Klaus Hentschel
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199205660
- eISBN:
- 9780191709388
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199205660.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, History of Physics
This book identifies and discusses the puzzlingly uniform behaviour and mentality of German physicists in the immediate aftermath of World War II. During the first half-decade of the Allied ...
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This book identifies and discusses the puzzlingly uniform behaviour and mentality of German physicists in the immediate aftermath of World War II. During the first half-decade of the Allied occupation of post war Germany, former deep internal rifts within the physics community were obliterated by concerted resistance against externally imposed denazification, nor did the personal ethics of each individual upset this sense of solidarity. The causes and motivations behind this curious social phenomenon are explored, using tools from the history of mentality. A variety of historical sources are closely analyzed, including a representative serial publication, correspondence, and contemporary observations by visiting emigré scientists. The main chapters focus on individual features of this mental aftermath.Less
This book identifies and discusses the puzzlingly uniform behaviour and mentality of German physicists in the immediate aftermath of World War II. During the first half-decade of the Allied occupation of post war Germany, former deep internal rifts within the physics community were obliterated by concerted resistance against externally imposed denazification, nor did the personal ethics of each individual upset this sense of solidarity. The causes and motivations behind this curious social phenomenon are explored, using tools from the history of mentality. A variety of historical sources are closely analyzed, including a representative serial publication, correspondence, and contemporary observations by visiting emigré scientists. The main chapters focus on individual features of this mental aftermath.
Elizabeth Garber
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199231256
- eISBN:
- 9780191710803
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199231256.003.0012
- Subject:
- Mathematics, History of Mathematics
This chapter focuses on Lord Kelvin's works on atoms and molecules. He published his first paper on the subject in 1861 and his last in 1907. His first foray into atoms and molecules was to estimate ...
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This chapter focuses on Lord Kelvin's works on atoms and molecules. He published his first paper on the subject in 1861 and his last in 1907. His first foray into atoms and molecules was to estimate their size. His investigation of molecular models, his opposition to kinetic theory, his introduction of gyrostatic molecules, studies on electrons and radioactivity, and lectures at Johns Hopkins University are discussed.Less
This chapter focuses on Lord Kelvin's works on atoms and molecules. He published his first paper on the subject in 1861 and his last in 1907. His first foray into atoms and molecules was to estimate their size. His investigation of molecular models, his opposition to kinetic theory, his introduction of gyrostatic molecules, studies on electrons and radioactivity, and lectures at Johns Hopkins University are discussed.
Andrew Whitaker
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199231256
- eISBN:
- 9780191710803
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199231256.003.0016
- Subject:
- Mathematics, History of Mathematics
This chapter focuses on the legacy of Lord Kelvin. A century after his death, Kelvin's name is also associated with the Kelvin-Planck statement of the second law of thermodynamics, and several other ...
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This chapter focuses on the legacy of Lord Kelvin. A century after his death, Kelvin's name is also associated with the Kelvin-Planck statement of the second law of thermodynamics, and several other effects, in particular the Joule-Kelvin effect. His substantial contributions to the development of physics during the 19th century, and his influence on the education of physicists, the application of physics, and the interactions between physicists and the political and service establishments are discussed.Less
This chapter focuses on the legacy of Lord Kelvin. A century after his death, Kelvin's name is also associated with the Kelvin-Planck statement of the second law of thermodynamics, and several other effects, in particular the Joule-Kelvin effect. His substantial contributions to the development of physics during the 19th century, and his influence on the education of physicists, the application of physics, and the interactions between physicists and the political and service establishments are discussed.
Mark McCartney
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199231256
- eISBN:
- 9780191710803
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199231256.003.0001
- Subject:
- Mathematics, History of Mathematics
This chapter presents a biography of William Thomson. Topics covered include his early years in Glasgow College, his experiences at Cambridge University, his election as the Chair of Natural ...
