And yet for many years it was equally baffling for scientists themselves. Manjit Kumar gives a dramatic and superbly-written history of this fundamental scientific revolution, and the divisive debate at its heart.For 60 years most physicists believed that quantum theory denied the very existence of reality itself. Yet Kumar shows how the golden age of physics ignited the greatest intellectual debate of the twentieth century.Quantum sets the science in the context of the great upheavals of the modern age. In 1925 the quantum pioneers nearly all hailed from upper-middle-class academic families; most were German; and their average age was 24. But it was their irrational, romantic spirit, formed in reaction to the mechanised slaughter of the First World War that inspired their will to test science to its limits.The essential read for anyone fascinated by this complex and thrilling story and by the band of young men at its heart.

    In this guide for students, each equation is the subject of an entire chapter, with detailed, plain-language explanations of the physical meaning of each symbol in the equation, for both the integral and differential forms. The final chapter shows how Maxwell's equations may be combined to produce the wave equation, the basis for the electromagnetic theory of light. This book is a wonderful resource for undergraduate and graduate courses in electromagnetism and electromagnetics. A website hosted by the author at www.cambridge.org/9780521701471 contains interactive solutions to every problem in the text as well as audio podcasts to walk students through each chapter.

    Over the last three decades the theory has been repeatedly revised to address such issues as how galaxies and stars first formed and why the expansion of the universe is speeding up today. Furthermore, an explanation has yet to be found for what caused the Big Bang in the first place.In Endless Universe, Paul J. Steinhardt and Neil Turok, both distinguished theoretical physicists, present a bold new cosmology. Steinhardt and Turok “contend that what we think of as the moment of creation was simply part of an infinite cycle of titanic collisions between our universe and a parallel world” (Discover). They recount the remarkable developments in astronomy, particle physics, and superstring theory that form the basis for their groundbreaking “Cyclic Universe” theory. According to this theory, the Big Bang was not the beginning of time but the bridge to a past filled with endlessly repeating cycles of evolution, each accompanied by the creation of new matter and the formation of new galaxies, stars, and planets.Endless Universe provides answers to longstanding problems with the Big Bang model, while offering a provocative new view of both the past and the future of the cosmos.  It is a “theory that could solve the cosmic mystery” (USA Today).

    From the text that revealed the famous “Theory of Relativity”-renowned as the most important scientific discovery of the 20th Century-to his significant works on quantum theory, statistical mechanics, and the photoelectric effect, here are the writings that changed physics, and subsequently, the way we view the world. Einstein also thought deeply on both political issues and religious thought, so many of Einstein’s philosophical essays are included. Hawking provides introductions to each work, which provides both historical and scientific perspective. From the papers that shaped modern scientific thought to Einstein’s later musings on his landmark findings, A Stubbornly Persistent Illusion is a collection of Einstein’s most important work, with commentary from our greatest living physicist.

    It’s great to have it available again. Whether or not you’re a scientist, you will relish this book.”—Walter Isaacson, author of Einstein: His Life and UniverseUsing “just enough mathematics to help and not to hinder the lay reader,” Lillian R. Lieber provides a thorough explanation of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. Her delightful style, in combination with her husband’s charming illustrations, makes for an interesting and accessible read about one of the most celebrated ideas of all times.“A clear and vivid exposition of the essential ideas and methods of the theory of relativity…can be warmly recommended especially to those who cannot spend too much time on the subject.”—Albert Einstein“If you know high-school math, are not afraid of equations, and want to find out what Einstein really said, read Lillian Lieber’s book. She will lead you through special and general relativity, helping you at every step to understand the essential equations, including tensors, with amazing clarity and conciseness. This uniquely charming book remains as vivid as ever and even more helpful, thanks to the excellent new foreward and notes by David Derbes and Robert Jantzen.”—Peter Pesic, author of Abel’s Proof: An Essay on the Sources and Meaning of Mathematical Unsolvability and Sky in a Bottle“Does the nature of time fascinate you? Does gravity seem a mysterious subject? Are you interested in learning just what it is that Einstein actually did that made him so famous? Then this wonderful book is just the thing. I read the original 1945 edition when I was a high-school student in the 1950s, and it had a tremendous impact on me. I predict the same experience for you, or perhaps a young friend, with this new, updated edition.”—Paul J. Nahin, author of Time Machines, Oliver Heaviside, and Dr. Euler’s Fabulous FormulaLillian R. Lieber was a professor and head of the Department of Mathematics at Long Island University. She wrote a series of lighthearted (and well-respected) math books, many of them illustrated by her husband, Hugh Gray Lieber.David Derbes teaches physics at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools.Robert Jantzen is a professor of mathematics at Villanova University.

