Einstein and the Quantum: The Quest of the Valiant Swabian

by A. Douglas Stone, A. Douglas Stone (Preface by)

Overview

The untold story of Albert Einstein's role as the father of quantum theory

Einstein and the Quantum reveals for the first time the full significance of Albert Einstein's contributions to quantum theory. Einstein famously rejected quantum mechanics, observing that God does not play dice. But, in fact, he thought more about the nature of atoms, molecules, and the emission and absorption of light—the core of what we now know as quantum theory—than he did about relativity.

A compelling blend of physics, biography, and the history of science, Einstein and the Quantum shares the untold story of how Einstein—not Max Planck or Niels Bohr—was the driving force behind early quantum theory. It paints a vivid portrait of the iconic physicist as he grappled with the apparently contradictory nature of the atomic world, in which its invisible constituents defy the categories of classical physics, behaving simultaneously as both particle and wave. And it demonstrates how Einstein's later work on the emission and absorption of light, and on atomic gases, led directly to Erwin Schrödinger's breakthrough to the modern form of quantum mechanics. The book sheds light on why Einstein ultimately renounced his own brilliant work on quantum theory, due to his deep belief in science as something objective and eternal.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691168562
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	10/06/2015
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	344
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

A. Douglas Stone is the Carl A. Morse Professor of Applied Physics and Physics at Yale University.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Paperback Edition ix

Acknowledgments ix
Introduction A Hundred Times More Than Relativity Theory 1
Chapter 1 "An Act of Desperation" 5
Chapter 2 The Impudent Swabian 15
Chapter 3 The Gypsy Life 21
Chapter 4 Two Pillars of Wisdom 26
Chapter 5 The Perfect Instruments of the Creator 36
Chapter 6 More Heat Than Light 44
Chapter 7 Difficult Counting 51
Chapter 8 Those Fabulous Molecules 62
Chapter 9 Tripping the Light Heuristic 70
Chapter 10 Entertaining the Contradiction 80
Chapter 11 Stalking the Planck 86
Chapter 12 Calamity Jeans 94
Chapter 13 Frozen Vibrations 103
Chapter 14 Planck's Nobel Nightmare 111
Chapter 15 Joining the Union 122
Chapter 16 Creative Fusion 129
Chapter 17 The Importance of Being Nernst 141
Chapter 18 Lamenting the Ruins 149
Chapter 19 A Cosmic Interlude 160
Chapter 20 Bohr's Atomic Sonata 168
Chapter 21 Relying on Chance 181
Chapter 22 Chaotic Ghosts 193
Chapter 23 Fifteen Million Minutes of Fame 204
Chapter 24 The Indian Comet 215
Chapter 25 Quantum Dice 228
Chapter 26 The Royal Marriage: E = mc² = hν 241
Chapter 27 The Viennese Polymath 254
Chapter 28 Confusion and Then Uncertainty 268
Chapter 29 Nicht diese Töne 279
Appendix 1: The Physicists 287
Appendix 2: The Three Thermal Radiation Laws 291
Notes 295
References 319
Index 325

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Common lore holds that Einstein's essential contribution to physics is relativity. But in this scholarly and accessible book, A. Douglas Stone argues convincingly that Einstein had a profound impact on the development of quantum theory. With lively, engaging, and thoroughly enjoyable prose, Stone's account is bound to be a definitive history of the subject, vividly establishing that Einstein's genius permeates one of the most startling advances in twentieth-century science."—Brian Greene, author of The Elegant Universe

"With his lucid and engaging style, A. Douglas Stone has captured one of the most interesting tales in the history of science. Despite Einstein's later discomfort with quantum theory, Stone shows how absolutely instrumental Einstein was in its development. It's a wonderful story that reveals the essence of Einstein's genius and creativity, and Stone is exactly the right person to tell it. I can hear Einstein chuckling in anticipation."—Walter Isaacson, author of Einstein: His Life and Universe and Steve Jobs

"A. Douglas Stone argues that the scientist best known as the creator of relativity theory was also the originator and substantial developer of almost every concept in the quantum mechanics that dominates today's physics. In this scholarly, convincing, and eloquently presented account, Einstein's personal and cultural lives are seamlessly interwoven with his science. I learned a great deal from Einstein and the Quantum, and recommend it to working physicists as well as students and nonscientists wishing to understand a central aspect of the cultural history of the twentieth century."—Michael Berry, University of Bristol