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This chapter presents a biography of William Thomson. Topics covered include his early years in Glasgow College, his experiences at Cambridge University, his election as the Chair of Natural Philosophy at Glasgow, creation of the Physical and Chemical Laboratories of University College North Wales, and his scientific achievements.Less
This chapter presents a biography of William Thomson. Topics covered include his early years in Glasgow College, his experiences at Cambridge University, his election as the Chair of Natural Philosophy at Glasgow, creation of the Physical and Chemical Laboratories of University College North Wales, and his scientific achievements.
Jürgen Renn and Hanoch Gutfreund
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780691174631
- eISBN:
- 9781400888689
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691174631.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, History of Physics
First published in 1922 and based on lectures delivered in May 1921, Albert Einstein's The Meaning of Relativity offered an overview and explanation of the then new and controversial theory of ...
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First published in 1922 and based on lectures delivered in May 1921, Albert Einstein's The Meaning of Relativity offered an overview and explanation of the then new and controversial theory of relativity. The work would go on to become a monumental classic, printed in numerous editions and translations worldwide. Now, this book introduces Einstein's masterpiece to new audiences. The volume contains Einstein's insightful text, accompanied by important historical materials and commentary looking at the origins and development of general relativity. The book provides fresh, original perspectives, placing Einstein's achievements into a broader context for all readers. It tells the rich story behind the early reception, spread, and consequences of Einstein's ideas during the formative years of general relativity in the late 1910s and 1920s. Relativity's meaning changed radically throughout the nascent years of its development, and the book describes in detail the transformation of Einstein's work from the esoteric pursuit of one individual communicating with a handful of colleagues into the preoccupation of a growing community of physicists, astronomers, mathematicians, and philosophers. The book quotes extensively from Einstein's correspondence and reproduces historical documents such as newspaper articles and letters. Inserts are featured in the main text giving concise explanations of basic concepts, and short biographical notes and photographs of some of Einstein's contemporaries are included. The first-ever English translations of two of Einstein's popular Princeton lectures are featured at the book's end.Less
First published in 1922 and based on lectures delivered in May 1921, Albert Einstein's The Meaning of Relativity offered an overview and explanation of the then new and controversial theory of relativity. The work would go on to become a monumental classic, printed in numerous editions and translations worldwide. Now, this book introduces Einstein's masterpiece to new audiences. The volume contains Einstein's insightful text, accompanied by important historical materials and commentary looking at the origins and development of general relativity. The book provides fresh, original perspectives, placing Einstein's achievements into a broader context for all readers. It tells the rich story behind the early reception, spread, and consequences of Einstein's ideas during the formative years of general relativity in the late 1910s and 1920s. Relativity's meaning changed radically throughout the nascent years of its development, and the book describes in detail the transformation of Einstein's work from the esoteric pursuit of one individual communicating with a handful of colleagues into the preoccupation of a growing community of physicists, astronomers, mathematicians, and philosophers. The book quotes extensively from Einstein's correspondence and reproduces historical documents such as newspaper articles and letters. Inserts are featured in the main text giving concise explanations of basic concepts, and short biographical notes and photographs of some of Einstein's contemporaries are included. The first-ever English translations of two of Einstein's popular Princeton lectures are featured at the book's end.
H. Eugene Stanley, Xavier Gabaix, Parameswaran Gopikrishnan, and Vasiliki Plerou
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195162592
- eISBN:
- 9780199850495
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195162592.003.0005
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic Systems
To try to understand better puzzles regarding economic fluctuations, this chapter presents an overview of collaborative research between economists and physicists, which is focused on applying ideas ...