    It also explores more advanced topics, such as normal modes, the Lagrangian method, gyroscopic motion, fictitious forces, 4-vectors, and general relativity. It contains more than 250 problems with detailed solutions so students can easily check their understanding of the topic. There are also over 350 unworked exercises which are ideal for homework assignments. Password protected solutions are available to instructors at www.cambridge.org/9780521876223. The vast number of problems alone makes it an ideal supplementary text for all levels of undergraduate physics courses in classical mechanics. Remarks are scattered throughout the text, discussing issues that are often glossed over in other textbooks, and it is thoroughly illustrated with more than 600 figures to help demonstrate key concepts.

    This book not only complements The Electric Sky book, but actually overlaps very little, while covering cosmic quandaries and plasma and electricity in space. The chapter on the electrical properties of comets is such great material, thoroughly convincing.

    2 volumes, Part 1 and Part 2, together.

    These properties may emerge from the collective behaviour of simple fundamental constituents, and are studied using statistical field theories. Initial chapters connect the particulate perspective developed in the companion volume, to the coarse grained statistical fields studied here. Based on lectures taught by Professor Kardar at MIT, this textbook demonstrates how such theories are formulated and studied. Perturbation theory, exact solutions, renormalization groups, and other tools are employed to demonstrate the emergence of scale invariance and universality, and the non-equilibrium dynamics of interfaces and directed paths in random media are discussed. Ideal for advanced graduate courses in statistical physics, it contains an integrated set of problems, with solutions to selected problems at the end of the book and a complete set available to lecturers at www.cambridge.org/9780521873413.

    Decoherence has been hailed as the solution to long-standing foundational problems dating back to the beginnings of quantum mechanics. It has been cursed as the key obstacle to next-generation technologies, such as quantum computers (another se- ingly omnipresent ?eld of research). And while decoherence has been directly observed in various experiments, its scope and meaning have often been m- understood and misrepresented. Decoherence makes a fantastic subject of research, as it touches upon many di?erent facets of physics, from phi- sophically inclined questions of interpretation all the way to down-to-earth problems in experimental settings and engineering applications. This book will introduce the reader, in an accessible and self-contained manner, to these various fascinating aspects of decoherence. It will focus in particularontherelationofdecoherencetotheso-calledquantum-to-classical transition, i. e., the question of how decoherence may explain the emergence of the classical appearance of the macroscopic world around us from the underlying quantum substrate. Thescopeofthisbookisrelativelybroadinordertofamiliarizethereader withthemanyfacetsofdecoherence, inboththetheoreticalandexperimental domains. Throughout the book, I have sought to maintain a healthy balance betweentheconceptualideasassociatedwiththedecoherenceprogramonthe one hand and the formal and mathematical details on the other hand. This book will establish a proper understanding of decoherence as a pure quantum phenomenon and will emphasize the importance of the correct interpretation of the consequences and achievements of decoherence.

