Forks In The Road: A Life In Physics

Forks In The Road: A Life In Physics PDF Author: Stanley Deser
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9811234205
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 164

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Book Description
Stanley Deser is a preeminent theoretical physicist who made monumental contributions to general relativity, quantum field theory and high energy physics; he is a co-creator of supergravity. This is his personal story, intended for a broad, scientifically curious audience, with emphasis on the historic figures that defined the modern aspects of the field.Beginning with an account of his early life in Europe during the fateful period leading up to WW2, it continues with his family's dramatic escape from the Nazis through their arrival to the US. His education at public institutions including Brooklyn College nurtured his love of physics from an early age. He earned his PhD at Harvard and spent fruitful postdoc years at the Institute for Advanced Study and the Niels Bohr Institute, where he met many of the luminaries of the field. Then followed a long career at Brandeis University and many visits to foreign institutions.His work earned him many awards and led to exotic experiences detailed in the later chapters. The appendices contain semi-technical descriptions of some essential physics, as well as a more general commentary about the role of physics and physicists in understanding the universe.

Forks In The Road: A Life In Physics

Forks In The Road: A Life In Physics PDF Author: Stanley Deser
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9811234205
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 164

Get Book Here

Book Description
Stanley Deser is a preeminent theoretical physicist who made monumental contributions to general relativity, quantum field theory and high energy physics; he is a co-creator of supergravity. This is his personal story, intended for a broad, scientifically curious audience, with emphasis on the historic figures that defined the modern aspects of the field.Beginning with an account of his early life in Europe during the fateful period leading up to WW2, it continues with his family's dramatic escape from the Nazis through their arrival to the US. His education at public institutions including Brooklyn College nurtured his love of physics from an early age. He earned his PhD at Harvard and spent fruitful postdoc years at the Institute for Advanced Study and the Niels Bohr Institute, where he met many of the luminaries of the field. Then followed a long career at Brandeis University and many visits to foreign institutions.His work earned him many awards and led to exotic experiences detailed in the later chapters. The appendices contain semi-technical descriptions of some essential physics, as well as a more general commentary about the role of physics and physicists in understanding the universe.

Vision and Brain

Vision and Brain PDF Author: James V. Stone
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262517736
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 275

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Book Description
An engaging introduction to the science of vision that offers a coherent account of vision based on general information processing principles In this accessible and engaging introduction to modern vision science, James Stone uses visual illusions to explore how the brain sees the world. Understanding vision, Stone argues, is not simply a question of knowing which neurons respond to particular visual features, but also requires a computational theory of vision. Stone draws together results from David Marr's computational framework, Barlow's efficient coding hypothesis, Bayesian inference, Shannon's information theory, and signal processing to construct a coherent account of vision that explains not only how the brain is fooled by particular visual illusions, but also why any biological or computer vision system should also be fooled by these illusions. This short text includes chapters on the eye and its evolution, how and why visual neurons from different species encode the retinal image in the same way, how information theory explains color aftereffects, how different visual cues provide depth information, how the imperfect visual information received by the eye and brain can be rescued by Bayesian inference, how different brain regions process visual information, and the bizarre perceptual consequences that result from damage to these brain regions. The tutorial style emphasizes key conceptual insights, rather than mathematical details, making the book accessible to the nonscientist and suitable for undergraduate or postgraduate study.

A Fork in the Road

A Fork in the Road PDF Author: D. D. Hulse
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 1438957912
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 133

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Book Description
In my travels across the country, the question asked most frequently is how I went from being a fundamentalist preacher to being a developer of healing techniques using tuning forks. This book is the story of that journey. I feel honored yet humbled to be among those rising to the call to facilitate the new 5th Dimensional energy coming into our third dimensional time/space continuum. Come with me as we journey step by step through my search for answers. After looking at what I refer to in this book as my Fork in the Road, a new truth was born - a truth that provides answers for the Spirit, Mind, and Body. I will share information concerning self-healing using sound, vibration, and frequencies that can clear, cleanse, balance, and focus our lives in all its forms. The ancient Solfeggio frequencies are part of a process that can assist us in creating the possibility of lives without stress, illness, and sickness. Together we will go to the cutting edge of scientific discoveries regarding sound and healing. This book is also a call for Lightworkers to gather in this crucial time of change and transformation on the planet. Join me and others who do not live in fear of the future. Just tune your inner ear and listen to these wonderful new ideas as I share the techniques of working with sound and, more specifically, the Solfeggio tuning forks. My hope is that we can all find the harmonics of our own individual music, and that through this process we will be enabled to live balanced lives.

