ITEM: Dyson, Freeman. "Electromagnetic Shift of Energy Levels" in The Physical Review, vol 73, no. 6., 15 March 1948, (pp 617-626 of the issue comprising pp 545-644). Very good copy. In the original printed wrappers. Scarce. $125
This is Dyson's (b. 1923) first published paper (on the Lamb Shift, and at age 25) in physics, showing a remarkable aptitude, and just a little more than a year away from his publishing his great paper in QED. He was working under Hans Bethe at Cornell at the time, a time in which Cornell may have been about the shining light in American physics. Dyson came highly (ver, very highly) recommended by Geoffrey Taylor to Hans Bethe:
You'll have received an application from Mr Freeman Dyson to come to work with you as a graduate student. I hope that you will accept him. Although he is only 23 he is in my view the best mathematician in England.
On the way out of Cornell Dyson received the following summation from Hans Bethe to Oppenheimer and a place at the IAS, reading:
"Mr Dyson is absolutely unusual in his ability and accomplishments. I can say without reservation that he is the best I have ever had or observed."
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