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To try to understand better puzzles regarding economic fluctuations, this chapter presents an overview of collaborative research between economists and physicists, which is focused on applying ideas of statistical physics. Describing outliers is one of the inquiries conducted to determine its existence. Outliers are phenomena that lie outside of patterns of statistical regularity. Evidence consistent with the possibility that such outliers may not exist is reviewed. This possibility is supported by the extensive numerical analysis of a huge database, containing every trade, which results in power-law descriptions of a number of quantities whose fluctuations are of interest. It is also supported by recent analysis of Plerou et al. of a database containing the bid, the ask, and the sale price of each trade of every stock. Further, the Plerou et al. analysis is consistent with a possible theoretical framework for understanding economic fluctuations.Less
To try to understand better puzzles regarding economic fluctuations, this chapter presents an overview of collaborative research between economists and physicists, which is focused on applying ideas of statistical physics. Describing outliers is one of the inquiries conducted to determine its existence. Outliers are phenomena that lie outside of patterns of statistical regularity. Evidence consistent with the possibility that such outliers may not exist is reviewed. This possibility is supported by the extensive numerical analysis of a huge database, containing every trade, which results in power-law descriptions of a number of quantities whose fluctuations are of interest. It is also supported by recent analysis of Plerou et al. of a database containing the bid, the ask, and the sale price of each trade of every stock. Further, the Plerou et al. analysis is consistent with a possible theoretical framework for understanding economic fluctuations.
Huw Price
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195117981
- eISBN:
- 9780199853045
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195117981.003.0007
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
Philosophers and physicists provide two perspectives of a single object. They argue and contend, for they see with different eyes, each claiming that his own is clear and true. It is not realized ...
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Philosophers and physicists provide two perspectives of a single object. They argue and contend, for they see with different eyes, each claiming that his own is clear and true. It is not realized that one may be not just caused by the other, but that they are linked more closely, because the two are dependent on each other. On the other hand, it is said that rather that dependence, time does exist in a temporal scheme, such as the past affects the future and not the other way around. The chapter discusses the conventionalist account of asymmetry, what it is and what the objections to it are, as well as the agreements about it. It probes individual perspectives and considers what is deemed to be factual.Less
Philosophers and physicists provide two perspectives of a single object. They argue and contend, for they see with different eyes, each claiming that his own is clear and true. It is not realized that one may be not just caused by the other, but that they are linked more closely, because the two are dependent on each other. On the other hand, it is said that rather that dependence, time does exist in a temporal scheme, such as the past affects the future and not the other way around. The chapter discusses the conventionalist account of asymmetry, what it is and what the objections to it are, as well as the agreements about it. It probes individual perspectives and considers what is deemed to be factual.
Gian Francesco Giudice
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199581917
- eISBN:
- 9780191723001
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199581917.003.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
This chapter introduces the LHC project and its main motivation: the exploration of ‘zeptospace’. Zeptospace is a word invented in this book to designate the world as viewed at lengths of hundred ...
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This chapter introduces the LHC project and its main motivation: the exploration of ‘zeptospace’. Zeptospace is a word invented in this book to designate the world as viewed at lengths of hundred billionths of billionths of a millimetre. Physicists expect that new particles and new phenomena (such as the Higgs boson, supersymmetry, or extra dimensions) exist in zeptospace. The chapter contains also a short synopsis of the book.Less
This chapter introduces the LHC project and its main motivation: the exploration of ‘zeptospace’. Zeptospace is a word invented in this book to designate the world as viewed at lengths of hundred billionths of billionths of a millimetre. Physicists expect that new particles and new phenomena (such as the Higgs boson, supersymmetry, or extra dimensions) exist in zeptospace. The chapter contains also a short synopsis of the book.
Basil Mitchell
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198267584
- eISBN:
- 9780191683312
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198267584.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Since the 1930s, there has been a deep division among physicists about how to interpret the fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics. Each side in the dispute holds to its opinion, though well aware ...
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Since the 1930s, there has been a deep division among physicists about how to interpret the fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics. Each side in the dispute holds to its opinion, though well aware of the criticisms offered by the other. However, the sciences do not exhaust the whole of our intellectual life and the natural sciences do not exhaust the whole of science. This chapter goes beyond the natural sciences into the social sciences, the humanities, and overall philosophies of life. It examines the distinction between the role of faith in the pursuit of truth and its role in the search for liberation or salvation.Less
Since the 1930s, there has been a deep division among physicists about how to interpret the fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics. Each side in the dispute holds to its opinion, though well aware of the criticisms offered by the other. However, the sciences do not exhaust the whole of our intellectual life and the natural sciences do not exhaust the whole of science. This chapter goes beyond the natural sciences into the social sciences, the humanities, and overall philosophies of life. It examines the distinction between the role of faith in the pursuit of truth and its role in the search for liberation or salvation.
