Ronald Mallett – Physics Professor, Son and Secretive Time Traveler

A few days ago, I came across a pretty fascinating article that I simply couldn’t stop thinking about. Ronald Mallett is a UConn physics professor who has kept a pretty big secret his entire career (and his entire life pretty much). Afraid of being ridiculed by his colleagues, he only recently let it be known that the primary reason he chose physics was because he’s been obsessed with time travel. Specifically, he’s obsessed with figuring out a way to return to the past, so that he can talk to his father… who died in 1955.

For more than 50 years, he’s been obsessed with finding a way to return to the past. Specifically, to the Bronx, in 1955. That’s the year his father, Boyd Mallet, died. Mallett’s lifelong mission? To traverse spatiotemporal continuum and warn his dad to take better care of himself. To tell him to kick the two-pack-a-day habit that helped lead to the fatal heart attack he suffered at the age of 33.

You can read the entire article here. Mallett was also mentioned on This American Life last year, in an episode entitled My Brilliant Plan. [via]

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While Malett’s story is really touching (and quite awe-inspiring), I couldn’t help but think of this silly time-travel related link. Wikihistory is a funny snippet of a fictional online forum, where folks who discovered time travel all attempt to go back and assassinate Hitler. It’s a riot, and also a must-read.

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. That article was awesome. This type of stuff excites me. Someday I’m going to give it all up and become a scientist. I feel like that’s what I would be if I didn’t travel down the art path.This also inspired me to renew my subscription with Scientific American Magazine. I loved that publication, it’s filled with articles and such about topics like this.Thanks for sharing!

    Justin Reply


  2. for those that find this interesting, pick up a copy of the time traveler’s wife. i am very critical about books, hate to be left wanting at then end – as if the author decided ‘enough of all this, let me wrap up and go make a nice pot of tea’ style of endings.i read the time traveler’s wife on new year’s day though a migraine, as a gift from someone i was head over heels in love with but not with (he was also but commitment phobic).easily the most intensely romantic book i have read (though probably exceptionally bad timing)….

    g Reply


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