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slash UK slash AI for people. Welcome to Science Talk, the weekly podcast of Scientific American

for the seven days starting April 16th, 2008.

I'm Steve Murski.

This week on the podcast, we'll look at the lives of a couple of real giants of 20th century research,

both winners of the National Medal of Science.

Physicist John Wheeler died this week at the age of 96.

Wheeler's student and friend Kenneth Ford will talk about him, and we'll also hear from

Princeton's Lee Silver about biologist Salome Welsh, who was 100 when she passed away.

Plus, we'll test your knowledge about some recent science in the news.

First up, Kenneth Ford, Dr. Ford had an auspicious start to his scientific career

when he won the then-Westinghouse Science Talent Search in 1944.

He studied with John Wheeler in the early 1950s

and went on to have numerous academic appointments.

From 1987 to 1993, he was the executive director of the American Institute of Physics.

I called Ford at his home in Philadelphia.

Dr. Ford, it's great to talk to you, and thanks so much.

I know that you lost a friend this week, so I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to us.

...