KLAUS HENTSCHEL
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199205660
- eISBN:
- 9780191709388
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199205660.003.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, History of Physics
This introductory chapter begins with a discussion of the validity of analyzing the chosen scientific community of physicists within the period 1945 to 1949 as the subject of a history of mentality ...
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This introductory chapter begins with a discussion of the validity of analyzing the chosen scientific community of physicists within the period 1945 to 1949 as the subject of a history of mentality (histoire des mentalités, Duby). Layers of mentality are suggested. After a brief survey of the existing methodological literature, it sets the historical stage of defeated Nazi Germany and lists the various components of the mentality of German physicists in the immediate aftermath of World War II. The final section identifies the sources upon which the book is based, centering around the representative periodical Physikalische Blätter, private correspondence by physicists, and testimony from exiles.Less
This introductory chapter begins with a discussion of the validity of analyzing the chosen scientific community of physicists within the period 1945 to 1949 as the subject of a history of mentality (histoire des mentalités, Duby). Layers of mentality are suggested. After a brief survey of the existing methodological literature, it sets the historical stage of defeated Nazi Germany and lists the various components of the mentality of German physicists in the immediate aftermath of World War II. The final section identifies the sources upon which the book is based, centering around the representative periodical Physikalische Blätter, private correspondence by physicists, and testimony from exiles.
SEAN F. JOHNSTON
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198571223
- eISBN:
- 9780191718908
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198571223.003.0005
- Subject:
- Physics, History of Physics
This chapter focuses on how a new branch of optics, now known as 'holography' grew from the work of Gabor, Denisyuk, Leith, and Upatnieks. This repackaging was slow and contentious, and led to ...
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This chapter focuses on how a new branch of optics, now known as 'holography' grew from the work of Gabor, Denisyuk, Leith, and Upatnieks. This repackaging was slow and contentious, and led to priority disputes with George Stroke, a physicist at the University of Michigan who had been hired to liaise with the Willow Run personnel. While Leith, Upatnieks, and their colleagues extended and popularised the technique with engineers (many supported by the shadowy world of military applications), Stroke publicised it amongst optical scientists. This had the dual effect of rehabilitating Dennis Gabor's early work (for which he was to receive a Nobel Prize alone in 1971) and simultaneously clouding the contributions of the Willow Run investigators and patent rights.Less
This chapter focuses on how a new branch of optics, now known as 'holography' grew from the work of Gabor, Denisyuk, Leith, and Upatnieks. This repackaging was slow and contentious, and led to priority disputes with George Stroke, a physicist at the University of Michigan who had been hired to liaise with the Willow Run personnel. While Leith, Upatnieks, and their colleagues extended and popularised the technique with engineers (many supported by the shadowy world of military applications), Stroke publicised it amongst optical scientists. This had the dual effect of rehabilitating Dennis Gabor's early work (for which he was to receive a Nobel Prize alone in 1971) and simultaneously clouding the contributions of the Willow Run investigators and patent rights.
Tony Simcock
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780198567929
- eISBN:
- 9780191718328
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198567929.003.04
- Subject:
- Physics, History of Physics
Accounts and perceptions of particular subjects at Oxford University tend to concentrate on professors and central institutions. Not surprisingly, historians and contemporary commentators alike have ...
