Best of
Physics

2016

Black Holes: The Reith Lectures


Stephen Hawking - 2016
    Black holes are stranger than anything dreamed up by science fiction writers.”In 2016 Professor Stephen Hawking delivered the BBC Reith Lectures on a subject that fascinated him for decades – black holes.In these flagship lectures the legendary physicist argued that if we could only understand black holes and how they challenge the very nature of space and time, we could unlock the secrets of the universe.

Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour


Neil deGrasse Tyson - 2016
    Inspired by the enormously popular introductory astronomy course that Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott taught together at Princeton, this book covers it all--from planets, stars, and galaxies to black holes, wormholes, and time travel.Describing the latest discoveries in astrophysics, the informative and entertaining narrative propels you from our home solar system to the outermost frontiers of space. How do stars live and die? Why did Pluto lose its planetary status? What are the prospects of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe? How did the universe begin? Why is it expanding and why is its expansion accelerating? Is our universe alone or part of an infinite multiverse? Answering these and many other questions, the authors open your eyes to the wonders of the cosmos, sharing their knowledge of how the universe works.Breathtaking in scope and stunningly illustrated throughout, Welcome to the Universe is for those who hunger for insights into our evolving universe that only world-class astrophysicists can provide.

The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself


Sean Carroll - 2016
     Where are we? Who are we? Are our emotions, our beliefs, and our hopes and dreams ultimately meaningless out there in the void? Does human purpose and meaning fit into a scientific worldview?In short chapters filled with intriguing historical anecdotes, personal asides, and rigorous exposition, readers learn the difference between how the world works at the quantum level, the cosmic level, and the human level--and then how each connects to the other.  Carroll's presentation of the principles that have guided the scientific revolution from Darwin and Einstein to the origins of life, consciousness, and the universe is dazzlingly unique.Carroll shows how an avalanche of discoveries in the past few hundred years has changed our world and what really matters to us. Our lives are dwarfed like never before by the immensity of space and time, but they are redeemed by our capacity to comprehend it and give it meaning.The Big Picture is an unprecedented scientific worldview, a tour de force that will sit on shelves alongside the works of Stephen Hawking, Carl Sagan, Daniel Dennett, and E. O. Wilson for years to come.

The Pope of Physics: Enrico Fermi and the Birth of the Atomic Age


Gino Segrè - 2016
    Called the Pope by his peers, he was regarded as infallible in his instincts and research. His discoveries changed our world; they led to weapons of mass destruction and conversely to life-saving medical interventions.This unassuming man struggled with issues relevant today, such as the threat of nuclear annihilation and the relationship of science to politics. Fleeing Fascism and anti-Semitism, Fermi became a leading figure in America's most secret project: building the atomic bomb. The last physicist who mastered all branches of the discipline, Fermi was a rare mixture of theorist and experimentalist. His rich legacy encompasses key advances in fields as diverse as comic rays, nuclear technology, and early computers.In their revealing book, The Pope of Physics, Gino Segré and Bettina Hoerlin bring this scientific visionary to life. An examination of the human dramas that touched Fermi’s life as well as a thrilling history of scientific innovation in the twentieth century, this is the comprehensive biography that Fermi deserves.

The Quantum Mystery (Kindle Single)


John Gribbin - 2016
    In this experiment, a particle going through one of a pair of holes seems to be aware of what is going on at the other hole, and changes its behaviour according to whether that hole is open or closed. This is closely linked to the puzzle of entanglement, where one particle instantly reacts to what is happening to another particle, even when they are widely separated. And in a final example of the mind-boggling nature of the quantum world, these effects seem to operate across time as well as space: What is going to happen in the future affects the behaviour of a particle now. In The Quantum Mystery, John Gribbin, the best-selling author of In Search of Schrödinger’s Cat, describes the history of the double-slit experiment, the wave-particle duality of the quantum world, and the latest experiments which show these bizarre effects at work before our very eyes.