    This fully updated second edition incorporates new material on binary stars, black holes, gamma-ray bursts, worm-holes, quantum gravity and string theory. It covers the origins of stars and their evolution, the mechanisms responsible for supernovae, and their progeny, neutron stars and black holes. It examines the theoretical ideas behind black holes and their manifestation in observational astronomy and presents neutron stars in all their variety known today. This book also covers the physics of the twentieth century, discussing quantum theory and Einstein's gravity, how these two theories collide, and the prospects for their reconciliation in the twenty-first century. This will be essential reading for undergraduate students in astronomy and astrophysics, and an excellent, accessible introduction for a wider audience.

    

    Feynman's three-volume Lectures on Physics has been known worldwide as the classic resource for students and professionals alike. Ranging from the most basic principles of Newtonian physics through such formidable theories as Einstein's general relativity, superconductivity, and quantum mechanics, Feynman's lectures stand as a monument of clear exposition and deep insight. Responding to the tremendous clamor for the original audio tapes from which the Lectures on Physics were transcribed, Basic Books is releasing Feynman's original recordings, remastered for modern audio equipment and reorganized for cohesiveness and convenience. Timeless and collectible, these CDs will serve as a comprehensive library of essential physics by a legend in science.

    Feynman’s Lectures on Physics has been known worldwide as a classic resource for students and professionals. Drawn from the source material from which the Lectures on Physics were transcribed, Basic Books is releasing Feynman’s original recordings. These CDs are a library of essential physics by a scientific legend.

    The author presents and explains the latest theories, predictions and controversies surrounding the ultimate explanation, from superstrings and multiverses to speculations about the world as a computer, and the implications of these theories for own existence.

    However, rather than resting on that reputation, the new edition of this text marks a significant advance in the already excellent quality of the book. While preserving concise language, state of the art educational pedagogy, and top-notch worked examples, the Eighth Edition features a unified art design as well as streamlined and carefully reorganized problem sets that enhance the thoughtful instruction for which Raymond A. Serway and John W. Jewett, Jr. earned their reputations. Likewise, PHYSICS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS, will continue to accompany Enhanced WebAssign in the most integrated text-technology offering available today. In an environment where new Physics texts have appeared with challenging and novel means to teach students, this book exceeds all modern standards of education from the most solid foundation in the Physics market today.

    Inside, you'll find easy-to-understand answers to scores of fascinating questions, including:How do microwave ovens cook food, and why does metal sometimes cause sparks in a microwave? How does an iPod use numbers to represent music? How do CDs and DVDs use light to convey information, and why are they so colorful? How can a CT or MRI image show a cross-sectional view of a person without actually entering the body? Why do golf balls have dimples? How does a pitcher make a curveball curve and knuckleball jitter about in an erratic manner? Why is the sun red at sunrise and sunset? How does a fluorescent lamp produce visible light? You don't need a science or engineering background to understand How Everything Works, all you need is an active curiosity about the extraordinary world all around you.

    Almost new conditionNever used

    The Strutinsky shell correction, the effect of parity violation in weak interaction, elementary particle interactions with nuclei and the quark structure of the nucleon are also briefly discussed. NEW TO THE SECOND EDITION: * Two Appendices G and H, one on the Evaluation of Matrix Elements and the other on the Evaluation of Transition Probability. The study of static properties of nuclei such as electric quadrupole moment, magnetic dipole moment and the calculation of energy levels involve the evaluation of matrix elements whereas the study of dynamical properties such as the nuclear transition from one state to another by interaction with an external field involves the calculation of transition probability. These appendices will help the students make a quantitative study of both the static and dynamical properties of nuclei. KEY FEATURES: * Problems with Solutions at the end of each chapter * Includes Review Questions

    A good grasp of Calculus is required however. This includes a working knowledge of differentiation and integration.

    In the last century these classical concepts were found inadequate. In the new quantum mechanics theory, conscious experiences enter into the dynamics in specified ways not fixed by physically described aspects alone.

    This new edition incorporates the latest methods, theory, formulations, and applications that relate to today's technologies. With an emphasis on basic principles and a focus on electromagnetic formulation and analysis, Electromagnetic Fields, Second Edition includes detailed discussions of electrostatic fields, potential theory, propagation in waveguides and unbounded space, scattering by obstacles, penetration through apertures, and field behavior at high and low frequencies.

