Paparas's Reviews > The Evolution of Physics: From Early Concepts to Relativity and Quanta
The Evolution of Physics: From Early Concepts to Relativity and Quanta
by
by
This book offers two things:
1. A summary of physics, from classical mechanics, to field theory, general relativity and quantum theory (as it was understood in 1938 when the book was first published). The presentation is oriented towards laymen and avoids using any mathematical formulas. The explanations of the basic ideas of physics are marvelously clear and straightforward. However, the self-imposed strict avoidance of math, although probably appealing to the wide audience, sometimes resulted in vagueness that left me unsatisfied.
2. A pioneering glimpse into a new epistemology that was later expanded by Thomas Kuhn into his famous theory of scientific revolutions via paradigm shift. Indeed the basic ideas of that theory are clearly presented here by Einstein and Infeld almost a quarter-century before Kuhn's seminal "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" was published.
1. A summary of physics, from classical mechanics, to field theory, general relativity and quantum theory (as it was understood in 1938 when the book was first published). The presentation is oriented towards laymen and avoids using any mathematical formulas. The explanations of the basic ideas of physics are marvelously clear and straightforward. However, the self-imposed strict avoidance of math, although probably appealing to the wide audience, sometimes resulted in vagueness that left me unsatisfied.
2. A pioneering glimpse into a new epistemology that was later expanded by Thomas Kuhn into his famous theory of scientific revolutions via paradigm shift. Indeed the basic ideas of that theory are clearly presented here by Einstein and Infeld almost a quarter-century before Kuhn's seminal "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" was published.
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Reading Progress
November 22, 2009
– Shelved
Started Reading
August 22, 2012
–
Finished Reading