In 1975, Professor Jack H. Hetherington (Michigan State University) wrote a theoretical paper on his own and was about to send it to Physical Review Letters. But a colleague warned that the manuscript would be returned because of an editor’s rule that words like “we” and “our” should not be used in a publication with only one author.
Dr. Hetherington did not relish revising and retyping the whole text, so, instead, he simply added a co-author: his Siamese cat Chester (sired by Willard).
And for legitimacy, he tacked on two more initials, FD (from Felix domesticus) to create “FDC Willard.”
…Eventually the cat had to be let out of the bag when a visitor came to campus to see Professor Hetherington, found him unavailable, and then asked to speak to Willard.
I will resist making any jokes about my coauthors.
32 Responses
I remember a similar story from a friend at Harvard about his adviser putting her dog as co-author. A quick google search came up with a wiki on Polly Matzinger and her dog with a very similar story to this one. Urban legend?
RT @octavio_medina: Creo que un gato siamés llamado Chester tiene más citas que Rallo o Iglesias el de La Tuerka (no es broma) http://t.co/…
RT @octavio_medina: Creo que un gato siamés llamado Chester tiene más citas que Rallo o Iglesias el de La Tuerka (no es broma) http://t.co/…
RT @StephaneStraub: In which a cat has more publicati… http://t.co/qsr13qdQuQ
In which a cat has more publicati… http://t.co/qsr13qdQuQ
love it!
RT @cblatts: In which a cat has more publications to his name than some academics http://t.co/4vhXQsoJvW
In which a cat has more publications to his name than some academics http://t.co/ppgpZdnjor via Blattman > LOL. cc @sillysampi
RT @cblatts: In which a cat has more publications to his name than some academics http://t.co/4vhXQsoJvW
In which a cat has more publications to his name than some academics: http://t.co/KFhtRIUW7w via @justinwolfers
RT @cblatts: In which a cat has more publications to his name than some academics http://t.co/4vhXQsoJvW
@justinwolfers @cblatts Payback for the one Schrödinger killed.
RT @cblatts: In which a cat has more publications to his name than some academics http://t.co/4vhXQsoJvW
RT @justinwolfers: The cat physicist.
http://t.co/tPxTDQ0KRZ
(HT @cblatts)
In which a cat has more publications than some academics… RT @chrisblatts http://t.co/VfX1IM30cf
RT @justinwolfers: The cat physicist.
http://t.co/tPxTDQ0KRZ
(HT @cblatts)
RT @justinwolfers: The cat physicist.
http://t.co/tPxTDQ0KRZ
(HT @cblatts)
The cat physicist.
http://t.co/tPxTDQ0KRZ
(HT @cblatts)
RT @cblatts: In which a cat has more publications to his name than some academics http://t.co/4vhXQsoJvW
RT @cblatts: In which a cat has more publications to his name than some academics http://t.co/4vhXQsoJvW
In which a cat has more publications to his name than some academics http://t.co/CCOF9zLwS2
Creo que un gato siamés llamado Chester tiene más citas que Rallo o Iglesias el de La Tuerka (no es broma) http://t.co/WnNWAKtOXh
In which a cat has more publications to his name than some academics…LOL http://t.co/mFn8m0KEEN
RT @cblatts: In which a cat has more publications to his name than some academics http://t.co/4vhXQsoJvW
RT @cblatts: In which a cat has more publications to his name than some academics http://t.co/4vhXQsoJvW
RT @cblatts: In which a cat has more publications to his name than some academics http://t.co/4vhXQsoJvW
RT @cblatts: In which a cat has more publications to his name than some academics http://t.co/4vhXQsoJvW
Totally not funny. Nope, not at all. RT @cblatts In which a cat has more publications to his name than some academics http://t.co/Jvwq55duDO
Tweet of the day. RT @cblatts: In which a cat has more publications to his name than some academics http://t.co/3G5ZkF9hp8
RT @cblatts: In which a cat has more publications to his name than some academics http://t.co/IRtgtoTHeH
RT @cblatts: In which a cat has more publications to his name than some academics http://t.co/4vhXQsoJvW