The Cat who WROTE a Physics Paper

Paw-rtner in science — How did a Feline end up co-authoring Physics Research?

In the annals of scientific history, there have been many extraordinary tales of groundbreaking discoveries, brilliant minds, and unexpected collaborations. But few can hold a candle to the utterly unbelievable story of Chester, the Siamese cat who found himself credited as a co-author on not just one, but multiple physics publications.

The very smug Physicist F.D.C. Willard, aka Chester / Credit: Google Scholar

It all began in 1975 when renowned American physicist and mathematician Jack H. Hetherington of Michigan State University set out to publish some of his research findings in the prestigious journal Physical Review Letters. As he prepared his paper on low-temperature physics, a colleague pointed out a potential snag — the use of the first-person plural “we” throughout the text, a no-no for sole-authored submissions.

Faced with the tedious task of retyping the entire article or bringing on an official co-author, Hetherington took a rather unorthodox approach. He decided to invent a collaborator, and not just any collaborator — a feline one.

Enter Chester, Hetherington’s beloved Siamese cat. With a stroke of genius (or perhaps mischief), the physicist devised a nom de plume for his furry companion, drawing inspiration from Chester’s lineage. The cat’s…