John Lindner’s Passion for Science Spreads Among His Students

Stanley Kubrick’s landmark 1968 film “2001: A Space Odyssey” ignited in 8-year old John Lindner a passion for science and cinema. One year later, the epic journey of Apollo 11 to the moon further captivated the impressionable Lindner. “Those two experiences had a profound effect on me,” says Lindner, now in his 19th year as a faculty member in the department of physics at The College of Wooster. “’2001’ made me dream, eyes wide open, while the scientists and engineers of Apollo accomplished what poets had dreamt. ”

Growing up in rural Vermont, where his parents operated a small roadside motel, Lindner cultivated his interest in science and filmmaking. Bright but not particularly focused, Lindner was more of a class clown than a child prodigy. When he entered high school, however, he realized that he needed to make good grades to have any chance of becoming the first in his family to attend college, so he began to buckle down. Fortunately, Lindner made several other wise decisions, including having the foresight to save money from his job as a housekeeper and groundkeeper at the family motel. He also received several scholarships, which enabled him to completely finance his undergraduate education at the University of Vermont.

While there, he made the decision to become a scientist rather than a filmmaker, convincing himself that his shyness made him better suited for a career in science. Little did he know how much time he would eventually spend interacting with students on a daily basis. In fact, now, it’s not unusual for him to spend five or six hours in one day counseling, mentoring, and tutoring students.

After graduating from Vermont, he went to Caltech, where he successfully defended his Ph.D. in mathematical physics in July of 1988, but by then, the gifted scientist had already been hired by Wooster, where astute members of the physics faculty recognized his potential. Since that time, Lindner has been a fixture in Taylor Hall, teaching courses in astronomy and quantum field theory, and just about everything else in between.

“In his classes, John provides students with a rigorous, and at the same time, a very exciting academic environment,” says Shila Garg, dean of the faculty and professor of physics at Wooster. “Majors as well as non-majors thrive under his tutelage. He is very knowledgeable on a variety of scientific issues, and I have seen students hang on to his every word because they clearly look up to him as a reliable source. They are impressed by his critical analysis of the issues.

“John's enthusiasm for teaching and research is contagious,” adds Garg. “His expertise in nonlinear physics as well as numerical methodologies helps strengthen the department's curriculum. His research publications are at the cutting edge in the field of chaos and nonlinear dynamics and have been recognized by his peers.”

At Wooster, inspired by one of his students, Lindner developed computer-programming skills and focused his research on nonlinear dynamics. Subsequently, his work has been featured on the covers of Nature, Physics Today, Science News and the calendar of the American Physical Society. Nonlinear dynamics is an interdisciplinary field that includes chaos — the extreme sensitivity to initial conditions that helps explain, among other things, why the weather is so difficult to predict. “It is said,” explains Lindner, “that the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil can set off a tornado in Texas.” He maintains active interest in the foundations of quantum mechanics, cosmology, time travel, and space flight.

Lindner is hard pressed to determine which of the three primary aspects of his job — teaching, research, or mentoring — he likes best, but if forced to choose, he speaks enthusiastically about the opportunity to guide students in research. “I really enjoy our summer research program, but then I get excited in the fall, too, when seniors begin to work on their Senior Independent Study projects,” he says, referring to Wooster’s nationally acclaimed undergraduate research program in which students work one-on-one with faculty members exploring a topic of interest to them, culminating in a thesis-like paper, performance, or art exhibition. “Our students are talented and motivated and smart.”

The cornerstone of Lindner’s effectiveness as an educator is his belief that you only really understand something if you can explain it to someone else. “Teaching continually forces you to deepen your understanding,” says Lindner. “Success in physics — or filmmaking — is less about intelligence and more about passion. Find something that interests you, concentrate on it, sustain your focus, and you will master it.”