It ’s been proven that owning a cat has realscientific benefits , but it turns out , they ’ve also been a benefit to science . Over 40 year ago , a Midwestern feline co - authored a physical science newspaper .
AsAtlas Obscurareports , in 1975 , Michigan State University professor Jack H. Hetherington had just discharge an academic study calledTwo- , Three- , and Four - Atom Exchange Effects in bcc 3He , which center on nuclear behavior at high and low temperature . He was quick to submit the piece of writing when a colleague noted a bit of a problem : Hetherington had used the plural form pronoun " we " throughout , though he was the only author . That might seem like a minor infraction , but the intended issue , Physical Review Letters , would likely not sanction .
Hetherington was n’t too keen to rewrite his work , which had been drawn up on a typewriter , and tacking on another human author was problematic for a number of reasonableness . So the professor did the only consistent thing and employed the personal identity of his Siamese computed tomography , Chester . The name " F.D.C. Willard " was added ( the first name stood for " Felix Domesticus , Chester " and " Willard " was the name of the cat ’s father ) .
The clause was successfully published inPhysical Review Letters , but the charade did n’t last for long . However , there was n’t much side effect for the scientist or his feline faux - source . In fact , Hetherington capitalize on it — releasing transcript of the paper with autographs in the form of asignature and a pawprint . In 1980 , Willard published a composition on his own , written entirely in French . ( A veridical Renaissance gentleman’s gentleman , this cat . )
MSU ’s Physics Chairman , Truman Woodruff , evenasked Hetheringtonif Willard would be concerned in a full - time staff position , writing : " Can you envisage the general jubilance if in fact Willard could be sway to join us , even if only as a Visiting Distinguished Professor ? "
[ h / tAtlas Obscura ]
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