Haim Harari
Encyclopedia
Haim Harari (born 18 November 1940) is an Israeli theoretical physicist who has made contributions in particle physics
, science education
, and other fields.
member Yizhar Harari
and his mother was Dina born Neumann. He received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Physics from Hebrew University of Jerusalem
.
He is currently the Chair of the Board of the Davidson Institute of Science Education at the Weizmann Institute and Chair of the Management Committee of the Weizmann Global Endowment Management Trust in New York. He was the President, from 1988 to 2001, of the Weizmann Institute of Science
. During his presidency, the Weizmann Institute, entirely dedicated to basic research, became one of the leading royalty earning academic research organizations in the world.
Harari coined the name of the top
and bottom
quarks, predicted in 1973 by Kobayashi and Maskawa, and made the first complete statement of the standard six quarks and six lepton
s model of particle physics (at the Stanford 1975 Lepton-Photon Conference). He also proposed the Rishon Model, a model for a substructure of quarks and leptons, currently believed to be the most fundamental particles in nature. There is no experimental evidence yet for such substructure.
His contributions to education include the establishment of a national tutoring and mentoring project, in which more than 30,000 Israeli undergraduates receive a tuition fellowship in return for devoting four hours per week to a child from an underprivileged socioeconomic background. He also initiated and established a unique science teaching center in which high school students perform all their physics studies in advanced laboratories and with highly qualified teachers, instead of pursuing the same in their own schools. Harari has been chairman of both projects, since their founding.
In 2004 Harari gave a speech entitled "A View from the Eye of the Storm", which caused a worldwide sensation because of its insights into the problems of the Middle East. He eventually turned it into a book of the same name.
Particle physics
Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles that are the constituents of what is usually referred to as matter or radiation. In current understanding, particles are excitations of quantum fields and interact following their dynamics...
, science education
Science education
Science education is the field concerned with sharing science content and process with individuals not traditionally considered part of the scientific community. The target individuals may be children, college students, or adults within the general public. The field of science education comprises...
, and other fields.
Birth and education
Haim Harari was born in Jerusalem in 1940 into a family that had lived in the region for five generations. His father was KnessetKnesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
member Yizhar Harari
Yizhar Harari
-Biography:Harari was born in Jaffa, then under Ottoman rule. He studied political science and journalism at the University of Paris and then law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and economics and political science in London, and was certified as a lawyer. In 1933, he worked as a journalist...
and his mother was Dina born Neumann. He received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Physics from Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
.
Academic career
After completing his Ph.D, he became the youngest Professor ever at the Weizmann Institute in 1967.He is currently the Chair of the Board of the Davidson Institute of Science Education at the Weizmann Institute and Chair of the Management Committee of the Weizmann Global Endowment Management Trust in New York. He was the President, from 1988 to 2001, of the Weizmann Institute of Science
Weizmann Institute of Science
The Weizmann Institute of Science , known as Machon Weizmann, is a university and research institute in Rehovot, Israel. It differs from other Israeli universities in that it offers only graduate and post-graduate studies in the sciences....
. During his presidency, the Weizmann Institute, entirely dedicated to basic research, became one of the leading royalty earning academic research organizations in the world.
Contributions
Haim Harari has made major contributions to three different fields: particle physics research on the international scene, science education in the Israeli school system and science administration and policy making.Harari coined the name of the top
Top quark
The top quark, also known as the t quark or truth quark, is an elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. Like all quarks, the top quark is an elementary fermion with spin-, and experiences all four fundamental interactions: gravitation, electromagnetism, weak interactions, and...
and bottom
Bottom quark
The bottom quark, also known as the beauty quark, is a third-generation quark with a charge of − e. Although all quarks are described in a similar way by the quantum chromodynamics, the bottom quark's large bare mass , combined with low values of the CKM matrix elements Vub and Vcb, gives it a...
quarks, predicted in 1973 by Kobayashi and Maskawa, and made the first complete statement of the standard six quarks and six lepton
Lepton
A lepton is an elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. The best known of all leptons is the electron which governs nearly all of chemistry as it is found in atoms and is directly tied to all chemical properties. Two main classes of leptons exist: charged leptons , and neutral...
s model of particle physics (at the Stanford 1975 Lepton-Photon Conference). He also proposed the Rishon Model, a model for a substructure of quarks and leptons, currently believed to be the most fundamental particles in nature. There is no experimental evidence yet for such substructure.
His contributions to education include the establishment of a national tutoring and mentoring project, in which more than 30,000 Israeli undergraduates receive a tuition fellowship in return for devoting four hours per week to a child from an underprivileged socioeconomic background. He also initiated and established a unique science teaching center in which high school students perform all their physics studies in advanced laboratories and with highly qualified teachers, instead of pursuing the same in their own schools. Harari has been chairman of both projects, since their founding.
Award and honors
Harari's honors include, among others:- membership in the Israel Academy of SciencesIsrael Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesThe Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, based in Jerusalem, was set up in 1961 by the State of Israel to foster contact between scholars from the sciences and humanities in Israel, to advise the government on research projects of national importance, and to promote excellence. It comprises...
(1978); - membership in the American Academy of Arts and SciencesAmerican Academy of Arts and SciencesThe American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
(2010); - the Rothschild Prize in Physics (1976);
- the Israel PrizeIsrael PrizeThe Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
, in the exact sciences (1989); - the EMET PrizeEMET PrizeThe Emet Prize for Art, Science and Culture is an annual Israeli prize given for excellence in academic and professional achievements that have far reaching influence and significant contribution to society....
in Education (2004); - several honorary doctorates;
- the "Commander Cross of the Order of Merit" presented by the President of Germany;
- the "Cross of Honor, Science and Art, First Class" presented by Austria; and
- the rarely-awarded Harnack medalHarnack medalThe highest award which is presented by the Max Planck Society for services to society is the Harnack Medal, first awarded in 1925. Past recipients of the Harnack Medal are*Hermann Neuhaus 2008*Lu Yongxiang 2006*Hubert Markl 2004*Haim Harari 2001...
from the Max Planck Institute (2001), to acknowledge his contribution to the tradition of co-operation between the Max Planck SocietyMax Planck SocietyThe Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of German research institutes publicly funded by the federal and the 16 state governments of Germany....
and the Weizmann Institute.
In 2004 Harari gave a speech entitled "A View from the Eye of the Storm", which caused a worldwide sensation because of its insights into the problems of the Middle East. He eventually turned it into a book of the same name.
Books
- A View from the Eye of the Storm: Terror and Reason in the Middle East, HarperCollins, 2005.
External links
- Haim Harari's homepage at the Weizmann Institute of Science
- Davidson Institute of Science Education
- Book: A View from the Eye of the Storm - Terror and Reason in the Middle East
See also
- List of Israel Prize recipients
- HarariHarariHarari may refer to:* The city of Harar in Ethiopia; "Harari" is an adjectival form of the noun .** Harari people of Ethiopia** Harari language* Harari Region in Ethiopia* Harari Rishon Model, named after Haim Harari...