Are you looking for read ebook online? Search for your book and save it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Download From Clockwork to Crapshoot PDF full book. Access full book title From Clockwork to Crapshoot by Roger G. Newton. Download full books in PDF and EPUB format.
Author: Roger G. Newton Publisher: Harvard University Press ISBN: 0674266234 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 366
Book Description
Science is about 6000 years old while physics emerged as a distinct branch some 2500 years ago. As scientists discovered virtually countless facts about the world during this great span of time, the manner in which they explained the underlying structure of that world underwent a philosophical evolution. From Clockwork to Crapshoot provides the perspective needed to understand contemporary developments in physics in relation to philosophical traditions as far back as ancient Greece. Roger Newton, whose previous works have been widely praised for erudition and accessibility, presents a history of physics from the early beginning to our day--with the associated mathematics, astronomy, and chemistry. Along the way, he gives brief explanations of the scientific concepts at issue, biographical thumbnail sketches of the protagonists, and descriptions of the changing instruments that enabled scientists to make their discoveries. He traces a profound change from a deterministic explanation of the world--accepted at least since the time of the ancient Greek and Taoist Chinese civilizations--to the notion of probability, enshrined as the very basis of science with the quantum revolution at the beginning of the twentieth century. With this change, Newton finds another fundamental shift in the focus of physicists--from the cause of dynamics or motion to the basic structure of the world. His work identifies what may well be the defining characteristic of physics in the twenty-first century.
Author: Roger G. Newton Publisher: Harvard University Press ISBN: 0674266234 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 366
Book Description
Science is about 6000 years old while physics emerged as a distinct branch some 2500 years ago. As scientists discovered virtually countless facts about the world during this great span of time, the manner in which they explained the underlying structure of that world underwent a philosophical evolution. From Clockwork to Crapshoot provides the perspective needed to understand contemporary developments in physics in relation to philosophical traditions as far back as ancient Greece. Roger Newton, whose previous works have been widely praised for erudition and accessibility, presents a history of physics from the early beginning to our day--with the associated mathematics, astronomy, and chemistry. Along the way, he gives brief explanations of the scientific concepts at issue, biographical thumbnail sketches of the protagonists, and descriptions of the changing instruments that enabled scientists to make their discoveries. He traces a profound change from a deterministic explanation of the world--accepted at least since the time of the ancient Greek and Taoist Chinese civilizations--to the notion of probability, enshrined as the very basis of science with the quantum revolution at the beginning of the twentieth century. With this change, Newton finds another fundamental shift in the focus of physicists--from the cause of dynamics or motion to the basic structure of the world. His work identifies what may well be the defining characteristic of physics in the twenty-first century.
Author: Roger G. Newton Publisher: World Scientific ISBN: 981440120X Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 111
Book Description
This book aims to describe the scientific concepts of energy. Accessible to readers with no scientific education beyond high-school chemistry, it starts with the basic notion of energy and the fundamental laws that govern it, such as conservation, and explains the various forms of energy, such as electrical, chemical, and nuclear. It then proceeds to describe ways in which energy is stored for very long times in the various fossil fuels (petroleum, gas, coal) as well as for short times (flywheels, pumped storage, batteries, fuel cells, liquid hydrogen). The book also discusses the modes of transport of energy, especially those of electrical energy via lasers and transmission lines, as well as why the latter uses alternating current at high voltages. The altered view of energy introduced by quantum mechanics is also discussed, as well as how almost all the Earth''s energy originates from the Sun. Finally, the history of the forms of energy in the course of development of the universe is described, and how this form changed from pure radiation in the aftermath of the Big Bang to the creation of all the chemical elements in the world.
Author: Leonard Mlodinow Publisher: Vintage ISBN: 0345804430 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 354
Book Description
How did a near-extinct species, eking out a meager existence with stone axes, become the dominant power on earth, able to harness a knowledge of nature ranging from tiny atoms to the vast structures of the universe? Leonard Mlodinow takes us on an enthralling tour of the history of human progress, from our time on the African savannah through the invention of written language, all the way to modern quantum physics. Along the way, he explores the colorful personalities of the great philosophers, scientists, and thinkers, and traces the cultural conditions—and the elements of chance—that influenced scientific discovery. Deeply informed, accessible, and infused with the author’s trademark humor and insight, The Upright Thinkers is a stunning tribute to humanity’s intellectual curiosity and an important book for any reader with an interest in the scientific issues of our day.
Author: Ginger Strand Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux ISBN: 0374711542 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 320
Book Description
Worlds collide in this true story of weather control in the Cold War era and the making of Kurt Vonnegut In the mid-1950s, Kurt Vonnegut takes a job in the PR department at General Electric in Schenectady, where his older brother, Bernard, is a leading scientist in its research lab--or "House of Magic." Kurt has ambitions as a novelist, and Bernard is working on a series of cutting-edge weather-control experiments meant to make deserts bloom and farmers flourish. While Kurt writes zippy press releases, Bernard builds silver-iodide generators and attacks clouds with dry ice. His experiments attract the attention of the government; weather proved a decisive factor in World War II, and if the military can control the clouds, fog, and snow, they can fly more bombing missions. Maybe weather will even be the "New Super Weapon." But when the army takes charge of his cloud-seeding project (dubbed Project Cirrus), Bernard begins to have misgivings about the harmful uses of his inventions, not to mention the evidence that they are causing alarming changes in the atmosphere. In a fascinating cultural history, Ginger Strand chronicles the intersection of these brothers' lives at a time when the possibilities of science seemed infinite. As the Cold War looms, Bernard's struggle for integrity plays out in Kurt's evolving writing style. The Brothers Vonnegut reveals how science's ability to influence the natural world also influenced one of our most inventive novelists.
