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Correspondence
Nature 423, 801 (19 June 2003) | doi:10.1038/423801c
Britannica: which edition inspired Schwinger?
Anita Wolff1
- Senior Editor, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 310 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60604, USA
Regarding Julian Schwinger's story of finding his subject by reading through the Encyclopaedia Britannica and stopping at 'Physics': an entry entitled 'Physics' appeared in every edition, beginning with the first in 1768, until the 8th (1852–60). In the 9th (1875–89) it was replaced with 'Physical Sciences' (by James Clerk Maxwell), from a paper "Remarks on the classification of the physical sciences".
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