Light Falls: Space, Time, and an Obsession of Einstein


Brian Greene - 2016
    Featuring an original score by composer Jeff Beal (House of Cards, Pollock), Einstein’s electrifying journey toward his greatest achievement is brought vividly to life.The theatrical version of Light Falls was first performed at the World Science Festival in New York City.Full list of narrators includes Graeme Malcolm.©2015 Brian Greene (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Tales of the Quantum: Understanding Physics' Most Fundamental Theory


Art Hobson - 2016
    But far more fundamentally, we live in a universe made of quanta. Many things are not made of atoms: light, radio waves, electric current, magnetic fields, Earth's gravitational field, not to mention exotica such a neutron stars, black holes, dark energy, and dark matter. But everything, including atoms, is made of highly unified or "coherent" bundles of energy called "quanta" that (like everything else) obey certain rules. In the case of the quantum, these rules are called "quantum physics." This is a book about quanta and their unexpected, some would say peculiar, behavior--tales, if you will, of the quantum.The quantum has developed the reputation of being capricious, bewildering, even impossible to understand. The peculiar habits of quanta are certainly not what we would have expected to find at the foundation of physical reality, but these habits are not necessarily bewildering and not at all impossible or paradoxical. This book explains those habits--the quantum rules--in everyday language, without mathematics or unnecessary technicalities. While most popular books about quantum physics follow the topic's scientific history from 1900 to today, this book follows the phenomena: wave-particle duality, fundamental randomness, quantum states, superpositions (being in two places at once), entanglement, non-locality, Schrodinger's cat, and quantum jumps, and presents the history and the scientists only to the extent that they illuminate the phenomena.

Hidden In Plain Sight 6: Why Three Dimensions?


Andrew H. Thomas - 2016
    This book considers many of those ideas and presents a new solution why three is the magic number.

15 Million Degrees: A Journey to the Centre of the Sun


Lucie Green - 2016
    But its journey within the Sun takes hundreds of thousands of years. What is going on in there? What are light and heat? How does the Sun produce them and how on earth did scientists discover this?In this astonishing and enlightening adventure, you'll travel millions of miles from inside the Sun to its surface and to Earth, where the light at the end of its journey is allowing you to read right now. You'll discover how the Sun works (including what it sounds like), the latest research in solar physics and how a solar storm could threaten everything we know. And you'll meet the groundbreaking scientists, including the author, who pieced this extraordinary story together.

The Particle Zoo: The Search for the Fundamental Nature of Reality


Gavin Hesketh - 2016
    Concisely and with a rare clarity, he demystifies how we are uncovering the inner workings of the universe and heading towards the next scientific revolution.Why are atoms so small? How did the Higgs boson save the universe? And is there a Theory of Everything? The Particle Zoo answers these and many other profound questions, and explains the big ideas of Quantum Physics, String Theory, The Big Bang and Dark Matter... and, ultimately, what we know about the true, fundamental nature of reality.

A Fortunate Universe


Geraint F. Lewis - 2016
    Join us on a journey through how we understand the Universe, from its most basic particles and forces, to planets, stars and galaxies, and back through cosmic history to the birth of the cosmos. Conflicting notions about our place in the Universe are defined, defended and critiqued from scientific, philosophical and religious viewpoints. The authors' engaging and witty style addresses what fine-tuning might mean for the future of physics and the search for the ultimate laws of nature. Tackling difficult questions and providing thought-provoking answers, this volumes challenges us to consider our place in the cosmos, regardless of our initial convictions.

Fundamentals of Physics II: Electromagnetism, Optics, and Quantum Mechanics


Ramamurti Shankar - 2016
    Shankar, a well-known physicist and contagiously enthusiastic educator, was among the first to offer a course through the innovative Open Yale Course program. His popular online video lectures on introductory physics have been viewed over a million times. In this second book based on his online Yale course, Shankar explains essential concepts, including electromagnetism, optics, and quantum mechanics.    The book begins at the simplest level, develops the basics, and reinforces fundamentals, ensuring a solid foundation in the principles and methods of physics. It provides an ideal introduction for college-level students of physics, chemistry, and engineering; for motivated AP Physics students; and for general readers interested in advances in the sciences.

