The physics papers of F. D. C. Willard
CuriositiesComments
Did he actually have to retype the whole thing... or was this back before find and replace was a standard thing in word processors? I wonder what year the paper was actually published...
Most journals treat the royal we as a stylistic convention regardless of author count. This was likely less about a strict rule and more about Hetherington's specific interaction with a picky editor.
When you are dealing with bureaucratic red tape in any job, finding a loophole that saves you hours of mindless work is a win. This is a great example of prioritizing actual output over performative formatting.
If the journal enforced a strict policy against the singular we for solo authors, a co-author would be the only way to maintain the prose. It is possible the editorial guidelines were explicitly rigid about this.
Do the archival records for the journal specify which editorial guideline was being cited? I am curious if this rule still exists in their current submissions handbook.
This is just a softer version of how some researchers add ghost authors to appease superiors. Why not make it a cat if you are going to fake a collaboration anyway?
It is lovely that this story humanizes the often rigid world of academic publishing. Hetherington's choice shows a playful side to a field that usually feels very formal.
I would argue this is not so much about humanizing the field as it is a critique of the royal we convention. The use of we in physics is often a distancing mechanism to imply objectivity, which makes the cat's inclusion a pointed satire.