Plant Physics

Plant Physics PDF Author: Karl J. Niklas
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226586340
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 447

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Book Description
From Galileo, who used the hollow stalks of grass to demonstrate the idea that peripherally located construction materials provide most of the resistance to bending forces, to Leonardo da Vinci, whose illustrations of the parachute are alleged to be based on his study of the dandelion’s pappus and the maple tree’s samara, many of our greatest physicists, mathematicians, and engineers have learned much from studying plants. A symbiotic relationship between botany and the fields of physics, mathematics, engineering, and chemistry continues today, as is revealed in Plant Physics. The result of a long-term collaboration between plant evolutionary biologist Karl J. Niklas and physicist Hanns-Christof Spatz, Plant Physics presents a detailed account of the principles of classical physics, evolutionary theory, and plant biology in order to explain the complex interrelationships among plant form, function, environment, and evolutionary history. Covering a wide range of topics—from the development and evolution of the basic plant body and the ecology of aquatic unicellular plants to mathematical treatments of light attenuation through tree canopies and the movement of water through plants’ roots, stems, and leaves—Plant Physics is destined to inspire students and professionals alike to traverse disciplinary membranes.

The Wonders of Physics

The Wonders of Physics PDF Author: Lev Grigor?evich Aslamazov
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9789812560568
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
The book in your hands develops the best traditions of the Russian scientific popular literature. Written in a clear and captivating manner by working theoretical physicists, who are, at the same time, dedicated popularizers of scientific knowledge, it brings to the reader the latest achievements in quantum solid-state physics, but along the way it also shows how the laws of physics reveal themselves even in seemingly trivial episodes concerning the natural phenomena around us. And most importantly, it shows that we live in the world, where scientists are capable of ?proving harmony with algebra?. ? A A Abrikosov, 2003 Nobel Prize Winner in Physics

The Rise of Robert Millikan: Portrait of a Life in American Science

The Rise of Robert Millikan: Portrait of a Life in American Science PDF Author: Robert H. Kargon
Publisher: Plunkett Lake Press
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 168