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Accounts and perceptions of particular subjects at Oxford University tend to concentrate on professors and central institutions. Not surprisingly, historians and contemporary commentators alike have formed judgements of ‘Oxford physics’ based on what went on in the Clarendon and Electrical Laboratories. However, Oxford's collegiate nature, the diversity of its scholarly community, and local peculiarities in the definition of disciplines, all require that a true description of Oxford physics embrace activity across a much larger and more complex territory. This chapter attempts to reconnoitre this uncharted hinterland, and sends up flares whenever physics and physicists are encountered. It shows how in a traditionally decentralized academic landscape, a discipline will have a widespread presence and even significant epicentres beyond the main facility, and sometimes utterly independent of it.Less
Accounts and perceptions of particular subjects at Oxford University tend to concentrate on professors and central institutions. Not surprisingly, historians and contemporary commentators alike have formed judgements of ‘Oxford physics’ based on what went on in the Clarendon and Electrical Laboratories. However, Oxford's collegiate nature, the diversity of its scholarly community, and local peculiarities in the definition of disciplines, all require that a true description of Oxford physics embrace activity across a much larger and more complex territory. This chapter attempts to reconnoitre this uncharted hinterland, and sends up flares whenever physics and physicists are encountered. It shows how in a traditionally decentralized academic landscape, a discipline will have a widespread presence and even significant epicentres beyond the main facility, and sometimes utterly independent of it.
Peter Middleton
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780226290003
- eISBN:
- 9780226290140
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226290140.003.0003
- Subject:
- Literature, American, 20th Century Literature
The chapter shows how postwar poets encountered strong negative or idealized images of poetry in the writings of physicists and other scientists. Physicists sometimes referred to an abstraction of ...
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The chapter shows how postwar poets encountered strong negative or idealized images of poetry in the writings of physicists and other scientists. Physicists sometimes referred to an abstraction of poetry in order to negotiate tricky questions about how to communicate the strangeness and “semi-phenomenological” character of the quantum world. Murray Gell-Mann coins the term “quark” partly because the allusion to Joyce enables him to finesse the questionable actuality of these sub-atomic particles. The chapter discusses the surprising prevalence of articles about poetry in general science journals aimed at professional scientists, and looks in detail at one article on contemporary poetry and science. Many poets read and referred to popular writings by Erwin Schröger and Werner Heisenberg. The chapter explains how their books appealed to poets because they referenced poetry, and talked about its possible future roles in relation to physics. Robert Creeley and Robert Duncan both found uses for the ideas of these physicists in their essays and poems. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how late in his career Oppenheimer reversed his earlier endorsement of Paul Dirac’s dismissal of poetry, by arguing that good scientific communication to the public would have the quality of lyric.Less
The chapter shows how postwar poets encountered strong negative or idealized images of poetry in the writings of physicists and other scientists. Physicists sometimes referred to an abstraction of poetry in order to negotiate tricky questions about how to communicate the strangeness and “semi-phenomenological” character of the quantum world. Murray Gell-Mann coins the term “quark” partly because the allusion to Joyce enables him to finesse the questionable actuality of these sub-atomic particles. The chapter discusses the surprising prevalence of articles about poetry in general science journals aimed at professional scientists, and looks in detail at one article on contemporary poetry and science. Many poets read and referred to popular writings by Erwin Schröger and Werner Heisenberg. The chapter explains how their books appealed to poets because they referenced poetry, and talked about its possible future roles in relation to physics. Robert Creeley and Robert Duncan both found uses for the ideas of these physicists in their essays and poems. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how late in his career Oppenheimer reversed his earlier endorsement of Paul Dirac’s dismissal of poetry, by arguing that good scientific communication to the public would have the quality of lyric.
Helge Kragh
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199654987
- eISBN:
- 9780191741692
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199654987.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, History of Physics, Atomic, Laser, and Optical Physics
The theory of atomic structure proposed by the young Danish physicist Niels Bohr in 1913 marked the true beginning of modern atomic and quantum physics. This is the first book that focuses in detail ...
