The Oxford Handbook of the History of Physics PDF Download

Author: Jed Z. Buchwald
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019969625X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 956

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Book Description
Presents a history of physics, examining the theories and experimental practices of the science.

Author: Guido Bacciagaluppi
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198844492
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 1311

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Book Description
Crucial to most research in physics, as well as leading to the development of inventions such as the transistor and the laser, quantum mechanics approaches its centenary with an impressive record. However, the field has also long been the subject of ongoing debates about the foundations and interpretation of the theory, referred to as the quantum controversy. This Oxford Handbook offers a historical overview of the contrasts which have been at the heart of quantum physics for the last 100 years. Drawing on the wide-ranging expertise of several contributors working across physics, history, and philosophy, the handbook outlines the main theories and interpretations of quantum physics. It goes on to tackle the key controversies surrounding the field, touching on issues such as determinism, realism, locality, classicality, information, measurements, mathematical foundations, and the links between quantum theory and gravity. This engaging introduction is an essential guide for all those interested in the history of scientific controversies and history of quantum physics. It also provides a fascinating examination of the potential of quantum physics to influence new discoveries and advances in fields such quantum information and computing.

Author: Helge Kragh
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192549979
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 560

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Book Description
Scientific and popular literature on modern cosmology is very extensive; however, scholarly works on the historical development of cosmology are few and scattered. The Oxford Handbook of the History of Modern Cosmology offers a comprehensive and authoritative account of the history of cosmology from the late nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century. It provides historical background to what we know about the universe today, including not only the successes but also the many false starts. Big Bang theory features prominently, but so does the defunct steady state theory. The book starts with a chapter on the pre-Einstein period (1860-1910) and ends with chapters on modern developments such as inflation, dark energy and multiverse hypotheses. The chapters are organized chronologically, with some focusing on theory and others more on observations and technological advances. A few of the chapters discuss more general ideas, relating to larger contexts such as politics, economy, philosophy and world views.

Author: J. L. Heilbron
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019968412X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 193

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Book Description
Originally published in 2015 as: Physics: a short history from quintessence to quarks.

Author: Karine Chemla
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780191859243
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 507

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Book Description
This handbook examines how actors have valued generality in mathematics and the sciences and how they worked with specific types of 'general' entities, procedures, and arguments. Part I deals with the meaning and value of generality, and more specifically the value of generality in Michel Chasles's historiography of geometry and generality in Gottfried Leibniz's mathematics. Part II focuses on statements and concepts that make up the general, covering topics such as Henri Poincaré's work on the recurrence theorem and the role of genericity in the history of dynamical systems theory. Part III explores the practices of generality, including the dispute over tangents between René Descartes and Pierre de Fermat, generality in James Clerk Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism, and practices of generalization in mathematical physics, biology, and evolutionary strategies.

Author: Eugene Michael Terentjev
Publisher: Oxford Handbooks
ISBN: 0199667926
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 605

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Book Description
This Handbook serves both as an introduction and an overview of the field of soft condensed matter. The discussion covers topics ranging from the fundamentals of colloid science to the principles and action of surfactants, modern directions of research in liquid crystals, and the key properties of foams. The book also explores the fundamental physics that controls the structure and mechanics of granular matter; how the unusual and often dramatic mechanical properties of concentrated polymer systems are determined by the physics of entanglements; the complex structures formed by block copolymers and the methods of structure analysis; rubber elasticity and new emerging classes of rubber-elastic materials; the physics of polyelectrolytes; the solvent dynamics in polymer gels, in equilibrium and under mechanical stress; and the hierarchical structure and characteristics of an extracellular matrix.

Author: Quinn Terrance J
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9813209119
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 212

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Book Description
In modern physics, various fundamental problems have become topics of ongoing debate. There was the 20th century climb to a Standard Model, still accurate at the highest energy levels obtainable so far. But, since the 1970's, a different approach to physics advocates for theories such as string theory, known for their mathematical elegance, even though they either cannot be verified in data or contradict presently known experimental results. In philosophy of physics, there is a gradually emerging consensus that philosophy of physics and physics somehow contribute to a common enterprise. But, there is little sign of progress toward consensus about the nature of that unity. All the while, it is generally recognized that physics is interdisciplinary. There are, of course, differences in focus. But, implicitly at least, there are no "sharp dividing lines" between physics and philosophy of physics; pure and applied physics; physical chemistry; biophysics; medical physics; history and philosophy of physics; physics and society; physics education; and so on. What, then, is progress in physics? The question here is not about ideal structures, but asks about what is going on in physics. Beginnings in discerning the presence of eight main tasks help reveal the (pre-) emergence of a normative omni-disciplinary basis for collaboration that, once adverted to, promises to be constitutive of a new and increasingly effective control of meaning. Originally discovered by Bernard Lonergan in 1965, progress in the new collaboration will not seek to eliminate specialized expertise. It will, though, divide tasks within an eightfold functional division of labor. This book invites attention to data for each of the eight main tasks evident and self-evident in existing scholarship in the community. The book also makes preliminary efforts toward envisioning something of what functional collaboration will look like — in physics, the Academy and Society.

Author: Robert W. Batterman
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780199971374
Category : Physics
Languages : en
Pages : 688

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Book Description
This handbook provides an overview of many of the topics that currently engage philosophers of physics. It surveys new issues and the problems that have become a focus of attention in recent years. It also provides up-to-date discussions of the still very important problems that dominated the field in the past.

Author: David B. Baker
Publisher: OUP USA
ISBN: 0195366557
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 662

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Book Description
The science and practice of psychology has evolved around the world on different trajectories and timelines, yet with a convergence on the recognition of the need for a human science that can confront the challenges facing the world today. Few would argue that the standard narrative of the history of psychology has emphasized European and American traditions over others, but in today's global culture, there is a greater need in psychology for international understanding. This volume describes the historical development of psychology in countries throughout the world. Contributors provide narratives that examine the political and socioeconomic forces that have shaped their nations' psychologies. Each unique story adds another element to our understanding of the history of psychology. The chapters in this volume remind us that there are unique contexts and circumstances that influence the ways in which the science and practice of psychology are assimilated into our daily lives. Making these contexts and circumstances explicit through historical research and writing provides some promise of greater international insight, as well as a better understanding of the human condition.

Author: James E. McClellan III
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
ISBN: 1421417758
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 549

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Book Description
Facts and figures have been thoroughly updated and the work includes a comprehensive Guide to Resources, incorporating the major published literature along with a vetted list of websites and Internet resources for students and lay readers.