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The world is constantly changing, moving forward and making progress. This evolutionary process would be possible only when people with great minds discover new things and initiate new solutions to the existing problems of the world. The ceaseless endeavor, of these people lead to new inventions and discoveries.
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The world is indeed indebted to the works of many learned people who eagerly spend much of their lives to discover the hidden forces of the world and create new theories. These people are indeed the engine of the world’s movement and dynamism. In all ages such people lived and contributed to the well being of mankind. In the past many well-known learned scientists mastered various subjects such as mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, medicine and etc., mainly due to the limited scope of these fields at that time. But as the time passed and man’s knowledge in each field grew, the scientists’ field of specialization became more focused. However, there remained a few scientists whose curiosity and talent led them to master several fields of knowledge and they were able to meaningfully contribute to the world in many different areas. Professor Hessaby was one of these scientists who was able to
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master several fields of science. Therefore he can be considered a great person with great ideas and a great mind.
Professor Mahmoud Hessaby was born in 1903 in Tafresh, Iran, he lived 89 years and died in 1992. During his life he lived, studied and worked in different countries. In his early years of life he went to Lebanon, where he completed secondary school and studied Civil Engineering, Mathematics, History, Literature, Biology and Astronomy. He then went to Paris and studied Electrical and Mining Engineering and received degrees for them. Then he finally turned to physics and at the age of 25 he received his Ph.D. in this field. He once said that "I went first into medicine, then into Engineering and then I decided that it was physics, which could keep me busy and captivate me" (qtd. in "A Brief Biography of Professor Mahmud Hessaby" 16). He then went to Princeton, U.S.A. to work on his theory. After the completion of his work he went back to Iran, and greatly contributed to the development and modernization of his country.
One of the reasons that Professor Hessaby can be considered a great mind is his endless desire for knowledge that led him to study and master several fields of science. Dr. HadadAdel, one of the Iranian philosophers, said that, "Professor Hessaby was not only knowledgeable and a learned scientist but also he was very humble and was known for his sincere behavior " ("Dr. Hessaby, a man with lots of abilities" 29). He studied and researched in different subjects and was able to make great contributions in most of them. Such achievements are the result of deep curiosity and strong talent and intelligence that could not be found in ordinary people. He also taught different subjects at various universities and gave new and interesting ideas in each of them.
The other aspect that makes him a great mind is his well-known theory of "Infinitely extended particles". After Professor Hessaby obtained his Ph.D. in Physics he continued his research in U.S.A. That was when Professor Hessaby met with Professor Albert Einstein. Professor Hessaby was the only Iranian who closely worked with Professor Einstein. Professor Hessaby’s theories and his views were different from those of Professor Einstein’s, but he still continued to work closely with Professor Einstein. He worked on his theory in Princeton, Chicago and preformed many different experiments to verify his theory. He published the results of his research in 1946 at Princeton University. His theory "Infinitely extended particles" is well known among scientists and made him a senior member of the New York academy of science. Professor Einstein once said about him that "One day he will change the direction of physics in the world."("Dr Hessaby, infinitely extended particles" 7). In 1973 the medal of "Commandeur de la Legion", France’s greatest scientific medal was awarded to him for his great theory.
The other point that makes Professor Hessaby a great mind, is his loyalty and great services to his country. Dr. Hadad Adel said that, "Professor Hessaby did not use science as a mean to earn money, but to serve humanity" ("Dr. Hessaby, a man with lots of abilities" 31). He taught seven generations of Iranian students. He is one of the very few who transferred modern science and technology from all over the world to Iran. He also played a significant role in the establishment of Universities and scientific centers in Iran. Professor Hessaby established the first University in Iran called Tehran U. Due to his invaluable services, in 1990 he was given the title of "The Father of Physics" and he was a pioneer of modern science in Iran.
Every five years The American Biographical Institute (ABI) and The International Biographical Center (IBC) select a list of five thousand scientists from all over the world. Among these scientists only one person is chosen as the "World Man of the Year in Science". In 1990 these two institutes gave this title to Professor Mahmoud Hessaby.
In conclusion Professor Hessaby was a great person both in the history of the science and for the modernization of his country. He had an endless quest for knowledge and succeeded in developing valuable theories, such as the "infinitely extended particles". One of the great things he did was the modification of Newton’s law of gravity and Columbus’ law. Professor Hessaby knew eleven different languages, such as Persian, English, French, Arabic, German, Italian, Greek and etc. What makes professor Hessaby unique is the numerous services he rendered for his country, such as Establishment of Tehran U., the teachers collage the first meteorological station and radiological center in Iran. He also founded the space research center, the geophysics institute and the satellite tracking observatory center of Iran. It is interesting to know that professor Hessaby also mastered Persian literature, played piano and violin and established the first Iranian institute of music. Professor Hessaby’s life, his struggles, his tireless and intense interest in the quest of science as well as his deep interest in teaching the youth, and his commitment to the scientific progress of his country provides a living example and model for the students of science.