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The theory of atomic structure proposed by the young Danish physicist Niels Bohr in 1913 marked the true beginning of modern atomic and quantum physics. This is the first book that focuses in detail on the origin and development of this remarkable theory. It offers a comprehensive account of Bohr’s ideas and the way they were modified by other physicists. By following the development and applications of the theory, it brings new insight into Bohr’s peculiar way of thinking; what Einstein once called his ‘musicality’ and ‘unique instinct and tact’. Contrary to most other accounts of the Bohr atom, the book presents it in a broader perspective, which includes the reception among other scientists, popular expositions of the theory, and the objections raised against it by scientists of a more conservative inclination. Moreover, it discusses the theory as Bohr originally conceived it, namely, as an ambitious attempt to understand the structure of atoms as well as molecules: the chemical aspects of the theory are given much attention. The book covers the successes as well as the failures of Bohr’s theory, arguing that the latter were no less important in the process that led Bohr to abandon the original model and Heisenberg to propose a new ‘quantum mechanics’. By discussing the theory in its entirety—following it from its birth in 1913, through its adolescence round 1918, to its decline in 1924—it becomes possible to understand its development and use it as an example of the dynamics of scientific theories.Less
The theory of atomic structure proposed by the young Danish physicist Niels Bohr in 1913 marked the true beginning of modern atomic and quantum physics. This is the first book that focuses in detail on the origin and development of this remarkable theory. It offers a comprehensive account of Bohr’s ideas and the way they were modified by other physicists. By following the development and applications of the theory, it brings new insight into Bohr’s peculiar way of thinking; what Einstein once called his ‘musicality’ and ‘unique instinct and tact’. Contrary to most other accounts of the Bohr atom, the book presents it in a broader perspective, which includes the reception among other scientists, popular expositions of the theory, and the objections raised against it by scientists of a more conservative inclination. Moreover, it discusses the theory as Bohr originally conceived it, namely, as an ambitious attempt to understand the structure of atoms as well as molecules: the chemical aspects of the theory are given much attention. The book covers the successes as well as the failures of Bohr’s theory, arguing that the latter were no less important in the process that led Bohr to abandon the original model and Heisenberg to propose a new ‘quantum mechanics’. By discussing the theory in its entirety—following it from its birth in 1913, through its adolescence round 1918, to its decline in 1924—it becomes possible to understand its development and use it as an example of the dynamics of scientific theories.
Malcolm Schofield
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199639984
- eISBN:
- 9780191743337
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199639984.003.0005
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology
The Pythagoreans are presented by Aristotle in Chapter 5 as a sort of bridge between the physicists and the Platonists. They resemble the physicists in treating their principles as material, although ...
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The Pythagoreans are presented by Aristotle in Chapter 5 as a sort of bridge between the physicists and the Platonists. They resemble the physicists in treating their principles as material, although with the striking innovation that these are conceived in mathematical terms; and they talk less obscurely than their predecessors about principles as such. The ontology presupposed by their thesis that ‘numbers are primary in nature’ and ‘constitute the whole heaven’ can be reconstructed from elsewhere in Aristotle and Alexander of Aphrodisias. No less importantly, however, they anticipate the direction in which Socrates and Plato will take philosophy. Their principles — limit and unlimited — are not natures like fire or earth, but substances in their own right of the things of which they are predicated; and they made attempts, albeit superficial and confused, at definitions.Less
The Pythagoreans are presented by Aristotle in Chapter 5 as a sort of bridge between the physicists and the Platonists. They resemble the physicists in treating their principles as material, although with the striking innovation that these are conceived in mathematical terms; and they talk less obscurely than their predecessors about principles as such. The ontology presupposed by their thesis that ‘numbers are primary in nature’ and ‘constitute the whole heaven’ can be reconstructed from elsewhere in Aristotle and Alexander of Aphrodisias. No less importantly, however, they anticipate the direction in which Socrates and Plato will take philosophy. Their principles — limit and unlimited — are not natures like fire or earth, but substances in their own right of the things of which they are predicated; and they made attempts, albeit superficial and confused, at definitions.
Michael Riordan, Lillian Hoddeson, and Adrienne W. Kolb
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780226294797
- eISBN:
- 9780226305837
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226305837.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
The SSC had to be “sold” to Congress and US taxpayers, for a project costing billions of dollars required strong public support. Central Design Group physicists kept Congress and its staffers ...
