Synopses & Reviews
Generations have grown up knowing that the equation E=mc2 changed the shape of our world, but never understanding what it actually means, why it was so significant, and how it informs our daily lives today—governing, as it does, everything from the atomic bomb to a televisions cathode ray tube to the carbon dating of prehistoric paintings. In this book, David Bodanis writes the “biography” of one of the greatest scientific discoveries in history—that the realms of energy and matter are inescapably linked—and, through his skill as a writer and teacher, he turns a seemingly impenetrable theory into a dramatic human achievement and an uncommonly good story.
Synopsis
Bodanis writes the "biography" of one of the greatest scientific discoveries in history, and through his skill as a writer and teacher, he turns a seemingly impenetrable theory into a dramatic and accessible human achievement. 20 photos & drawings.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 301-[318]) and index.
About the Author
David Bodanis designed and gave the "Intellectual Tool-kit" course lectures for many years at Oxford University in England. He is the author of several books, including The Secret Family and the best-seller The Secret House. A native of Chicago, he lives in London, England.
Table of Contents
Part 1 - Birth --Bern patent office, 1905 --Part 2 - Ancestors of E=mcsquared --E is for energy --= --m is for mass --c is for celeritas --2hacek(caron) --Part 3 - The early years --Einstein and the equation --Into the atom --Quiet in the midday snow --Part 4 - Adulthood --Germany's turn --Norway --America's turn --8:16 a.m. - over Japan --Part 5 - Till the end of time --The fires of the sun --Creating the earth --A Brahmin lifts his eyes unto the sky --Epilogue : What else Einstein did --Appendix : Follow-up of other key participants.