David L. Goodstein (born 1939) is a U.S. physicist and educator. Since 1988, he has served as Vice-provost of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he is also a professor of physics and applied physics, as well as (since 1995) the Frank J. Gilloon distinguished teaching and service professor.

Goodstein was educated at Brooklyn College (BS, 1960) and at the University of Washington (Ph.D., 1965). He has written several books, including States of Matter (1975) (reprinted in a Dover paperback edition) and Feynman?s Lost Lecture (1996). In the 1980s he was the director and host of The Mechanical Universe, an educational television series on physics that has been used by millions of students around the world.

In recent times, while continuing to teach and conduct research in experimental condensed matter physics, he has turned his attention to issues related to science and society. In articles and speeches, he has addressed conduct and misconduct in science, and issues related to fossil fuels and the climate of Planet Earth. He is the author of the book Out of Gas: The End of the Age of Oil.

External links

• The End of the Age of Oil - article adapted from a talk by Caltech vice provost and professor of physics David Goodstein
• The Mechanical Universe - A series of video lectures on physics, with David Goodstein as the lecturer.
• Dr. David Goodstein's Homepage - Includes a biography on him and some of his recent publications.
• Video | PDF Caltech Watson Lecture Series: 10/13/04 ''Out of Gas: The End of the Age of Oil''