
Princeton theoretical physicist Steven Gubser has died - tlb
https://www.princeton.edu/news/2019/08/06/princeton-theoretical-physicist-steven-gubser-outstanding-scholar-string-theory-and
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ahelwer
Same weekend as Ann Nelson, a physicist at the University of Washington. Both
died in outdoor accidents; Ann stepped on a loose rock while downclimbing a
gulley and that was the ball game.

I am a voracious reader of climbing accident reports and hope his family or
climbing partners decide to publish what happened. All I've read is that his
"rope snapped" which isn't really something that ever happens; cut yes,
snapped no.

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meruru
Climbing sounds like an incredibly dangerous sport. I don't understand how so
many people are willing to do risky things like that.

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unixhero
Because it takes away all your thoughts, and connects you with instant
reality. Plus, it's a fitness activity, it is insanely fun, very social and
gives an intense sense of achievment.

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meruru
That applies to pretty much every sport. Why choose one that puts your life at
risk?

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mtnGoat
You could die at any moment... I know two people that were killed by drink
drivers, during the day, through no fault of their own.

Why not enjoy the things that make feel alive, while you are alive? You might
not be tomorrow.

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evanb
Last weekend was a terrible weekend for physics. Ann Nelson, an outstanding
physicist at UW, also died in a mountaineering accident.

[https://physicstoday.scitation.org/do/10.1063/PT.6.4.2019080...](https://physicstoday.scitation.org/do/10.1063/PT.6.4.20190808a/full/)

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dctoedt
Thanks for that - Nelson's husband's tribute, starting right after the PT
piece, is touching.

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gbronner
True story: he lived in the same dorm room all four years, and only got 2 A s
as an undergrad; the rest were A+es, which were incredibly hard to get.

Fantastic lecturer, advisor, climbing instructor, and really brilliant person.
Can't believe he's gone.

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fnordprefect
This is so sad. He was such a lovely and brilliant guy :(

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sbdmmg
Very sad news. Took one of his graduate courses, he was great.