"A. Douglas Stone, a physicist who has spent his life using quantum mechanics to explore striking new phenomena, has turned his considerable writing skills to thinking about Einstein and the quantum. What he finds and makes broadly understandable are the riches of Einstein's thinking not about relativity, not about his arguments with Bohr, but about Einstein's deep insights into the quantum world, insights that Stone shows speak to us now with all the vividness and depth they had a century ago. This is a fascinating book, lively, engaging, and strong in physical intuition."—Peter Galison, author of Einstein's Clocks, Poincaré's Maps

"Max Born said, 'Einstein is . . . clearly involved in the foundation of wave mechanics and no alibi can disprove it.' In this informative and engaging book, A. Douglas Stone cracks the case and reveals Einstein's fingerprints all over the subject."—Richard L. Garwin, physicist, recipient of the Enrico Fermi Award and the National Medal of Science

"There's a lot of really good stuff in this book. I enjoyed it enormously. I know of no other book that covers Einstein's role in quantum mechanics so accessibly."—Daniel F. Styer, author of Relativity for the Questioning Mind

Editorial Reviews

"The book is probably best suited to readers who are already familiar with the basic principles of late classical and early quantum physics. However, in many cases, Stone's explanations are better and more intuitive than those found in traditional textbooks; for this reason, Einstein and the Quantum would make excellent 'further reading' for undergraduate courses in thermodynamics, modern physics or the history of science. Stone also has a knack for summing up complex ideas in a way that even novices will understand."

Physics World

"A five star, standout book. . . . If you really want a feel for where quantum physics came from . . . it is well worth it."

Popular Science

"This engaging book shows that Einstein spent more of his career on quantum physics than on relativity theory and was deeply involved in discussions that shaped current understanding of the subject. . . . His well-written book makes often-trod history fresh, with new perspectives and unfamiliar quotations from Einstein and his peers. Anyone with an interest in the subject, from scholars to laypersons, can read and enjoy this book."

Choice

"[S]ome background knowledge in physics is required in order to understand the discipline-specific terminology and to fully appreciate the depth of Stone's elaborations. Having said that, even specialized physicists will not be disappointed by the author's scholarly efforts."—Christopher B. Germann, Leonardo Reviews

"This excellent book can be best recommended to everybody interested is the early history of quantum theory and the impact of A. Einstein."—K. E. Hellwig, Zentralblatt MATH

Stone is a talented writer. Employing a sharp, clean and ironic prose, he translates into intuitive images and limpid reasoning a set of complex physics arguments, which might appear at first sight incomprehensible without a clear understanding of the technical terms. It is remarkable that the author manages to do this by employing just a handful of elementary equations. Even the uninitiated reader can grasp the essential features of Einstein's groundbreaking proposals as well as of the theoretical problems he was facing. In my opinion, this is the major strength of Stone's book, which makes it much more accessible than other scholarly works that present Einstein's involvement in the development of quantum theory in a more technical fashion.—-Roberto Lalli, Metascience

[S]ome background knowledge in physics is required in order to understand the discipline-specific terminology and to fully appreciate the depth of Stone's elaborations. Having said that, even specialized physicists will not be disappointed by the author's scholarly efforts.—-Christopher B. Germann, Leonardo Reviews

This excellent book can be best recommended to everybody interested is the early history of quantum theory and the impact of A. Einstein.—-K. E. Hellwig, Zentralblatt MATH

From the Publisher

2013-10-01
Albert Einstein (1879–1955) is as famous for his paradigm-shifting theories of relativity as he is for his grudge against quantum mechanics, but Stone's (Physics/Yale Univ.) engaging history of Einstein's ardent search for a unifying theory tells a different story. Einstein's creative mind was behind almost every single major development in quantum mechanics. From his role in identifying the quantization of energy and its role in thermodynamics to his Nobel-winning insight into the photoelectric effect and the quantum properties of light, Einstein's theories would form the major core of modern quantum mechanics. Often hailed as an outsider and an eccentric genius, Einstein's reluctance to embrace quantum theory is partly entrenched in the cultural and political upheaval of the early and mid 20th century. The author adeptly weaves his subject's personal life and scientific fame through the tumult of world war and, in accessible and bright language, brings readers deep into Einstein's struggle with both the macroscopic reality around him and the quantum reality he was trying to unlock. After the early success of his famous equation e=mc2 and his special relativity paper of 1905, which brought him relative financial stability and admission to Europe's academic inner circle, his genius flourished, and he developed esoteric theories of indistinguishable quantum particles and wave fields as probability densities. Einstein accepted these concepts as mathematical certainties but could not accept their communal link to quantum mechanics. Stone suggests that it was a combination of instinctual resistance to an indeterminate quantum realm and a suspicion of scientific epistemology that led to his rejection of the theory that would radically alter the field he pioneered. A wonderful reminder that Einstein's monumental role in the development of contemporary science is even more profound than history has allowed.

Kirkus Reviews