.
Hibbs enjoyed making kinetic sculpture as a hobby and was fascinated by self-actuated machines—a field where he once again collaborated in a well known idea-experiment of Feynman's. According to Feynman, it was Hibbs who originally suggested to him (circa 1959) the idea of a medical use for Feynman's theoretical micromachines (see nanotechnology
). Hibbs suggested that certain repair machines might one day be reduced in size to the point that it would, in theory, be possible to (as Feynman put it) "swallow the doctor".
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
known worldwide as "the voice of JPL
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The facility is headquartered in the city of Pasadena on the border of La Cañada Flintridge and Pasadena...
". He was born in Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
on October 19, 1924 and died on February 24, 2003 of complications following heart surgery.
In 1949, Hibbs and Roy Walford
Roy Walford
Roy Lee Walford, M. D. was a pioneer in the field of caloric restriction. He died at age 79 of respiratory failure as a complication of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis...
took time off, from graduate school and medical school respectively, to go to Reno
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
and Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
to beat the casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s at roulette
Roulette
Roulette is a casino game named after a French diminutive for little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even....
. Studying biases in the roulette wheels, they made thousands of dollars (a significant sum at the time), variously estimated between $6,500 (Life magazine
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
) and $42,000 (a Walford obituary). According to Albert Hibbs himself, during an episode of You Bet Your Life
You Bet Your Life
You Bet Your Life is an American quiz show that aired on both radio and television. The original and best-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show debuted on ABC Radio in October 1947, then moved to CBS Radio in September...
on which he was a contestant, he made "about $12,000."
Hibbs earned his Ph.D. in 1955 under Richard Feynman
Richard Feynman
Richard Phillips Feynman was an American physicist known for his work in the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics and the physics of the superfluidity of supercooled liquid helium, as well as in particle physics...
, with a dissertation titled "The Growth of Water Waves Due to the Action of the Wind". He also transcribed and edited Feynman's lectures in quantum electrodynamics, and coauthored their book on path integrals
Path integral formulation
The path integral formulation of quantum mechanics is a description of quantum theory which generalizes the action principle of classical mechanics...
and quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics
Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
. He called upon his mentor at least once to provide recommendations to NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
for his selection as a science astronaut in the Apollo program. In 1967, Hibbs was chosen to become an astronaut on the Apollo 25 moon mission, but the program was canceled before it would have been launched.
In 1962, Hibbs began hosting a Saturday morning educational program
Educational program
An educational program is a program written by the ministry of education which determines the learning progress of each subject in all the stages of formal education....
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television entitled Exploring
Exploring (TV series)
Exploring was a Saturday morning children's educational series in color that appeared on NBC television from 1962 to 1966. The NBC News series, which would be nominated for an Emmy Award in 1964 and win a Peabody Award in 1963, would feature segments that mainly covered science, but would also...
. It mostly, but not exclusively, covered scientific
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
topics, featuring segments with the Ritts puppets, cinematic short subject
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
s, animated versions of famous legends, and music. It ran for several years, but received poor ratings, and was constantly shifted around the schedule.
Hibbs enjoyed making kinetic sculpture as a hobby and was fascinated by self-actuated machines—a field where he once again collaborated in a well known idea-experiment of Feynman's. According to Feynman, it was Hibbs who originally suggested to him (circa 1959) the idea of a medical use for Feynman's theoretical micromachines (see nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
). Hibbs suggested that certain repair machines might one day be reduced in size to the point that it would, in theory, be possible to (as Feynman put it) "swallow the doctor".