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Loading... Quantum Generations: A History of Physics in the Twentieth Centuryby Helge Kragh
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At the end of the nineteenth century, some physicists believed that the basic principles underlying their subject were already known, and that physics in the future would only consist of filling in the details. They could hardly have been more wrong. The past century has seen the rise of quantum mechanics, relativity, cosmology, particle physics, and solid-state physics, among other fields. These subjects have fundamentally changed our understanding of space, time, and matter. They have also transformed daily life, inspiring a technological revolution that has included the development of radio, television, lasers, nuclear power, and computers. In Quantum Generations, Helge Kragh, one of the world's leading historians of physics, presents a sweeping account of these extraordinary achievements of the past one hundred years. The first comprehensive one-volume history of twentieth-century physics, the book takes us from the discovery of X rays in the mid-1890s to superstring theory in the 1990s. Unlike most previous histories of physics, written either from a scientific perspective or from a social and institutional perspective, Quantum Generations combines both approaches. Kragh writes about pure science with the expertise of a trained physicist, while keeping the content accessible to nonspecialists and paying careful attention to practical uses of science, ranging from compact disks to bombs. As a historian, Kragh skillfully outlines the social and economic contexts that have shaped the field in the twentieth century. He writes, for example, about the impact of the two world wars, the fate of physics under Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin, the role of military research, the emerging leadership of the United States, and the backlash against science that began in the 1960s. He also shows how the revolutionary discoveries of scientists ranging from Einstein, Planck, and Bohr to Stephen Hawking have been built on the great traditions of earlier centuries. Combining a mastery of detail with a sure sense of the broad contours of historical change, Kragh has written a fitting tribute to the scientists who have played such a decisive role in the making of the modern world. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)530.09Natural sciences and mathematics Physics Physics Physics Biography And HistoryLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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We know looking back how that turned out, X-Rays were discovered, Blackbody Radiation was explained through quantum effects, Relativity came into vogue, and so on. In fact, so many significant events happened in the 20th century that the author informs us at the preface that this book doesn’t do it justice.
Quantum Generations by Helge Kragh is the book that discusses all of this and more. It talks about the state of physics at the turn of the century. For instance, who was your average physicist? What philosophies did they embrace? How did they view the world in general? What paradigms did they espouse? It makes for rather fascinating reading, to be honest. I mean, Kragh even provides demographic information. Although he states that a lot of the information is scanty and inadequately covers a lot of detail, I believe it does a good job.
The book is divided into three main sections by chronology. The first one covers the period of time from the discovery of x-rays up to the end of World War I. The second section covers the period of time up until the end of World War II. The third section covers the remainder of the century up to around 1998 or so.
The book is really good, the only fault I have against it is the lack of images. There are a lot of graphs and tables of demographic data, but no pictures. Honestly, that is the only complaint I have against this book. ( )