Obituary | Infinite possibilities

Freeman Dyson died on February 28th

The maverick physicist and big thinker was 96

THERE ARE, wrote Freeman Dyson towards the end of his long life, two different kinds of mathematicians. Some are birds, who fly high, surveying the broad vistas and spotting unexpected links between different bits of the mathematical landscape. Others are frogs, who prefer to be up close and on the ground, delighting in the details and the beauty of the flowers.

This article appeared in the Obituary section of the print edition under the headline “Infinite possibilities”

The politics of pandemics

From the March 14th 2020 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Obituary

Peter Fenwick

Peter Fenwick became the world expert on near-death experiences

The neuropsychiatrist and promoter of “the art of dying” died on November 22nd, aged 89

Author Chiung Yao

Chiung Yao taught the Chinese all about romantic love

The bestselling novelist and screenwriter died on December 4th, aged 86


Jimmy Carter in 1976

Jimmy Carter was perhaps the most virtuous of all America’s presidents

The humble peanut farmer who went to the White House died on December 29th, aged 100


Brother Harold Palmer lived alone in the wilds by choice

The Northumbrian hermit died on October 4th, aged 93

Shalom Nagar was picked by lottery to kill Adolf Eichmann

The Israeli prison officer turned ritual slaughterer died on November 26th, aged 88

John Kinsel used his own language to fool the Japanese

One of the last Navajo code-talkers died on October 19th, aged 107