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The SSC had to be “sold” to Congress and US taxpayers, for a project costing billions of dollars required strong public support. Central Design Group physicists kept Congress and its staffers informed about the project’s scientific goals with colorful brochures and frequent visits. But newspaper and magazine articles aimed at non-physicist readers typically emphasized the collider’s great size and high cost over its research. Other scientists (especially condensed-matter physicists) began questioning the project — ultimately before Congress. DOE officials also found the SSC a hard sell at foreign science agencies, especially in Europe. Partly to help build support for the project, DOE initiated a national SSC site-selection competition in 1987. Most states championed their “green-field” sites, while Illinois advocated building the collider adjacent to Fermilab, reusing its existing infrastructure. From the eight sites named as finalists in December 1987, DOE officials selected the Waxahachie, Texas, site in November 1988.Less
The SSC had to be “sold” to Congress and US taxpayers, for a project costing billions of dollars required strong public support. Central Design Group physicists kept Congress and its staffers informed about the project’s scientific goals with colorful brochures and frequent visits. But newspaper and magazine articles aimed at non-physicist readers typically emphasized the collider’s great size and high cost over its research. Other scientists (especially condensed-matter physicists) began questioning the project — ultimately before Congress. DOE officials also found the SSC a hard sell at foreign science agencies, especially in Europe. Partly to help build support for the project, DOE initiated a national SSC site-selection competition in 1987. Most states championed their “green-field” sites, while Illinois advocated building the collider adjacent to Fermilab, reusing its existing infrastructure. From the eight sites named as finalists in December 1987, DOE officials selected the Waxahachie, Texas, site in November 1988.
Michael Riordan, Lillian Hoddeson, and Adrienne W. Kolb
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780226294797
- eISBN:
- 9780226305837
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226305837.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
Establishing the SSC Laboratory near Dallas, Texas, proved much more difficult than anticipated. As Central Design Group leaders did not participate in construction, SSC Director Roy Schwitters ...
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Establishing the SSC Laboratory near Dallas, Texas, proved much more difficult than anticipated. As Central Design Group leaders did not participate in construction, SSC Director Roy Schwitters turned increasingly to engineers from the US military-industrial complex to fill key posts, leading to clashes with high-energy physicists. A major SSC redesign resulted in cost overruns greater than $2 billion, as the estimated cost grew from $5.9 billion to $8.25 billion. This major cost increase soured relations with DOE officials, especially Secretary James D. Watkins, who began installing trusted lieutenants into SSC leadership positions, such as Edward Siskin as General Manager; it abetted perceptions of an alien, military-industrial culture at the lab. This cost overrun provided ammunition for Congressional SSC opponents, who began accusing the DOE and physicists of project mismanagement. These claims were partly valid, for SSC managers had been laggard in establishing and validating the required computerized project-management control system.Less
Establishing the SSC Laboratory near Dallas, Texas, proved much more difficult than anticipated. As Central Design Group leaders did not participate in construction, SSC Director Roy Schwitters turned increasingly to engineers from the US military-industrial complex to fill key posts, leading to clashes with high-energy physicists. A major SSC redesign resulted in cost overruns greater than $2 billion, as the estimated cost grew from $5.9 billion to $8.25 billion. This major cost increase soured relations with DOE officials, especially Secretary James D. Watkins, who began installing trusted lieutenants into SSC leadership positions, such as Edward Siskin as General Manager; it abetted perceptions of an alien, military-industrial culture at the lab. This cost overrun provided ammunition for Congressional SSC opponents, who began accusing the DOE and physicists of project mismanagement. These claims were partly valid, for SSC managers had been laggard in establishing and validating the required computerized project-management control system.
Frederic Lawrence Holmes
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300085402
- eISBN:
- 9780300129663
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300085402.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
This chapter discusses the responses proposed by others to the challenge posed by Max Delbruck's provocative paper on the DNA replication problem. This occurred while Meselson and Stahl attended to ...