Group Theory in a Nutshell for Physicists


A. Zee - 2016
    In particular, it is essential for an understanding of the fundamental forces. Yet until now, what has been missing is a modern, accessible, and self-contained textbook on the subject written especially for physicists.Group Theory in a Nutshell for Physicists fills this gap, providing a user-friendly and classroom-tested text that focuses on those aspects of group theory physicists most need to know. From the basic intuitive notion of a group, A. Zee takes readers all the way up to how theories based on gauge groups could unify three of the four fundamental forces. He also includes a concise review of the linear algebra needed for group theory, making the book ideal for self-study.Provides physicists with a modern and accessible introduction to group theoryCovers applications to various areas of physics, including field theory, particle physics, relativity, and much moreTopics include finite group and character tables; real, pseudoreal, and complex representations; Weyl, Dirac, and Majorana equations; the expanding universe and group theory; grand unification; and much moreThe essential textbook for students and an invaluable resource for researchersFeatures a brief, self-contained treatment of linear algebraAn online illustration package is available to professorsSolutions manual (available only to professors)

The Time Illusion (Kindle Single)


John Gribbin - 2016
    So, why do we perceive a flow of time? Is the future “already there”, and is the past “still there”, even though we are only aware of a single moment of time? Drawing on the latest ideas from both relativity and quantum theory, award-winning science writer John Gribbin (In Search of Schrödinger’s Cat) addresses the questions that have baffled philosophers since antiquity and Zeno’s arrow paradox. Along the way, we find that in the quantum world it is literally true that a watched pot never boils, and learn how physicists have come to terms with the idea of the four-dimensional block universe as an explanation of the distinction between past, present and future. Why do eggs break when we drop them, but never unbreak? The Universe as we know it began in a Big Bang, which in some sense marks the beginning of time. Is it possible that we need to invoke the Big Bang to explain why we never see unbroken eggs? This idea glories in the name “the past hypothesis”, but many physicists regard it as no more than an attempt to sweep the problem of the arrow of time under the rug. Read The Time Illusion and see if you agree!

Beyond the Galaxy: How Humanity Looked Beyond Our Milky Way and Discovered the Entire Universe


Ethan Siegel - 2016
    Even to the naked eye, the Moon, stars, planets, the Milky Way and even a few star clusters and nebulae illuminate the heavens. For millennia, humans struggled to make sense of what's out there in the Universe, from all we can see to that which lies beyond the limits of even our most powerful telescopes. Beyond the Galaxy traces our journey from an ancient, Earth-centered Universe all the way to our modern, 21st century understanding of the cosmos. Touching on not only what we know but also how we know it, Ethan Siegel takes us to the very frontiers of modern astrophysics and cosmology, from the birth of our Universe to its ultimate fate, and everything in between.

Science for Heretics: Why so much of science is wrong


Barrie Condon - 2016
    However, unlike religion, it is far more firmly embedded in the everyday workings of our society and indeed we have got to the point where we can no longer envisage any real progress without it. Unfortunately there are profound problems with all aspects of scientific theory and methods. For example: could it be that the idea of universal laws underpinning reality is a falsehood and, as a result, we need more and more scientists, and more and more computing power, to produce greater and greater elaborations of our theories to make them fit inconvenient experimental data? Indeed, we're being forced to break science down into smaller and smaller sub-specialities, each with ever more divergent theories applicable only to one speciality and not applicable to others. Rather than an underlying unity we are finding only disparity and greater complexity. What’s worse, scientists are routinely having to resort to completely untestable concepts, such as many more spatial dimensions and infinite universes, to ‘explain’ our reality. Throughout the history of science, reputable figures in science and philosophy have been casting doubt on some of the central assumptions of science and its various disciplines. These objections and criticisms have been ignored and then often forgotten in the face of the apparent overwhelming successes of science, but many of them are still perfectly valid. Often these criticisms are buried deep within academic texts. The aim of this book is, for the first time, to summarise these profound concerns across all the fields of science in a way that is accessible to the general reader who does not have a background in science. It also attempts to provide a warning of the risks that, perhaps even at extinction level for mankind, science runs by not acknowledging the often hollow foundations on which it is built.

