Is Einstein Still Right?

Is Einstein Still Right? PDF Author: Clifford M. Will
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0198842120
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
Will and Yunes chronicle the latest adventures of scientists as they put Einstein's theory to the test in ever more precise and astonishing ways. In the process, they document the struggles of physicists to reconcile gravity with quantum mechanics, the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter, and the scientific process to seek a new understanding of the cosmos. This is a popular science book intended for the general public that describes cutting-edge theoreticalphysics ideas, experiments and observations with a substantial number of drawings and figures but without mathematical equations. The reader will take front seat in the roller coaster that iscutting-edge research in physics through personal anecdotes and stories.

Is Einstein Still Right?

Is Einstein Still Right? PDF Author: Clifford M. Will
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0198842120
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 305

Get Book

Book Description
Will and Yunes chronicle the latest adventures of scientists as they put Einstein's theory to the test in ever more precise and astonishing ways. In the process, they document the struggles of physicists to reconcile gravity with quantum mechanics, the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter, and the scientific process to seek a new understanding of the cosmos. This is a popular science book intended for the general public that describes cutting-edge theoreticalphysics ideas, experiments and observations with a substantial number of drawings and figures but without mathematical equations. The reader will take front seat in the roller coaster that iscutting-edge research in physics through personal anecdotes and stories.

Is Einstein Still Right?

Is Einstein Still Right? PDF Author: Clifford M. Will
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192579436
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
Albert Einstein is often viewed as the icon of genius, and his theories are admired for their beauty and correctness. Yet the final judge of any theory is the rigorous test of experiment, not the fame of its inventor or the allure of its mathematics. For decades, general relativity has passed test after test with flying colors, including some remarkable new tests using the recently detected gravitational waves. Still, there are reasons for doubt. Einstein's theory of gravity, as beautiful as it is, seems to be in direct contradiction with another theory he helped create: quantum mechanics. Until recently, this was considered to be a purely academic affair. But as more and more data pour in from the most distant corners of the universe, hinting at bizarre stuff called "dark energy" and "dark matter," some scientists have begun to explore the possibility that Einstein's theory may not provide a complete picture of the cosmos. This book chronicles the latest adventures of scientists as they put Einstein's theory to the test in ever more precise and astonishing ways, and in ever more extreme situations, when gravity is unfathomably intense and rapidly churning. From the explosions of neutron stars and the collisions of black holes to the modern scientific process as a means to seek truth and understanding in the cosmos, this book takes the reader on a journey of learning and discovery that has been 100 years in the making.

Was Einstein Right?

Was Einstein Right? PDF Author: Clifford M. Will
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 9780465090860
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Looks at how scientists have tested Einstein's theory during the past seventy years, and demonstrates how this theory is crucial to understanding such features of the universe as pulsars, quasars, and black holes.

Einstein Was Right!

Einstein Was Right! PDF Author: Karl Hess
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 9814463701
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 218

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Book Description
All modern books on Einstein emphasize the genius of his relativity theory and the corresponding corrections and extensions of the ancient space-time concept. However, Einstein's opposition to the use of probability in the laws of nature and particularly in the laws of quantum mechanics is criticized and often portrayed as outdated. The author of E

Proving Einstein Right

Proving Einstein Right PDF Author: S. James Gates,
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 1541762231
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 368

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Book Description
A thrilling adventure story chronicling the perilous journey of the scientists who set out to prove the theory of relativity--the results of which catapulted Albert Einstein to fame and forever changed our understanding of the universe. In 1911, a relatively unknown physicist named Albert Einstein published his preliminary theory of gravity. But it hadn't been tested. To do that, he needed a photograph of starlight as it passed the sun during a total solar eclipse. So began a nearly decade-long quest by seven determined astronomers from observatories in four countries, who traveled the world during five eclipses to capture the elusive sight. Over the years, they faced thunderstorms, the ravages of a world war, lost equipment, and local superstitions. Finally, in May of 1919, British expeditions to northern Brazil and the island of Príncipe managed to photograph the stars, confirming Einstein's theory. At its heart, this is a story of frustration, faith, and ultimate victory--and of the scientists whose efforts helped build the framework for the big bang theory, catapulted Einstein to international fame, and shook the foundation of physics.

