John Wheeler
contemporaryTheoretical Physics / Philosophy of Physics1911 – 2008
John Archibald Wheeler (1911-2008) was an American theoretical physicist who made foundational contributions to general relativity, quantum gravity, and nuclear physics. He coined the terms 'black hole,' 'wormhole,' and 'quantum foam,' and developed the participatory anthropic principle and the 'it from bit' doctrine relating information to physical reality.
Notable Achievements
1
Coined the term 'black hole' and popularized study of gravitational collapse
2
Developed geometrodynamics, attempting to reduce physics to spacetime geometry
3
Co-authored the seminal textbook 'Gravitation' with Misner and Thorne
4
Formulated the 'it from bit' thesis linking information theory to physical reality
5
Proposed the delayed-choice quantum experiment exploring observer participation