Ultimate Physics


Scientific American - 2016
    Does this mean physicists are about to tie it all up into a neat package? Not at all. Just when you think you’re figuring it out, the universe begins to look its strangest. This eBook, “Ultimate Physics: From Quarks to the Cosmos,” illustrates clearly how answers often lead to more questions and open up new paths to insight. We open with “The Higgs at Last,” which looks behind the scenes of one of the most anticipated discoveries in physics and examines how this “Higgs-like” particle both confirmed and confounded expectations. In “The Inner Life of Quarks,” author Don Lincoln discusses evidence that quarks and leptons may not be the smallest building blocks of matter. Section Two switches from the smallest to the largest of scales, and in “Origin of the Universe,” Michael Turner analyzes a number of speculative scenarios about how it all began. Another two articles examine the mystery of dark energy and some doubts as to whether it exists at all. In the last section, we look at one of the most compelling problems in physics: how to tie together the very small and the very large – quantum mechanics and general relativity. In one article, Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow argue that a so-called “theory of everything” may be out of reach, and in another, David Deutsch and Artur Ekert question the view that quantum mechanics imposes limits on knowledge, arguing instead that the theory has an intricacy that allows for new, practical technologies, including powerful computers that can reach their true potential.

Calculating the Cosmos: How Mathematics Unveils the Universe


Ian Stewart - 2016
    He describes the architecture of space and time, dark matter and dark energy, how galaxies form, why stars implode, how everything began, and how it's all going to end. He considers parallel universes, the fine-tuning of the cosmos for life, what forms extraterrestrial life might take, and the likelihood of life on Earth being snuffed out by an asteroid.Beginning with the Babylonian integration of mathematics into the study of astronomy and cosmology, Stewart traces the evolution of our understanding of the cosmos: How Kepler's laws of planetary motion led Newton to formulate his theory of gravity. How, two centuries later, tiny irregularities in the motion of Mars inspired Einstein to devise his general theory of relativity. How, eighty years ago, the discovery that the universe is expanding led to the development of the Big Bang theory of its origins. How single-point origin and expansion led cosmologists to theorize new components of the universe, such as inflation, dark matter, and dark energy. But does inflation explain the structure of today's universe? Does dark matter actually exist? Could a scientific revolution that will challenge the long-held scientific orthodoxy and once again transform our understanding of the universe be on the way? In an exciting and engaging style, Calculating the Cosmos is a mathematical quest through the intricate realms of astronomy and cosmology.

Fundamentals of Physics


Jearl Walker - 2016
    1 Measurement 2 Motion along a straight Line 3 Vectors 4 Motion in Two and Three Dimensions 5 Force and Motion — I 6 Force and Motion — II 7 Kinetic Energy and Work 8 Potential Energy and Conservation of Energy 9 Center of Mass and Linear Momentum 10 Rotation 11 Rolling, Torque, and Angular Momentum PART 2 12 Equilibrium and Elasticity 13 Gravitation 14 Fluids 15 Oscillations 16 Waves — I 17 Waves — II 18 Temper a tur e, Hea t, a nd the Fir st La w of Thermodynamics 19 The Kinetic Theory of Gases 20 Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics PART 3 21 Electric Charge 22 Electric Fields 23 Gauss’ Law 24 Electric Potential 25 Capacitance 26 Current and Resistance 27 Circuits 28 Magnetic Fields 29 Magnetic Fields Due to Currents 30 Induction and Inductance 31 Electromagnetic Oscillations and Alternating Current 32 Maxwell’s Equations; Magnetism of Matter PART 4 33 Electromagnetic Waves 34 Images 35 Interference 36 Diffraction 37 Relativity PART 5 38 Photons and Matter Waves 39 More About Matter Waves 40 All About Atoms 41 Conduction of Electricity in Solids 42 Nuclear Physics 43 Energy from the Nucleus 44 Quarks, Leptons, and the Bi