Author: John Stuart Mill Publisher: Broadview Press ISBN: 1460404688 Category : Philosophy Languages : en Pages : 218
Book Description
In this work, Mill reflects on the struggle between liberty and authority and defends the view that “the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.” He questions attempts to limit freedom of conscience and religion, freedom to pursue one’s own interests, and freedom to unite, and he defends a liberal political and social order in which there is considerable room for personal development and freedom of association. This new Broadview Edition demonstrates the ways in which Mill’s intellectual landscape differed markedly from our own, while also drawing attention to the reasons why the work remains relevant and essential reading in the present day. Appendices include antecedents to Mill’s work, critical discussions by his contemporaries, and related writings by Mill. Please note: Broadview offers two separate editions of On Liberty. The Kahn edition is particularly relevant to readers who are interested in how the work is situated in the history of political philosophy, whereas the Alexander edition is recommended to those most interested in the work’s Victorian literary and social contexts.
Author: Christopher C. Gerry Publisher: OUP Oxford ISBN: 0191644641 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 208
Book Description
Using a selection of key experiments performed over the past 30 years or so, we present a discussion of the strikingly counter-intuitive phenomena of the quantum world that defy explanation in terms of everyday "common sense" reasoning, and we provide the corresponding quantum mechanical explanations with a very elementary use of associated formalism. Most, but certainly not all, of the experiments we describe are optical experiments involving a very small number of photons (particles of light). We begin with experiments on the wave-particle duality of electrons, proceed to experiments on the particle nature of light and single photon interference, delayed choice experiments and interaction-free detection, then go on to experiments involving the interference of two photons, quantum entanglement and Bell's Theorem, quantum teleportation, large-scale quantum effects and the divide between the classical and quantum worlds, addressing the question as to whether or not there is such a divide.
Author: Florian J. Boge Publisher: Springer ISBN: 3319957651 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 432
Book Description
This book explores the prospects of rivaling ontological and epistemic interpretations of quantum mechanics (QM). It concludes with a suggestion for how to interpret QM from an epistemological point of view and with a Kantian touch. It thus refines, extends, and combines existing approaches in a similar direction. The author first looks at current, hotly debated ontological interpretations. These include hidden variables-approaches, Bohmian mechanics, collapse interpretations, and the many worlds interpretation. He demonstrates why none of these ontological interpretations can claim to be the clear winner amongst its rivals. Next, coverage explores the possibility of interpreting QM in terms of knowledge but without the assumption of hidden variables. It examines QBism as well as Healey’s pragmatist view. The author finds both interpretations or programs appealing, but still wanting in certain respects. As a result, he then goes on to advance a genuine proposal as to how to interpret QM from the perspective of an internal realism in the sense of Putnam and Kant. The book also includes two philosophical interludes. One details the notions of probability and realism. The other highlights the connections between the notions of locality, causality, and reality in the context of violations of Bell-type inequalities.
Author: Abigail Pillitteri Publisher: Morgan & Claypool Publishers ISBN: 1681745143 Category : Science Languages : en Pages : 78
Book Description
Space curves around you, time slows down, particles are waves, a cat is both alive and dead. What's going on? It all starts to make sense when we untangle the universe with this clear and enlightening book. Day-dreamers and deep-thinkers, these are the concepts that will send your mind wandering to new places with a deeper understanding of the natural world. Physics has always been a tricky subject for the general public. Millions are fascinated by the laws of the physical world, but there has been a lack of books written specifically for general readers. The Universe Untangled is for those who are curious; yet do not have an extensive mathematical background. It uses images, analogies and comprehensible language to cover popular topics of interest including the evolution of the universe, fundamental forces and particle interactions, the nature of space and time according to Special and General Relativity, the ideas of Quantum Mechanics and the quest for knowing the unknown. The Universe Untangled is a unique book because it is written by an author whose career has been built on making science accessible to all. She has contributed to the design and content production of educational games, professional development courses, and science workbooks. In essence, this is not a book written by a physicist for other physicists. It is written by an educator who cares only about sharing her passion for science with others.
Author: Don Lichtenberg Publisher: World Scientific ISBN: 9812771050 Category : Juvenile Nonfiction Languages : en Pages : 328
Book Description
1. Early ideas and the universe -- 2. The solar system and beyond -- 3. Newton's ideas about space and time -- 4. Early ideas of motion -- 5. Newton's Law of Motion -- 6. Newton's Theory of Gravity -- 7. Energy and momentum -- 8. Electricity and magnetism -- 9. Wave motion -- 10. Relativity -- 11. Atoms -- 12. Early days of Quantum Theory -- 13. Quantum mechanics -- 14. The elements -- 15. Nuclear physics -- 16. Elementary particles -- 17. The sun and the solar system -- 18. The Milky Way -- 19. The universe -- 20. Speculations.
Author: Debra A. Reid Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield ISBN: 1538172763 Category : Business & Economics Languages : en Pages : 267
Book Description
Interpreting Science in Museums and Historic Sites stresses the untapped potential of historical artifacts to inform our understanding of scientific topics. It argues that science gains ground when contextualized in museums and historic sites.
Author: Roger G. Newton
Author: Roger G. Newton
Author: Roger G. Newton
Author: Leonard Mlodinow
Author: Ginger Strand
Author: John Stuart Mill
Author: Christopher C. Gerry
Author: Florian J. Boge
Author: Abigail Pillitteri
Author: Don Lichtenberg
Author: Debra A. Reid