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Book Description
“I do not consider myself to be Robert Millikan’s biographer. This book is not a full record of Millikan’s life or even of his scientific career. It is an essay, very selective, on themes that are illustrated and illuminated by Millikan’s life in American science. It is, as well, a portrait of the development of a scientist... Robert Millikan was among the most famous of American scientists; to the public of the 1920s, Millikan represented science. The first American-born physicist to win the Nobel Prize, Millikan was a leader in the application of scientific research to military problems during World War I and a guiding force in the rise of the California Institute of Technology to a preeminent place in American scientific education and research. His life is therefore peculiarly suited to illuminate and provide texture for the vast changes that have taken place in science during the twentieth century. In this extended essay, I employ the biographical mode to explore several important aspects of this theme. Millikan was successively a teacher, researcher, administrator, entrepreneur, and sage. By describing the novel roles that he assumed, I suggest how science grew in complexity and carved out an essential place for itself in our general culture.” — Robert H. Kargon, from the Preface of The Rise of Robert Millikan: Portrait of a Life in American Science “Professor Kargon... has given us a sympathetic account of Millikan’s scientific career, including his great triumphs, his rearguard actions to defend untenable positions, and the eventual rejection or revision of every major result or standpoint. But he is more concerned with Millikan’s influence on the developing American physics community and with Millikan’s role in advancing American science generally and American higher education... Together with the chemist A.P. Noyes and the astronomer G.E. Hale, Millikan... believed in an American scientific destiny... This picture of American science is presented with great insight, tremendous learning, and wit... Professor Kargon’s book strikes a happy balance between being an interpretive story of a scientific life and a social history of science in America. Every reader interested in science or in the place of science in society will come away from this book with new information, important insights and a better understanding of the growth of scientific ideas and institutions in the twentieth century.” — I. Bernard Cohen, Nature “With the publication of this volume by Kargon, readers now have new and valuable access to much material about Millikan that was previously unavailable... Kargon states that he is not writing a biography of Millikan but rather a portrait of the man and the scientific scene in early 20th-century America... he has succeeded well in this endeavor... the book is well written, and readers who are already reasonably conversant with 20th-century developments in physics will find much that is illuminating... a genuine contribution to the history of science.” — Katherine R. Sopka, American Scientist “[H]ere is an admirable piece of work... Kargon has not sought to make his readers like his subject, but only to understand his scientific style, his achievements, and his character, and to perceive how his life was ‘a microcosm of new roles assumed by the scientist during the course of the twentieth century’... Kargon’s [...] insights [are] important, and his book [is] deserving of a careful study. “ — Robert C. Post, The American Historical Review “A useful corrective to Millikan’s self-portrait that reveals some of the blemishes, as well as the embellishments, of an important life in American science.” — Robert W. Seidel, Science “For over thirty years, the only overview of Millikan’s life available to the layman was his own selective autobiography. That book either omitted or told only one side (sometimes biased by hindsight) of many important controversial episodes associated with his achievements and views... Kargon’s portrait-essay deals with some of these neglected incidents in a well-written and coherent manner aimed at a wide readership.” — John L. Michel, Technology and Culture “A very readable work with the virtue of containing a great deal of information in a brief compass. Kargon’s book deserves and will receive a wide audience as the successor to its subject’s autobiography... [Kargon] also merits credit for interesting discussions on Millikan as a statesman, administrator, and spokesman for science... a clearly first-rate narrative...” — Nathan Reingold, Isis “Admirably, Kargon combines institutional with intellectual history... Kargon offers a fascinating discussion of Millikan’s and George Hale’s contributions to war research, the California Institute of Technology, and the Mount Wilson Observatory. Kargon rightly stresses the collaborators’ links with the leaders of finance and industry developing Los Angeles... as a brief sketch of Millikan the scientific institution builder, Kargon’s book deserves the wide audience he seeks.” — Peter Galison, The Journal of American History “The book leaves us in no doubt about [Millikan’s] ability, but does not gloss over his occasional obstinacy or his wishful thinking about past errors, matters on which some histories tend to be silent. Millikan was not a revolutionary who started new ideas, but the author stresses — rightly — the importance of men like him for the progress of science.” — Rudolf Peierls, The New York Review of Books “A gem of a book — thought-provoking, insightful, highly interesting reading.” — Lawrence Badash, University of California, Santa Barbara “The author skillfully weaves the story of Millikan with the story of modern science in a book that will be well received by a variety of audiences from professional historians of science to the general public.” — Choice “Kargon’s background in physics serves him well in placing Millikan’s work in its theoretical context, in the analysis of the work itself, and in generally managing to capture both the intense excitement and the routine involved in testing the ideas of the giants of that period in physics... Kargon... has certainly opened enough questions in this perceptive work — in addition to the large number that he has settled; and he has demonstrated an important use for the biographical mode. The general American historian as well as the historian of science can profit from reading this volume.” — George H. Daniels, The Historian “Robert Millikan’s scientific career, his character, and his roles as teacher, administrator at the California Institute of Technology, entrepreneur, and public figure are the topics covered in this biography. Even in discussing Millikan’s later decline as a front-line scientist, author Robert Kargon treats the scientist with compassion and fairness and portrays him as a many-faceted, often controversial man with doubts and uncertainties at the height of his fame... The high school physics student will find this book engaging and insightful in its description of a scientist struggling with science, self, and society.” — A. Cordell Perkes, The Science Teacher “[V]ery well researched and written. Robert Kargon gives an excellent picture of the rise of American physics, from the years when every aspiring young American physicist wanted to go to Germany to study, to the years when every aspiring young European physicist wanted to come to the United States for the same purpose. He clearly understands science, yet knows how to present its history so that it is interesting and meaningful to non-scientists. He tells not only of Millikan’s triumphs, but of his doubts as well; of his discoveries, and also of his mistakes... All in all, this is an excellent book, strongly recommended to the reader who is interested in the history of American science, and in the life of an outstanding practitioner of it.” — Donald E. Osterbrock, The Wisconsin Magazine of History

Time's Arrow and Archimedes' Point

Time's Arrow and Archimedes' Point PDF Author: Huw Price
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198026137
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
Why is the future so different from the past? Why does the past affect the future and not the other way around? What does quantum mechanics really tell us about the world? In this important and accessible book, Huw Price throws fascinating new light on some of the great mysteries of modern physics, and connects them in a wholly original way. Price begins with the mystery of the arrow of time. Why, for example, does disorder always increase, as required by the second law of thermodynamics? Price shows that, for over a century, most physicists have thought about these problems the wrong way. Misled by the human perspective from within time, which distorts and exaggerates the differences between past and future, they have fallen victim to what Price calls the "double standard fallacy": proposed explanations of the difference between the past and the future turn out to rely on a difference which has been slipped in at the beginning, when the physicists themselves treat the past and future in different ways. To avoid this fallacy, Price argues, we need to overcome our natural tendency to think about the past and the future differently. We need to imagine a point outside time -- an Archimedean "view from nowhen" -- from which to observe time in an unbiased way. Offering a lively criticism of many major modern physicists, including Richard Feynman and Stephen Hawking, Price shows that this fallacy remains common in physics today -- for example, when contemporary cosmologists theorize about the eventual fate of the universe. The "big bang" theory normally assumes that the beginning and end of the universe will be very different. But if we are to avoid the double standard fallacy, we need to consider time symmetrically, and take seriously the possibility that the arrow of time may reverse when the universe recollapses into a "big crunch." Price then turns to the greatest mystery of modern physics, the meaning of quantum theory. He argues that in missing the Archimedean viewpoint, modern physics has missed a radical and attractive solution to many of the apparent paradoxes of quantum physics. Many consequences of quantum theory appear counterintuitive, such as Schrodinger's Cat, whose condition seems undetermined until observed, and Bell's Theorem, which suggests a spooky "nonlocality," where events happening simultaneously in different places seem to affect each other directly. Price shows that these paradoxes can be avoided by allowing that at the quantum level the future does, indeed, affect the past. This demystifies nonlocality, and supports Einstein's unpopular intuition that quantum theory describes an objective world, existing independently of human observers: the Cat is alive or dead, even when nobody looks. So interpreted, Price argues, quantum mechanics is simply the kind of theory we ought to have expected in microphysics -- from the symmetric standpoint. Time's Arrow and Archimedes' Point presents an innovative and controversial view of time and contemporary physics. In this exciting book, Price urges physicists, philosophers, and anyone who has ever pondered the mysteries of time to look at the world from the fresh perspective of Archimedes' Point and gain a deeper understanding of ourselves, the universe around us, and our own place in time.

