About my brother, John Preskill

I have spent the last few days in Southern California, near Cal Tech in Pasadena, where I participated in a 60th birthday celebration of the life and work of John Preskill, my brother, the Richard P. Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Cal Tech. Most of the celebration involved a series of highly technical papers detailing the influence of John on various physicists, mathematicians, and computer scientists. But the dinner that a number of his family members, including me, attended was lighthearted and fun, accessible to even the most scientifically-challenged observer. The highlight at least for us family members was the singing of Johnny P, Johnny P., Johnny P., Johnny P to the tune of the Beatles' "Let It Be." This song was led, incidentally, by John's wonderful and creative daughter, Micaela. We, naturally, added many funny and appropriate verses to personalize the song for our beloved Johnny P. Mine were about the endless games of baseball that John and I used to play on my family's front lawn.

But this is all by way of preface. I feel the need to write about John because he offers us lessons of what it means to be a good citizen, both as a professional and as a member in good standing of his community. He is an exemplar, one who has much to teach us about citizenship in a democratic society.

What makes John such a good citizen? A number of things that include his integrity, his unimpeachable honesty about what he knows and what he doesn't and what he needs to do to learn more. And his incredible self-discipline. All of these are related. He works and works until he is clear about an idea or a theory. And he keeps asking questions of others so that he can make sense of what they are saying. Because of his vast scientific knowledge, others may see such questioning as intimidating, but it is not meant to humiliate anyone or to tear them down. It is simply his way of learning from others, of getting the most out of what they have to offer.

Similarly, throughout the 2 and a half days in which John was being celebrated through papers and conference presentations, he could never completely disengage from what was happening. He wanted to be a good honoree. So he listened and absorbed and thought deeply about what people had to say about his work, because he wanted to understand what they were claiming and wanted to be able to respond respectfully and knowledgeably. It takes effort to do this. You have to give your full, uninterrupted attention to such presentations and when you get home it's not easy to forget it and to get a good night's sleep. Of course, John enjoyed the acclaim he received from this celebration, but I think it took its toll on him, too, because he sought to be so utterly present.

Similarly, democracy is hard work. Giving full attention to others is difficult, especially over a long period. But it is worth it, both in terms of the respect that is returned to us and in terms of what we are able to learn. I am reminded here of what Robert Bellah and his associates said about democracy in the final chapter of their book "The Good Society." They said "Democracy Means Paying Attention."

John is a man of integrity. If he agrees to be part of something or to contribute to something, he cannot hold back or give it anything less than his full and undivided effort. He is either all in or not in at all. But such a commitment takes time and energy and can even sap the human spirit.  During this weekend, I wondered about the challenge of paying such close attention and doubted that I could sustain such attention in the same way. It seems to be part of John's nature to maintain complete presence, to remain fully a part of what is happening around him. He, and others who strive to be like him, give this full and undivided effort, even when it enervates them, because they know it is right and because of the long-term benefits that accrue from such behavior.

This insistence that one be fully a part of whatever one commits to has, without question, greatly contributed to John's success as a physicist and as a citizen. It is this quality of his that I believe I admire most and that has the potential, more than any other, to help make our democratic communities more humane and transformative.