    I looked up the papers he had published while a PhD student, which were on spectroscopic studies of the motion of the dust responsible for the zodiacal light, and felt that there was a basis for a thesis. Since he had been a student at Imperial, I knew, as Head of the Astrophysics Group at Imperial, that it would be good for the Group if he came and worked with us. I got in touch with him by email and suggested he come and talk about it. He replied enthusiastically and said that he was working on typing up what he had completed by 1974. I gradually realized that I was the only staff member at Imperial who had previously worked on zodiacal dust, so that I would have to act as his supervisor. Eventually we met and I tried to assess whether he would be able to find time for the huge amount of work that finishing off a thesis involves, particularly if it has not been touched for over 30 years. Since some of Brian's emails were coming from the recording studio I knew there was strong competition for his time.

    Compares the diverse teachings of ancient and modern psychotherapies

    This branch of physics had perhaps the biggest impact on the world in the 20th century because it evolved into the knowledge used to build the most destructive weapons people have ever known. The atomic bombs that ended World War II, and the weapons race that followed, changed the course of history. But applications of nuclear physics have also provided enormous energy for useful purposes, generating about 16 percent of the world's electricity. Particles and the Universe documents how modern physics formed and how it continues to evolve. Each chapter of this book delves into the observations, theories, and tests of a particular topic, including nuclear physics, quantum mechanics, particle physics, relativity, and cosmology.

    The multiverse proposal helps to explain the origin of the universe and some of its observational features. Since the physical constants can be different in other universes, the fine-tunings which appear necessary for the emergence of life may also be explained. Nevertheless, many physicists remain uncomfortable with the multiverse proposal, since it is highly speculative and perhaps untestable. In this volume, a number of active and eminent researchers in the field - mainly cosmologists and particle physicists but also some philosophers - address these issues and describe recent developments. The articles represent the full spectrum of views, providing for the first time an overview of the subject. They are written at different academic levels, engaging lay-readers and researchers alike.Table of ContentsPart I. Overviews:1. Introduction and overview Bernard Carr2. Living in the multiverse Steven Weinberg3. Enlightenment, knowledge, ignorance, temptation Frank WilczekPart II. Cosmology and Astrophysics:4. Cosmology and the multiverse Martin J. Rees5. The anthropic principle revisited Bernard Carr6. Cosmology from the top down Stephen Hawking7. The multiverse hierarchy Max Tegmark8. The inflationary universe Andrei Linde9. A model of anthropic reasoning: the dark to ordinary matter ratio Frank Wilczek10. Anthropic predictions: the case of the cosmological constant Alexander Vilenkin11. The definition and classification of universes James D. Bjorken12. M/string theory and anthropic reasoning Renata Kallosh13. The anthropic principle, dark energy and the LHC Savas Dimopoulos and Scott ThomasPart III. Particle Physics and Quantum Theory:14. Quarks, electrons and atoms in closely related universes Craig J. Hogan15. The fine-tuning problems of particle physics and anthropic mechanisms John F. Donoghue16. The anthropic landscape of string theory Leonard Susskind17. Cosmology and the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics Viatcheslav Mukhanov18. Anthropic reasoning and quantum cosmology James B. Hartle19. Micro-anthropic principle for quantum theory Brandon CarterPart IV. More General Philosophical Issues:20. Scientific alternatives to the anthropic principle Lee Smolin21. Making predictions in a multiverse: conundrums, dangers, coincidences Anthony Aguirre22. Multiverses: description, uniqueness and testing George Ellis23. Predictions and tests of multiverse theories Don N. Page24. Observation selection theory and cosmological fine-tuning Nick Bostrom25. Are anthropic arguments, involving multiverses and beyond, legitimate? William R. Stoeger26. The multiverse hypothesis: a theistic perspective Robin Collins27. Living in a simulated universe John D. Barrow28. Universes galore: where will it all end? Paul DaviesIndex.

