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More copies of this ISBN:This title in other formats:Einstein and Oppenheimer: The Meaning of Geniusby Silvan S. Schweber
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer, two iconic scientists of the twentieth century, belonged to different generations, with the boundary marked by the advent of quantum mechanics. By exploring how these men differed (in their worldview, in their work, and in their day) this book provides powerful insights into the lives of two critical figures and into the scientific culture of their times. In Einstein's and Oppenheimer's philosophical and ethical positions, their views of nuclear weapons, their ethnic and cultural commitments, their opinions on the unification of physics, even the role of Buddhist detachment in their thinking, the book traces the broader issues that have shaped science and the world. Einstein is invariably seen as a lone and singular genius, while Oppenheimer is generally viewed in a particular scientific, political, and historical context. Silvan Schweber considers the circumstances behind this perception, in Einstein's coherent and consistent self-image, and its relation to his singular vision of the world, and in Oppenheimer's contrasting lack of certainty and related non-belief in a unitary, ultimate theory. Of greater importance, perhaps, is the role that timing and chance seem to have played in the two scientists' contrasting characters and accomplishments; with Einstein's having the advantage of maturing at a propitious time for theoretical physics, when the Newtonian framework was showing weaknesses. Bringing to light little-examined aspects of these lives, Schweber expands our understanding of two great figures of twentieth-century physics, but also our sense of what such greatness means, in personal, scientific, and cultural terms. Review:The real interest of Mr. Schweber's account--and what makes his dual biography unusual--is the emphasis he places not on Einstein's or Oppenheimer's scientific achievements, which have been often enough described, but on their later careers, when both found themselves, for different reasons, strangely sidelined. Review:Schweber has set himself quite a task in seeking to add to our understanding [of Einstein and Oppenheimer]. By my reckoning he has succeeded, not so much by uncovering significant new material as by reflecting wisely and eloquently on Einstein's and Oppenheimer's politics, their relationships with their colleagues, and their contributions to science. About the AuthorSilvan S. Schweberis Professor of Physics and Richard Koret Professor in the History of Ideas, Emeritus, <>Brandeis University. Table of Contents1. Einstein and Nuclear Weapons Introduction Einstein and the Atomic Bomb After Hiroshima and Nagasaki Einstein on World Government Hydrogen Bombs Individual versus Collective Stands The Einstein-Russell Manifesto Epilogue 2. Einstein and the Founding of Brandeis University Introduction Israel Goldstein Rabbinic Connections The Harold Laski Episode Denouement Epilogue 3. J. Robert Oppenheimer: Proteus Unbound Introduction The Early Years Becoming a Physicist: Oppenheimer and His School Los Alamos The Postwar Years Hydrogen Bombs Epilogue 4. J. Robert Oppenheimer and American Pragmatism The Director's Fund Philosophy Harvard Overseer The William James Lectures 5. Einstein, Oppenheimer, and the Extension of Physics Unification Einstein and Unification The MIT Centennial Celebration. A Bird's-eye View of General Relativity, 1915 — 1960 6. Einstein, Oppenheimer, and the Meaning of Community The Einstein-Oppenheimer Interaction Eulogies and Memorial Speeches Roots and Tradition Philosophy Epilogue Some Concluding Remarks Appendix: The Russell-Einstein Manifesto What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!
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