A leading figure in twentieth-century physics offers impressions and recollections of the field's development. Nobel Laureate Emilio Segrè (1905–89) knew and worked with many of modern physics' preeminent scientists. In this simple but elegant history, he offers compelling views not only ... read more
Landmark Experiments in Twentieth-Century Physics by George L. Trigg Clear, detailed explorations feature extensive quotations from original research papers in their coverage of groundbreaking research. Topics include x-rays, superconductivity, neutrinos, lasers, and many other subjects. 120 illustrations. 1975 edition.
Thirty Years that Shook Physics: The Story of Quantum Theory by George Gamow Lucid, accessible introduction to the influential theory of energy and matter features careful explanations of Dirac's anti-particles, Bohr's model of the atom, and much more. Numerous drawings. 1966 edition.
Einstein's Legacy: The Unity of Space and Time by Julian Schwinger A Nobel Laureate relates the fascinating story of Einstein and relativity theory in well-illustrated, nontechnical terms, discussing the meaning of time, gravity and its effect on light, the curving of space-time, more.
Concepts of Force by Max Jammer This work by a noted physicist traces conceptual development from ancient to modern times. Kepler's initiation, Newton's definition, subsequent reinterpretation — contrasting concepts of Leibniz, Boscovich, Kant with those of Mach, Kirchhoff, Hertz. "An excellent presentation." — Science.
The Strange Story of the Quantum by Banesh Hoffmann Timeless exploration of the work of the great physicists of the early 20th century offers an accessible introduction to Pauli's exclusion principle, Schroedinger's wave equation, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, more. 1959 edition.
Where No Man Has Gone Before: A History of NASA's Apollo Lunar Expeditions by William David Compton This official NASA history traces behind-the-scenes conflicts and cooperation between scientists and engineers. The first half concerns preparations for the Moon landings, and the second half documents the flights that followed Apollo 11. 1989 edition.
Newton's Philosophy of Nature: Selections from His Writings by Sir Isaac Newton, H. S. Thayer A wide, accessible representation of the interests, problems, and philosophic issues that preoccupied the great 17th-century scientist, this collection is grouped according to methods, principles, and theological considerations. 1953 edition.
Cosmology by Hermann Bondi A co-developer of the steady-state theory explores his conception of the expanding universe. This historic book was among the first to present cosmology as a separate branch of physics. 1961 edition.
One Two Three . . . Infinity: Facts and Speculations of Science by George Gamow Over 120 delightful pen-and-ink illustrations by the author add another dimension of good-natured charm to these wide-ranging explorations. A mind-expanding volume for the layman and the science-minded.
The Principle of Relativity by Albert Einstein, Francis A. Davis Eleven papers that forged the general and special theories of relativity include seven papers by Einstein, two by Lorentz, and one each by Minkowski and Weyl. 1923 edition.
Product Description:
A leading figure in twentieth-century physics offers impressions and recollections of the field's development. Nobel Laureate Emilio Segrè (1905–89) knew and worked with many of modern physics' preeminent scientists. In this simple but elegant history, he offers compelling views not only of the milestones of scientific discovery but also the personalities involved—their attitudes and politics as well as their trials and triumphs. Highlights include a profile of Albert Einstein, from his unconventional youth to his role as science's elder statesman; the wonder year of 1932, which witnessed the discoveries of the neutron, positron, and deuterium; and the first steps in building particle accelerators. A student and colleague of Enrico Fermi, Segrè made numerous important contributions to nuclear physics, including participation in the Manhattan Project. Segrè is further renowned for his narrative skills as a historian. This book is a companion to the author's From Falling Bodies to Radio Waves: Classical Physicists and Their Discoveries, also available from Dover Publications.
Reprint of the W. H. Freeman and Company, New York, 1980 edition.
Emilio Segrè (1905–1989) became, in 1928, the first student to earn a doctorate in physics at The University of Rome under Enrico Fermi. A decade later, restrictive fascist laws against Jews in academic positions in Italy turned Segrè into an academic refugee — he settled in Berkeley where, in 1955, with colleague Owen Chamberlain, he proved the existence of the antiproton, a negatively charged proton that destroys itself as well as the matter it strikes. In 1959, Segrè and Chamberlain shared the Nobel Prize for Physics for their work on antiproton.
From 1943 to 1946, Segrè worked as a group leader on the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos. In his 1970 book about Fermi, Segrè recalled a crucial atomic test in the New Mexico desert: "In a fraction of a second, at our distance, one received enough light to produce a sunburn. I was near Fermi at the time of the explosion, but I do not remember what we said, if anything. I believed that for a moment I thought the explosion might set fire to the atmosphere and thus finish the earth, even though I knew that this was not possible."
It always seems an opportunity that should not be missed when a major participant in the world of science takes the time and makes the effort to write about his field for a general audience. At Dover we were very pleased to acquire from Emilio Segrè's heirs the rights to publish his outstanding two-volume history of physics written for the general reader and historian of science: From Falling Bodies to Radio Waves: Classical Physicists and Their Discoveries and From X-Rays to Quarks: Modern Physicists and Their Discoveries, both reprinted by Dover in 2007.
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