Ebook: Conversations on the Dark Secrets of Physics
- Tags: Physics general
- Year: 1991
- Publisher: Springer US
- Edition: 1
- Language: English
- pdf
The idea for this book began over four decades ago when Edward Teller began teaching physics appreciation courses at the University of Chicago. Then, as now, Dr. Teller believes that illiteracy in science is an increasingly great danger to American society, not only for our chil dren but also for our growing adult population. On one hand, the future of every individual on this globe is closely related to science and its applications. Fear of the results of science, which has become prevalent in much of the Western World, leads to mistaken decisions in important political affairs. But this book speaks of no fears and of no decisions-only of the facts that can prevent one of them and indirectly guide the others. From the perspective of this book, a second point is even more vii viii PREFACE significant. The first quarter of this century has seen the most won derful and philosophically most important transformation in our thinking. The intellectual and aesthetic values of the points of view of Einstein and Bohr cannot be overestimated. Nor should they be hidden at the bottom of tons of mathematical rubble. Our young people must be exposed to science both because it is useful and because it is fun. Both of these qualities should be taken at a truly high value.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xii
Prologue—A Warning....Pages 1-2
Relativity....Pages 3-20
Statics....Pages 21-36
A Revolution Ignored, A Revolution Repressed....Pages 37-50
Newton....Pages 51-67
Hypotheses Non Fingo....Pages 69-80
Statistical Mechanics....Pages 81-94
Electricity and Magnetism or the Structure of Vacuum....Pages 95-116
The Existence of Atoms....Pages 117-128
The Correspondence Principle....Pages 129-143
Wave-Particle Dualism....Pages 145-169
The Uncertainty Principle....Pages 171-187
Uses of New Knowledge....Pages 189-212
Epilogue....Pages 213-221
Back Matter....Pages 223-247
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xii
Prologue—A Warning....Pages 1-2
Relativity....Pages 3-20
Statics....Pages 21-36
A Revolution Ignored, A Revolution Repressed....Pages 37-50
Newton....Pages 51-67
Hypotheses Non Fingo....Pages 69-80
Statistical Mechanics....Pages 81-94
Electricity and Magnetism or the Structure of Vacuum....Pages 95-116
The Existence of Atoms....Pages 117-128
The Correspondence Principle....Pages 129-143
Wave-Particle Dualism....Pages 145-169
The Uncertainty Principle....Pages 171-187
Uses of New Knowledge....Pages 189-212
Epilogue....Pages 213-221
Back Matter....Pages 223-247
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