The Unofficial LEGO Technic Builder's Guide


Pawel "Sariel" Kmiec - 2016
    World-renowned builder Pawe? "Sariel" Kmiec covers the foundations of LEGO Technic building, from the concepts that underlie simple machines, like gears and linkages, to advanced mechanics, like differentials and steering systems. This edition adds 13 new building instructions and 4 completely new chapters on wheels, the RC system, planetary gearing, and 3D printing.You’ll get a hands-on introduction to fundamental mechanical concepts like torque, friction, and traction, as well as basic engineering principles like weight distribution, efficiency, and power transmission—all with the help of Technic pieces. You’ll even learn how Sariel builds his amazing tanks, trucks, and cars to scale.Learn how to:–Build sturdy connections that can withstand serious stress–Re-create specialized LEGO pieces, like casings and u-joints, and build custom, complex Schmidt and Oldham couplings–Create your own differentials, suspensions, transmissions, and steering systems–Pick the right motor for the job and transform it to suit your needs–Combine studfull and studless building styles for a stunning look–Build remote-controlled vehicles, lighting systems, motorized compressors, and pneumatic enginesThis beautifully illustrated, full-color book will inspire you with ideas for building amazing machines like tanks with suspended treads, supercars, cranes, bulldozers, and much more. What better way to learn engineering principles than to experience them hands-on with LEGO Technic?New in this edition: 13 new building instructions, 13 updated chapters, and 4 brand-new chapters!

Feynman Lectures Simplified 4A: Math for Physicists (Everyone’s Guide to the Feynman Lectures on Physics Book 12)


Robert L. Piccioni - 2016
    But to really participate in fundamental science, particularly in physics, one must master a lot of math. Math is what prevents most science enthusiasts from becoming scientists. This book, Feynman Simplified 4A: Math for Physicists, will help those striving to master the mathematics of physics. It explains step-by-step all the mathematics that most scientists will ever need. From the mundane to the esoteric, this eBook explores it all, from the tensor calculus of general relativity to how to analyze data. The topics we explore include: * Trigonometric Functions & Identities * Rectilinear, Polar, Cylindrical & Spherical Coordinates * Real & Complex Numbers; Scientific Notation * Quadratic & Polynomial Equations & Solutions * Dimensional Analysis & Approximation Methods * Finite & Infinite Series * Zeno’s Paradox & Mortgage Payments * Exponentials, Logarithms & Hyperbolic Functions * Permutations, Combinations & Binomial Coefficients * Discrete & Continuous Probabilities * Poisson, Gaussian, and Chi-Squared Distributions * Rotation & Velocity Transformations * Vector Algebra, Identities & Theorems * Differential, Integral & Variational Calculus * Differential Equations * Tensors & Matrices * Numerical Integration & Data Fitting * Transforms & Fourier Series * Monte Carlo & Advanced Data Analysis

In Praise of Simple Physics: The Science and Mathematics behind Everyday Questions (Princeton Puzzlers)


Paul J. Nahin - 2016
    It can tell us why the night is dark, what causes the tides, and even how best to catch a baseball. With In Praise of Simple Physics, popular math and science writer Paul Nahin presents a plethora of situations that explore the science and math behind the wonders of everyday life. Roaming through a diverse range of puzzles, he illustrates how physics shows us ways to wring more energy from renewable sources, to measure the gravity in our car garages, to figure out which of three light switches in the basement controls the light bulb in the attic, and much, much more.How fast can you travel from London to Paris? How do scientists calculate the energy of an atomic bomb explosion? How do you kick a football so it stays in the air and goes a long way downfield? Nahin begins with simpler problems and progresses to more challenging questions, and his entertaining, accessible, and scientifically and mathematically informed explanations are all punctuated by his trademark humor. Readers are presumed to have some background in beginning differential and integral calculus. Whether you simply have a personal interest in physics' influence in the world or you're an engineering and science student who wants to gain more physics know-how, this book has an intriguing scenario for you.In Praise of Simple Physics proves that if we look carefully at the world around us, physics has answers for the most astonishing day-to-day occurrences.

