Heinz Haber

Heinz Haber (May 15, 1913–February 13, 1990) was a German astrophysicist who primarily became famous for his TV programs and books about physics and environmental subjects. His lucid style of explaining hard science has frequently been imitated by later popular science presenters in Germany like Joachim Bublath but rarely surpassed.

Related Topics:
May 15 - 1913 - February 13 - 1990 - German - Astrophysicist - Environmental - Joachim Bublath

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After studying physics in Heidelberg and Berlin and obtaining his doctorate, Haber served in World War II for the German Luftwaffe as a reconnaissance aviator. Haber emigrated to the US after World War II, as many German scientists did after the war, and joined the US space program. Together with fellow German Wernher von Braun, he made pioneering research into space medicine in the late 1940s before accepting a professorship at the University of California, Los Angeles. In the 1950s, he also worked as a scientific consultant for The Walt Disney Company.

Related Topics:
Heidelberg - Berlin - World War II - Luftwaffe - US - US space program - Wernher von Braun - Space medicine - 1940s - 1950s - The Walt Disney Company

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In the 1960s and 1970s, he was Germany's premier capacity in popular science and wrote magazine columns and numerous books and presented his own TV programs like Prof. Haber experimentiert, Das Mathematische Kabinett, Unser blauer Planet, Stirbt unser blauer Planet?, Professor Haber berichtet, and WAS IST WAS mit Professor Haber. He was founding editor of the German science magazine "bild der wissenschaft" from 1964 to 1990. His memorable experiments included one where the onset of a nuclear chain reaction was simulated with hundreds of mouse traps, each one having been loaded with two ping pong balls.

Related Topics:
1960s - 1970s - Popular science - Nuclear chain reaction - Mouse trap - Ping pong

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Heinz Haber had an unparalleled capability for presenting hard scientific facts in a manner and language which was understandable and entertaining for the layman without being sloppy. This won him many accolades, such as the Adolf-Grimme-Preis and the Goldene Kamera.

Related Topics:
Adolf-Grimme-Preis - Goldene Kamera

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Heinz Haber has two children, Kai (* 1943) and Cathleen (* 1945), from his first marriage, and a third child, Marc (* 1969), from the second. His first wife Anneliese lives in Los Angeles, his second wife Irmgard in Hamburg, Germany.

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