    There is some review of a couple of Algebra and Trig topics, but for the most part it is assumed that you do have a decent background in Algebra and Trig. These notes assume no prior knowledge of Calculus.

    This book serves up the latest interest in alternative energy. Based on a series of graduate course notes in plasma physics and fusion energy at MIT, the text begins with an overview of world energy needs, current methods of energy generation, and the potential role that fusion may play in the future. It covers energy issues such as the production of fusion power, power balance, the design of a simple fusion reactor, and the basic plasma physics issues faced by the developers of fusion power. This book is suitable for graduate students and researchers working in applied physics and nuclear engineering.

    It stresses the history and theory of these mathematical concepts rather than their mechanics, providing many insights into the development of quantum mechanics in a remarkably lucid, compact form. Professional physicists and mathematicians, as well as advanced students with a strong mathematical background, will find it highly stimulating.After summarizing the historical background from Pythagoras to Francis Bacon, the text covers Fermat's principle of least time, the principle of least action of Maupertuis, the development of this principle by Euler and Lagrange, and the equations of Lagrange and Hamilton. After this general treatment of variational principles, the authors proceed to derive Hamilton's principle, the Hamilton-Jacobi equation, and Hamilton's canonical equations.An investigation of electrodynamics in Hamiltonian form follows, along with an overview of variational principles in classical dynamics. The text then analyzes its most significant topics: the relation between variational principles and wave mechanics, and the principles of Feynman and Schwinger in quantum mechanics. Two concluding chapters extend the discussion to hydrodynamics and natural philosophy.

    The book covers the basic (but essential) material of quantization of fields in an expanding universe and quantum fluctuations in inflationary spacetime. It also contains a detailed explanation of the Casimir, Unruh, and Hawking effects, and introduces the method of effective action used for calculating the back-reaction of quantum systems on a classical external gravitational field. The broad scope of the material covered will provide the reader with a thorough perspective of the subject. Every major result is derived from first principles and thoroughly explained. The book is self-contained and assumes only a basic knowledge of general relativity. Exercises with detailed solutions are provided throughout the book.

    The first half of the book is a systematic treatment of the basics of crystallography, discussing bonding, crystal systems, symmetry, point groups and concepts of diffraction. The latter half is more advanced in scope, applying structural determination methods to the study of a broad range of materials, including metallic, ceramic, covalent, amorphous, molecular solids and nanomaterials. Throughout the text, mathematical theory and abstraction is complemented by a highly visual approach, allowing the reader to fully comprehend crystal structure. With over 430 illustrations, 400 homework problems and crystal structure files, this is suitable for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses on crystallography within materials science and engineering. Additional resources for this title including solutions for instructors, data files for crystal structures, and appendices, are available at www.cambridge.org/9780521651516.

    of Liverpool, UK) proposes a new approach to the investigation of physics in which a zero totality is used to create a "universal rewrite system," which then allows the restructuring of mathematics without first assuming the number system or discreteness. He then derives by induction the foundational components of physics and shows them as analogous to the mathematical structure. He next seeks to demonstrate that the most convenient packaging of the of the mathematical structure is the one that provides the shortest route to zero totality, which he argues also leads to the fundamental equation that drives the whole of physics. Much of the rest of the text is spent working out the consequences of this in order to generate the results considered foundational to physics but two chapters are included that are devoted to showing that these structures are also applicable (in a fractal sense) to biological and other large-scale systems.

    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

    It also assumes that the reader has a good knowledge of several Calculus II topics including some integration techniques, parametric equations, vectors, and knowledge of three dimensional space.