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This chapter discusses the responses proposed by others to the challenge posed by Max Delbruck's provocative paper on the DNA replication problem. This occurred while Meselson and Stahl attended to more immediate tasks. At the time, responses appeared on two widely divergent levels. On an abstract plane that appealed particularly to physicists, there appeared topographical models suggesting alternatives to Delbruck's scheme for resolving the unwinding dilemma. On an experimental plane, some of the members of the phage network sought to trace the patterns of distribution of parental DNA molecules into progeny DNA. Somewhere between these levels, Jim Watson himself took Delbruck's objections seriously enough to think about alternative structures for DNA that might obviate the unwinding problem altogether.Less
This chapter discusses the responses proposed by others to the challenge posed by Max Delbruck's provocative paper on the DNA replication problem. This occurred while Meselson and Stahl attended to more immediate tasks. At the time, responses appeared on two widely divergent levels. On an abstract plane that appealed particularly to physicists, there appeared topographical models suggesting alternatives to Delbruck's scheme for resolving the unwinding dilemma. On an experimental plane, some of the members of the phage network sought to trace the patterns of distribution of parental DNA molecules into progeny DNA. Somewhere between these levels, Jim Watson himself took Delbruck's objections seriously enough to think about alternative structures for DNA that might obviate the unwinding problem altogether.
Peter Richmond, Jürgen Mimkes, and Stefan Hutzler
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- December 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199674701
- eISBN:
- 9780191780066
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199674701.003.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Theoretical, Computational, and Statistical Physics
This chapter defines physics as the only science that takes it upon itself to explore those areas of the universe where the fundamental laws are unknown. It is often a surprise to many that ...
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This chapter defines physics as the only science that takes it upon itself to explore those areas of the universe where the fundamental laws are unknown. It is often a surprise to many that physicists are applying their subject to finance and economics. Many colleagues of physicists who are currently looking at problems in economics, finance, and sociology still sometimes comment that these subjects do not fall within the domain of physics. However, history shows otherwise. While Aristotle, Copernicus, Newton, Huygens, Pascal, and Halley are all well known for their studies of natural phenomena, they are also remembered for important contributions that led to greater understanding and advances in economics and finance. The Renaissance brought with it independent thinking and a break from the passive belief that the future was a whim of the Gods. Risk was something that had to be understood, and the physicists described here made seminal contributions to the topic at a time when it was emerging as a serious subject.Less
This chapter defines physics as the only science that takes it upon itself to explore those areas of the universe where the fundamental laws are unknown. It is often a surprise to many that physicists are applying their subject to finance and economics. Many colleagues of physicists who are currently looking at problems in economics, finance, and sociology still sometimes comment that these subjects do not fall within the domain of physics. However, history shows otherwise. While Aristotle, Copernicus, Newton, Huygens, Pascal, and Halley are all well known for their studies of natural phenomena, they are also remembered for important contributions that led to greater understanding and advances in economics and finance. The Renaissance brought with it independent thinking and a break from the passive belief that the future was a whim of the Gods. Risk was something that had to be understood, and the physicists described here made seminal contributions to the topic at a time when it was emerging as a serious subject.
Gary M. Olson, Timothy L. Killeen, and Thomas A. Finholt
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262151207
- eISBN:
- 9780262281041
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262151207.003.0010
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Media Studies
This chapter examines the progress of a collaboratory project in upper atmospheric physics. This collaboratory project was one of the earliest collaboratories that was funded by the National Science ...
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This chapter examines the progress of a collaboratory project in upper atmospheric physics. This collaboratory project was one of the earliest collaboratories that was funded by the National Science Foundation. The chapter finds that this project gained popularity as it investigated many significant collaboratory functions while carrying out extensive studies of collaboratory usage. The project generated several significant results and played a key role in the development of similar collaboratories in the future. Another aim of the project was to provide upper atmospheric physicists with real-time access to those remote instruments and collaborative tools that would enable better interaction between research teams engaged in such a collaborative project.Less
This chapter examines the progress of a collaboratory project in upper atmospheric physics. This collaboratory project was one of the earliest collaboratories that was funded by the National Science Foundation. The chapter finds that this project gained popularity as it investigated many significant collaboratory functions while carrying out extensive studies of collaboratory usage. The project generated several significant results and played a key role in the development of similar collaboratories in the future. Another aim of the project was to provide upper atmospheric physicists with real-time access to those remote instruments and collaborative tools that would enable better interaction between research teams engaged in such a collaborative project.
