Publish or Purrish: The Cat Who Co-Authored Physics

Episode Overview:

In this episode of Math! Science! History!, we uncover the remarkable story of F.D.C. Willard, the Siamese cat who became a published co-author in a world-renowned physics journal. What began as a workaround for rigid authorship conventions turned into a beloved legend in science history. But Willard wasn’t alone. We also take a closer look at other non-human co-authors, from a dog in immunology, to a hamster in physics, and even bonobos in language research, while exploring what these unusual stories reveal about the culture of scientific publishing and the pressures of the “publish or perish” system.

Three Takeaways:

The real physics behind Willard’s paper and why the study of helium-3 was serious science, not just a playful prank.
Other cases of animals as authors—including a dog, a hamster, and three bonobos—and what those choices meant.
The bigger issue of authorship in science and how conventions and pressures shape who gets credit, and why.

Resources and Further Reading:

Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h

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FLASHCARDS: Science Paw-thorship