Talk:Charles H. Townes

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A news item involving Charles H. Townes was featured on Wikipedia's Main Page in the In the news section on 29 January 2015.

Wikipedia

This article is written in American English, which has its own spelling conventions (color, defense, traveled) and some terms that are used in it may be different or absent from other varieties of English. According to the relevant style guide, this should not be changed without broad consensus.

WikiProject class rating[edit]

This article was automatically assessed because at least one WikiProject had rated the article as start, and the rating on other projects was brought up to start class. BetacommandBot 10:04, 10 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Plagarism?[edit]

A large portion of this page seems to be taken directly from http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1964/townes-bio.html 69.140.255.239 (talk) 16:39, 7 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You are correct. The material seems to have been added this edit. 207.34.229.126 (talk) 15:21, 10 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

5 1/2 years, i would hope any question of plaigarism has been settled. I have not read the Nobel copy, so someone else may want to address. Unfortunately, as is often true, there is now a wealth of posthumous material available, so there should be even less justification (less than zero?!) for copy/paste. Rags (talk) 11:54, 29 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Command and Conquer Generals Zero Hour[edit]

Was this guy the basis for General Townes (the laser general) in the video game Command and Conquer Generals' expansion pack Zero Hour? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.114.62.180 (talk) 16:27, 4 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

initial opposition to research?[edit]

No mention of Niels Bohr and John von Neumann telling Townes that it was impossible to make masers? It's in the Business week source[1].Nobel laurates Isidor Isaac Rabi and Isidor Isaac Rabi tried to convince him to stop his research only 3 months before he hit jackpot. --Enric Naval (talk) 22:26, 27 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Now that the skepticism of Townes' peers has been noted, it is not clear from the links supplied, including the one above, whether the quotes from Bohr & Neumann refer to the maser, the laser, or the general principle of electromagnetic wave amplification. --Blainster (talk) 11:10, 1 May 2015 (UTC)[reply]

unconfirmed death notice[edit]

it's 3:25 Jan 27 2015. I am unable to confirm claims of his death. Single edit contributor. probably bogus, pending more info GangofOne (talk) 23:27, 27 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Nope, being a Berkeley student with connections to the Space Sciences Lab I got advanced notice. Here's the news when it broke: http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2015/01/27/nobel-laureate-and-laser-inventor-charles-townes-dies-at-99/ Sailthedarkenedseas (talk) 17:09, 28 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I am wrong. However I could not find confimation at that time. Also, I assumed he was immortal. GangofOne (talk) 23:24, 28 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

External link?[edit]

Would an interview with transcript with Charles H. Townes from 1987 be useful here as an external link? Focus of conversation is nuclear weapons policy. http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_AA792D6219E04B6E8B6303ECA8C46C65 (I have a conflict of interest; otherwise I would add it myself.) Mccallucc (talk) 14:29, 23 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

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Inventor of laser and difference between maser and laser[edit]

Wiki currently states that several people are credited with the invention of the laser including Townes. Someone with more knowledge on the subject should clear this up. Also, it should probably be explained what the differences are between a maser and laser somewhere. — Preceding unsigned comment added by HBBorges (talk • contribs) 17:17, 15 April 2018 (UTC)[reply]

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion[edit]

The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion:

Daughters of Charles Townes 1964.jpg

Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 17:22, 30 July 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Science & Religion[edit]

It's more likely that he didn't had the courage to leave the religious environment he felt so comfortable in. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Koitus~nlwiki (talk • contribs) 22:32, 26 February 2021 (UTC)[reply]

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion[edit]

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Daughters of Charles Townes 1964.jpg

Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 03:49, 29 March 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Inappropriate description of ethnicity.[edit]

Article describes Dr. Townes as being of 'ethinic German Stock'. This term is absent from the source provided, and his distant ancestry is of questionable relevance anyway.

I am rewording to something less eugenics-y, but suggest that the entire line could be cut. 130.246.69.88 (talk) 10:32, 6 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]