77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
Doherty Michael attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude, in 1970. Later in 1974, he obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Solid-state Physics from it.
77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
Doherty Michael attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude, in 1970. Later in 1974, he obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Solid-state Physics from it.
(Extraterrestrial panoramas are rendered in striking detai...)
Extraterrestrial panoramas are rendered in striking detail and color in a sound work of popular science by a respected British astronomer and space artist.
The Cheshire Cat and Other Eye-popping Experiments on How We See the World
(Create the illusion of magically floating cubes. Make a b...)
Create the illusion of magically floating cubes. Make a bird mysteriously appear in a cage. Through these and other projects in The Cheshire Cat, learn how your eyes and brain work together to see the world in weird, amazing ways.
The Magic Wand and Other Bright Experiments on Light and Color
(Learn why the sky is blue but sunsets are red. Make stran...)
Learn why the sky is blue but sunsets are red. Make strange, beautiful shapes appear with mirrors, tape, and cardboard. Through these and other projects in The Magic Wand, learn the science behind the mystery of light and color.
The Cool Hot Rod and Other Electrifying Experiments on Energy and Matter
(Use the energy of an electric current to create movement....)
Use the energy of an electric current to create movement. See a metal wire melt by changing its resistance to electricity. Through these and other projects in The Cool Hot Rod, you can learn the science behind electricity and energy transformation.
The Spinning Blackboard and Other Dynamic Experiments on Force and Motion
(Build a pendulum that swings in intriguing patterns. Crea...)
Build a pendulum that swings in intriguing patterns. Create a swirling, spiraling "tornado" of water. Through these and other projects in The Spinning Blackboard, you can learn the science behind the principles of force and motion.
(The Photographic Atlas of the Stars contains 50, high-qua...)
The Photographic Atlas of the Stars contains 50, high-quality full color photographs of the entire night sky of the northern and southern hemispheres. Each plate is accompanied by a star map of the identical area, which identifies the main stars of the constituent constellations as well as other interesting astronomical objects. In addition to this detail, Sir Patrick Moore has written a commentary for each plate that highlights the stars and objects of interest to observers equipped with binoculars and that includes detailed tabular information on astronomical objects of the region.
(Created in collaboration with the San Francisco Explorato...)
Created in collaboration with the San Francisco Exploratorium, a world-famous children's museum, a combination book, and science project includes objects and instructions that teach readers about light, physics, chemistry, photography, and much more.
(When we say these are the best, we're not kidding. The fo...)
When we say these are the best, we're not kidding. The folding instructions are, of course, Klutz-clear and the trimming and flying information is fully field-tested and approved.
(Examining nature in segments of time ranging from a fract...)
Examining nature in segments of time ranging from a fraction of a second to millions of years, from the bloom of a plant to the carving of a canyon, Traces of Time reveals how to measure the forces of nature and the ways they affect our planet. A powerful portrait of the natural beauty of our world, this gorgeous blending of art, science, and photography offers a new perspective to anyone who has ever gazed at the world in wonder.
Paul Michael Doherty was an American physicist, author, and an outstanding demonstrator. He was the founding director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at the Exploratorium and author of over a dozen science books including the Explorabook, Building and Using an Astronomical Observatory and The Photographic Atlas of the Stars.
Background
Paul Michael Doherty was born on the 7th of July, 1948 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, the son of George and Genevive Doherty. He grew up in various places east of the Mississippi, moving often for his father’s job as a master mechanic for North American Aviation. One story of Paul’s early childhood relates his curiosity and passion for scientific investigation with a self-designed experiment: at about the age of 3, he tried plugging scissors into an electrical outlet.
Education
Paul Doherty attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude, in 1970. In 1974, he obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Solid-state Physics from the same university.
At the beginning of his career, Paul Doherty was a member of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps and worked at Lincoln Labs and the Air Force Cambridge Research Lab at the Hanscomb Air Force base in Massachusetts. In 1974, he took the post of a professor of physics at Oakland University in Oakland, California, where he taught a wide range of science courses including physics, astronomy, and geology to electronics, computer programming, and meteorology until 1986.
In 1986, Paul moved to San Francisco, where he joined the staff of the Exploratorium Teacher Institute. He was promoted to co-director in 1990 and shortly thereafter he became the founding director of the Center for Teaching and Learning and in 1997, he was its senior staff scientist.
Since 2010, Paul has traveled annually to India as part of a team invited by the Dalai Llama to teach science to Buddhist monks, and with the Exploratorium’s Moving Images team, he broadcast educational science videos from locations as far-reaching as Turkey, Micronesia, and Antarctica. Paul was also a visiting scientist at the Tom Tits Experiment in Sweden and an adjunct professor of physics at San Francisco State University.
In addition to exploring the far reaches of the physical world, Doherty built an online science museum, which he named Splo, in the virtual world of Second Life, where he presented science demonstrations and continued to open people’s minds about the possibilities of a life lived without boundaries.
Paul Doherty was the author of a number of books. His first book, Atlas of the Planets came out in 1980. Joining Don Rathjen, Doherty produced a series of books in the Exploratorium Science Snackbook series, which includes The Cheshire Cat and Other Eye-popping Experiments on How We See the World, that was written in 1995 and The Spinning Blackboard and Other Dynamic Experiments on Force and Motion in 1996. He also was a contributor of articles to periodicals, as well as a science columnist. In 1998, Paul and his collaborator Pat Murphy took over Isaac Asimov’s science column in Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine, which they wrote together until his passing.
Doherty Michael Paul was a member of the American Association of Physics Teachers, Sigma Xi.
Personality
Paul Michael Doherty was helpful and encouraging. He was very good at explaining things at almost any level. Paul remained filled with kindness, humility, and inquisitiveness that indicated a willingness to invite anyone and everyone into his quest for understanding. It was this same humility and inquisitiveness that gave Doherty his acuity in developing untold lessons and experiments that are being used in science classrooms all across the world. His teaching paired his brilliant, scientifically astute mind with an intuitive understanding of his audience.
Quotes from others about the person
"He influenced a disproportionate number of people in the Bay Area with his intelligence, kindness, and love of science". - Martin Rock, an associate director at the Exploratorium.
"One of the most important lessons he taught was to love what you’re doing so that others love doing it with you". - Bree Barnett Dreyfuss, Amador Valley High School.
Interests
rock climbing, playing the whirly, a corrugated plastic tube