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Meet: Doyle (Al) Harper
Principal Investigator
University of Chicago, Illinois
What I do
Since my days as a graduate student at Rice University (in Houston), I have been
doing research in experimental astrophysics, specializing in observations at far
infrared wavelengths. I did my first research with a 12-inch diameter telescope
mounted in a NASA Lear Jet aircraft. (The original Lear Jet telescope is now on
the first floor of the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum.) I have been an active
user of the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) since 1974.
How I got started
I started reading about space travel in popular magazines and science fiction
books I checked out of the public library in Atlanta, where I grew up. One of
the first was "Between Planets" by Robert A. Heinlein. It was a really interesting
mixture of adventure, interplanetary intrigue, space travel, physics and astronomy.
One of the principal characters was a Venusian dragon named Sir Isaac Newton.
My interest in astronomy also got a big boost from my third grade teacher who
introduced me to her son, who was an amateur astronomer. I built my first telescope
with a mirror which he gave me.
I also had some very good teachers in high school who showed
me how much fun science could be. One of the highlights of my high school physics
course was measuring the mass of the electron using an electromagnet, balsa wood,
and a tuning-eye tube from an FM radio.
Other interests
As much as I enjoy science, I had a tough time choosing between physics and English
literature in college. There are so many interesting things to learn and think
about! I am a Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago.
I enjoy reading, writing, photography, playing the banjo and guitar, cross-country
skiing, bicycling, and running (when my knees will let me!).
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