    In the 1940s, he was responsible for demonstrating the equivalence of the two formulations of quantum electrodynamics — Richard Feynman's diagrammatic path integral formulation and the variational methods developed by Julian Schwinger and Sin-Itiro Tomonoga — showing the mathematical consistency of QED.This invaluable volume comprises the legendary, never-before-published, lectures on quantum electrodynamics first given by Dyson at Cornell University in 1951. The late theorist Edwin Thompson Jaynes once remarked “For a generation of physicists they were the happy medium: clearer and motivated than Feynman, and getting to the point faster than Schwinger”.Future generations of physicists are bound to read these lectures with pleasure, benefiting from the lucid style that is so characteristic of Dyson's exposition.

    Silverman, whose extensive experimental and theoretical work has helped elucidate these processes, presents a clear and engaging discussion of the role of quantum superposition in diverse quantum phenomena such as the wavelike nature of particle propagation, indistinguishability of identical particles, nonlocal interactions of correlated particles, topological effects of magnetic fields, and chiral asymmetry in nature. He also examines how macroscopic quantum coherence may be able to extricate physics from its most challenging quandary, the collapse of a massive degenerate star to a singularity in space in which the laws of physics break down.Explained by a physicist with a concern for clarity and experimental achievability, the extraordinary nature of quantum superposition will fascinate the reader not only for its apparent strangeness, but also for its comprehensibility.

    We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

    This self-contained book is an introductory text on the subject aimed at first-year graduate students, or advanced undergraduates, in physics that assumes only a basic understanding of classical Lagrangian mechanics. The mechanics problem of a point mass constrained to move without friction on a two-dimensional surface of arbitrary shape serves as a paradigm for the development of the mathematics and physics of general relativity. After reviewing special relativity, the basic principles of general relativity are presented, and the most important applications are discussed. The final special topics section guides the reader through a few important areas of current research.This book will allow the reader to approach the more advanced texts and monographs, as well as the continual influx of fascinating new experimental results, with a deeper understanding and sense of appreciation.

    And yet, the unprecedented progress in science and technology in the twentieth century has raised qu- tions that weren t conceived of a century ago. This book argues that, far from being nearlycomplete, the storyof sciencehas many morechapters, yet unwritten. With the perspective of the century s advance, it s as if we have climbed a mountain and can see just how much broader the story is. Instead of asking how an apple falls from a tree, as Isaac Newton did in the17thcentury, wecannowask: Whatisthefundamentalnatureofanapple (matter)? How does an apple (biological organism) form and grow? Whence came the breeze that blew it loose (meteorology)? What in a physical sense (synaptic ?rings) was the idea that Newton had, and how did it form? A new approach to science that can answer such questions has sprung up in the past 30 years. This approach known as nonlinear science ismore than a new ?eld. Put simply, it is the recognition that throughout nature, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Unexpected things happen."

    But what do most of us know about telescopes themselves--their history, how they work, what they are being used for today, or what the next generation of billion-dollar telescopes will look like? In The Telescope, Geoff Andersen fills in all the details for us in an accessible, nontechnical way that will appeal to the amateur astronomer and anyone else who has been more than a little curious about this amazing instrument.The book covers every aspect of optical telescopes--from the humblest backyard setup, to state-of-the-art observatories, to the Hubble Space Telescope and spy satellites. Chapters describe the development, design, and operation of telescopes; how observatories are sited, engineered, and built; variations such as solar and liquid-mirror telescopes; and some of the key astronomical discoveries telescopes have made possible. And there are plenty of surprises along the way. We learn, for example, that most of today's professional astronomers never even look through their own telescopes, relying instead on digital imaging, measurement, and analysis--or even remote computer control of a night-shrouded observatory on the other side of the Earth.But, as The Telescope explains, these magnificent instruments do more than simply peer into space. They project and receive laser beams--for communicating, mapping, and making detailed observations of the Earth. They also look down at us from spy satellites, providing secret images to intelligence agencies--and, increasingly, giving a curious public access to more pedestrian images. The Telescope is the ideal introduction to a fascinating instrument that has taught us so much--but that most of us know so little about.