Einstein's Greatest Mistake

Einstein's Greatest Mistake PDF Author: David Bodanis
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 1408708086
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
Widely considered the greatest genius of all time, Albert Einstein revolutionised our understanding of the cosmos with his general theory of relativity and helped to lead us into the atomic age. Yet in the final decades of his life he was also ignored by most working scientists, his ideas opposed by even his closest friends. This stunning downfall can be traced to Einstein's earliest successes and to personal qualities that were at first his best assets. Einstein's imagination and self-confidence served him well as he sought to reveal the universe's structure, but when it came to newer revelations in the field of quantum mechanics, these same traits undermined his quest for the ultimate truth. David Bodanis traces the arc of Einstein's intellectual development across his professional and personal life, showing how Einstein's confidence in his own powers of intuition proved to be both his greatest strength and his ultimate undoing. He was a fallible genius. An intimate and enlightening biography of the celebrated physicist, Einstein's Greatest Mistake reveals how much we owe Einstein today - and how much more he might have achieved if not for his all-too-human flaws.

On a Beam of Light

On a Beam of Light PDF Author: Jennifer Berne
Publisher: Chronicle Books
ISBN: 1452113092
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 58

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Book Description
A boy rides a bicycle down a dusty road. But in his mind, he envisions himself traveling at a speed beyond imagining, on a beam of light. This brilliant mind will one day offer up some of the most revolutionary ideas ever conceived. From a boy endlessly fascinated by the wonders around him, Albert Einstein ultimately grows into a man of genius recognized the world over for profoundly illuminating our understanding of the universe. Jennifer Berne and Vladimir Radunsky invite the reader to travel along with Einstein on a journey full of curiosity, laughter, and scientific discovery. Parents and children alike will appreciate this moving story of the powerful difference imagination can make in any life.

Einstein's Theory of Relativity

Einstein's Theory of Relativity PDF Author: Max Born
Publisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 0486142124
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 400

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Book Description
Semi-technical account includes a review of classical physics (origin of space and time measurements, Ptolemaic and Copernican astronomy, laws of motion, inertia, more) and of Einstein's theories of relativity.

Einstein Was Right

Einstein Was Right PDF Author: Jed Z. Buchwald
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691211973
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 248

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Book Description
An authoritative interdisciplinary account of the historic discovery of gravitational waves In 1915, Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves—ripples in the fabric of spacetime caused by the movement of large masses—as part of the theory of general relativity. A century later, researchers with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) confirmed Einstein's prediction, detecting gravitational waves generated by the collision of two black holes. Shedding new light on the hundred-year history of this momentous achievement, Einstein Was Right brings together essays by two of the physicists who won the Nobel Prize for their instrumental roles in the discovery, along with contributions by leading scholars who offer unparalleled insights into one of the most significant scientific breakthroughs of our time. This illuminating book features an introduction by Tilman Sauer and invaluable firsthand perspectives on the history and significance of the LIGO consortium by physicists Barry Barish and Kip Thorne. Theoretical physicist Alessandra Buonanno discusses the new possibilities opened by gravitational wave astronomy, and sociologist of science Harry Collins and historians of science Diana Kormos Buchwald, Daniel Kennefick, and Jürgen Renn provide further insights into the history of relativity and LIGO. The book closes with a reflection by philosopher Don Howard on the significance of Einstein's theory for the philosophy of science. Edited by Jed Buchwald, Einstein Was Right is a compelling and thought-provoking account of one of the most thrilling scientific discoveries of the modern age.

The Physicist and the Philosopher

The Physicist and the Philosopher PDF Author: Jimena Canales
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691173176
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 487

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Book Description
The explosive debate that transformed our views about time and scientific truth On April 6, 1922, in Paris, Albert Einstein and Henri Bergson publicly debated the nature of time. Einstein considered Bergson's theory of time to be a soft, psychological notion, irreconcilable with the quantitative realities of physics. Bergson, who gained fame as a philosopher by arguing that time should not be understood exclusively through the lens of science, criticized Einstein's theory of time for being a metaphysics grafted on to science, one that ignored the intuitive aspects of time. The Physicist and the Philosopher tells the remarkable story of how this explosive debate transformed our understanding of time and drove a rift between science and the humanities that persists today. Jimena Canales introduces readers to the revolutionary ideas of Einstein and Bergson, describes how they dramatically collided in Paris, and traces how this clash of worldviews reverberated across the twentieth century. She shows how it provoked responses from figures such as Bertrand Russell and Martin Heidegger, and carried repercussions for American pragmatism, logical positivism, phenomenology, and quantum mechanics. Canales explains how the new technologies of the period—such as wristwatches, radio, and film—helped to shape people’s conceptions of time and further polarized the public debate. She also discusses how Bergson and Einstein, toward the end of their lives, each reflected on his rival’s legacy—Bergson during the Nazi occupation of Paris and Einstein in the context of the first hydrogen bomb explosion. The Physicist and the Philosopher is a magisterial and revealing account that shows how scientific truth was placed on trial in a divided century marked by a new sense of time.