American physicist who discovered the ultraviolet series of hydrogen (the Lyman series), widely used in astrophysics to study the interstellar and intergalactic medium, as well as in cosmology (Lyman-alpha forest).
Biography
He studied at Harvard University, where he later worked. He headed the physics laboratory at Harvard and worked on spectroscopy.
Key discoveries
Discovery of the Lyman series of hydrogen (1906–1914)
Research in ultraviolet spectroscopy
💡 Lyman was a wealthy man and paid for some of the equipment for his ultraviolet research out of his own pocket.
Quote: "The true value of a discovery is sometimes not immediately visible; it only becomes apparent over time when others find applications for it."
Colossal charged clumps from the early universe might have replaced dark energy, but calculations show the opposite. Plasma strips the charge, repulsion fades, and black holes become 'naked' — the simple model doesn't withstand scrutiny.