John Archibald Wheeler

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John Archibald Wheeler

American physicist who coined the term "black hole" in 1969. Wheeler earlier showed how a star collapses to form a black hole. His later work with Sir Roger Penrose showed that all black holes form perfect spheres. With Niels Bohr, he published the first paper explaining nuclear fission in terms of quantum theory. He is also known for his views on the "anthropic principle," the theory that our universe requires participators and observers.

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