On The Seventh Day

On The Seventh Day PDF Author: John Ashton
Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group
ISBN: 1614580707
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 278

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Book Description
For all their intellectual gifts, those with PhD's are hungry for the same thing the rest of the population seeks; peace and spiritual fulfillment. Some hide behind a cool, clinical exterior, yet grapple with internal insecurities, fears, and disappointments. The scientific mind is eager to find truth; indeed, the very pursuit energizes scientists from a plethora of disciplines and backgrounds. This book was compiled for them. It contains not only "scientific" inquiries into the miraculous, but personal and poignant travels on the road to serenity. Over 40 PhD's in this book explore the linkage between science and faith, and what that means not only to individuals, but to the entire planet, as well. For example, meet: The skeptic who realized that this solution to a problem was not only wrong, but destructive. Read how a miraculous solution to a vexing problem brought him to faith. A psychiatrist who saw her career and personal life transformed by the intersection of faith and knowledge. Scientists who gaze at the heavens, and peer at microscopic creatures to better understand the world in which we live. If you are a friend who wants to introduce your scientist friend to God, then you've found the perfect gift with On the Seventh Day. If you are a skeptic, have a read. You'll be amazed that you've taken this path in your search for truth. In this book, you too can find rest from this hard business called life.

Imagine: Using Mental Imagery to Reach Your Full Potential

Imagine: Using Mental Imagery to Reach Your Full Potential PDF Author: Lydia Levleva
Publisher: Lindhardt og Ringhof
ISBN: 8728276973
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Book Description
Did you know that images of the mind shape how we think, feel and behave? The way we frame scenarios has the power to impact our attitude and actions. But what if we could consciously choose to cast things in a positive light? Equipping you with the tools you need to harness the power of mental imagery, ‘Imagine’ will help you achieve your goals and reach your full potential. With Dr Lydia Ievleva’s extensive experience incorporating mental imagery with a wide range of athletes, business and health professionals, her tried and tested advice will allow you to take back control. Featuring case studies and practical tips to set bitesize goals, forging the right mindset has never been so easy. "You can think of imagery like a screenplay -you can allow life to play you; or you can take a more active role in your destiny’ – Dr Lydia Ievleva With over 25 years of experience in practice and teaching, Dr Lydia Ievleva is a psychologist with extensive experience supporting a wide range of clients. Former president of the APS College of Sport and Exercise Psychologists, she received her training in Canada and the U.S. Lydia holds the following qualifications: BA Hons Psychology, Carleton University; MSc Sport Psychology, University of Ottawa; and PhD Counselling Psychology, specialising in health and sport, Florida State University. Her work includes clients seeking health, wellbeing, relationship, performance and professional goals and she has helped countless Olympic and professional athletes, dancers, musicians, artists, writers, corporate clients. Her popular psychology books are now helping millions around the world reach their full potential.

Beyond Past Lives

Beyond Past Lives PDF Author: Mira Kelley
Publisher: Hay House, Inc
ISBN: 1401946054
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 249

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Book Description
Understand your present with this powerful book on past lives. In this book, regressionist Mira Kelley shares the life-changing lessons she has learned from her clients to help you find support and understanding, and to empower you in your own growth. Mira teaches you how to connect with your Higher Self in any moment to receive guidance. You’ll come to understand how everything around you is just a reflection of yourself, why is it important to forgive, why you have the right to love yourself, and how the Universe always supports you lovingly and unconditionally. The stories contained in these pages will help you discover how to heal your body, mind, and spirit as you learn about the nature of time, karma, destiny, and free will—as well as how each choice creates a new reality for you. As you read Beyond Past Lives, you’ll see how regression has helped others shift to a reality of health and well-being, and you will be guided to achieve the same for yourself. Prepare for a powerful transformation as you experience the profound lesson of your past lives!