William A. Edelstein
Encyclopedia
William A. Edelstein is an American physicist. One of the key developers of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), he was part of the team that developed the first full-body MRI scanner at the University of Aberdeen
, Scotland
, and was the primary inventor of spin-warp imaging, which is still used in all commercial MRI systems.
, and graduated from Glenbrook North High School
in Northbrook, Illinois
in 1962. He received a BSc in physics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1965 and a PhD in physics from Harvard University
in 1974. His thesis, on nuclear physics, was supervised by Robert Pound
.
Research and Development Centre in Schenectady, New York
, from 1980 to 2001, where he continued to work on developments to MRI technology.
in 2007.
in which he disclosed his findings that the reason that space travel at the speed of light had not been achieved is that according to Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity, spaceships would be exposed at such speeds to a dose of radiation that would be fatal to crew members. Edelstein suggested that his calculations showed the crew of the Starship Enterprise
would have suffered this fate if their travels had not been fiction. Star Trek fans protested volubly on numerous internet discussion boards.
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and was the primary inventor of spin-warp imaging, which is still used in all commercial MRI systems.
Early life
Edelstein was born in Gloversville, New YorkGloversville, New York
Gloversville is a city in Fulton County, New York, that was once the hub of America's glovemaking industry with over two hundred manufacturers in Gloversville and Johnstown. In 2000, Gloversville had a population of 15,413. Ten years later, the population had increased to 15,665- History :The...
, and graduated from Glenbrook North High School
Glenbrook North High School
Glenbrook North High School, or GBN, is a public four-year high school located in Northbrook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States...
in Northbrook, Illinois
Northbrook, Illinois
Northbrook is a village located at the northern edge of Cook County, Illinois, which is also a North Shore suburb of Chicago. The population was 33,170 at the 2010 census....
in 1962. He received a BSc in physics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1965 and a PhD in physics from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1974. His thesis, on nuclear physics, was supervised by Robert Pound
Robert Pound
Robert Vivian Pound was an American physicist who helped discover nuclear magnetic resonance and who devised the famous Pound-Rebka experiment supporting general relativity .Pound was born in Ridgeway, Ontario....
.
Scotland
Following the completion of a post-doc at Glasgow University where he worked on gravitational wave detection, Edelstein moved to a post as a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Aberdeen from 1977 to 1980, where he was part of the group that performed the first full-body human MRI scan. Aberdeen recognised Edelstein for this work with an honorary doctorate in 2007.General Electric
Edelstein worked for the General ElectricGeneral Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
Research and Development Centre in Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
, from 1980 to 2001, where he continued to work on developments to MRI technology.
Johns Hopkins
Edelstein became a Visiting Distinguished Professor of Radiology at Johns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
in 2007.
Star Trek controversy
In 2010, Edelstein presented a paper at a meeting of the American Physical SocietyAmerican Physical Society
The American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
in which he disclosed his findings that the reason that space travel at the speed of light had not been achieved is that according to Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity, spaceships would be exposed at such speeds to a dose of radiation that would be fatal to crew members. Edelstein suggested that his calculations showed the crew of the Starship Enterprise
Starship Enterprise
The Enterprise or USS Enterprise is the name of several fictional starships, some of which are the focal point for various television series and films in the Star Trek franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. It is considered a name of legacy in the fleet...
would have suffered this fate if their travels had not been fiction. Star Trek fans protested volubly on numerous internet discussion boards.