Quips, Quotes And Quanta: An Anecdotal History Of Physics

by Anton Z Capri

Overview

This book deals with the history of physics, covering important developments in physics from the end of the nineteenth century to about 1930. Major topics include relativity theory (both special and general) and quantum mechanics.This book is unique in that it concentrates on anecdotes about the physicists creating the new ideas. Both thematic and biographical in nature, it contains a heavy emphasis on personal incidents or quotes. Readers will be entertained with humorous incidents in the lives of some famous scientists, and simultaneously learn quite a bit of modern physics without the mathematical details, but with the important concepts. Academics and anyone interested in science in the most general sense are likely to want to read this book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789812709196
Publisher:	World Scientific Publishing Company, Incorporated
Publication date:	09/25/2007
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)

Table of Contents

Thermodynamics: Founders and Flounderers     1
Cracks Appear in Classical Physics     11
It's About Time and Space     17
Space Becomes Curved     33
Kilns and Quanta     44
The Hydrogen Atom: Plum-pudding or Planet     60
Action in Physics: The Old Quantum Theory     84
Particles are Waves are Particles     92
Schrodinger Makes Waves     104
Boys' Physics and Quantum Jumping     113
Matrix Mechanics is Born     126
The Purest Soul's Beautiful Quantum Mechanics     137
Quantum Mechanics is Complete     153
The Electron Spins     177
Index     195