Albert Einstien (The father of Quantam revolution and theory of relativity): A genius, a scientist, a philospher and a mysterious personality.


Richard Dowmann - 2016
    Albert einstien was born in 20th century and changed the course of history in science. His remarkable work in respective fields turn the tide of development in modern world. Being a great scientist he was also one of the gretest thinker for humanity. His works are not only important for lab but also for the batterment of human society. Throughout history there were many scientists and thinkers born and died, but no one ever reach to his class, quality and excellence.

A Student's Manual for A First Course in General Relativity


Robert B. Scott - 2016
    The perfect accompaniment to Schutz's textbook, this manual guides the reader step-by-step through over 200 exercises, with clear easy-to-follow derivations. It provides detailed solutions to almost half of Schutz's exercises, and includes 125 brand new supplementary problems that address the subtle points of each chapter. It includes a comprehensive index and collects useful mathematical results, such as transformation matrices and Christoffel symbols for commonly studied spacetimes, in an appendix. Supported by an online table categorising exercises, a Maple worksheet and an instructors' manual, this text provides an invaluable resource for all students and instructors using Schutz's textbook.

Essential Trig-based Physics Study Guide Workbook


Chris McMullen - 2016
    (If instead you’re looking for the calculus-based physics book, search for ISBN 1941691153.)DESCRIPTION: This combination of physics study guide and workbook focuses on essential problem-solving skills and strategies: Fully solved examples with explanations show you step-by-step how to solve standard physics problems. Handy charts tabulate the symbols, what they mean, and their SI units. Problem-solving strategies are broken down into steps and illustrated with examples. Answers, hints, intermediate answers, and explanations are provided for every practice exercise. Terms and concepts which are essential to solving physics problems are defined and explained.VOLUME: This volume covers motion, including uniform acceleration, vector addition, projectile motion, Newton’s laws, conservation of energy, collisions, rotation, satellites, and more. (Vol. 2 covers electricity and magnetism, while Vol. 3 covers waves, fluids, heat, sound, and light. Vol.’s 2-3 will be released in the spring of 2017.)AUTHOR: The author, Dr. Chris McMullen, has over 20 years of experience teaching university physics in California, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana (and has also taught physics to gifted high school students). Dr. McMullen currently teaches physics at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. He has also published a half-dozen papers on the collider phenomenology of superstring-inspired large extra dimensions. Chris McMullen earned his Ph.D. in particle physics from Oklahoma State University (and his M.S. in physics from California State University, Northridge).Dr. McMullen is well-known for: engaging physics students in challenging ideas through creativity breaking difficult problems down into manageable steps providing clear and convincing explanations to subtle issues his mastery of physics and strong background in mathematics helping students become more fluent in practical math skillsMATH REVIEW: Separate chapters cover essential algebra skills (like the quadratic formula), geometry formulas (like the area of a circle), and trigonometry skills (like finding an inverse tangent).SOLUTIONS: The back of the book includes a detailed section of hints, intermediate answers, final answers, and explanations to help you solve each problem one step at a time. It’s like having a physics tutor in the back of the book. (However, if you would prefer complete solutions, search for ISBN 1941691161.)USES: This study guide workbook can be used to: learn how to solve fundamental physics problems find fully-solved examples of standard physics problems develop fluency in physics via practice exercises that include answers, hints, and explanations quickly find the most essential physics terms, concepts, and formulas review for standardized exams, such as MCAT, AP Physics, SAT, or the fundamentals of the GRE.CALCULATOR: Every problem in this book can be solved without the aid of a calculator. This is handy for students who will take a standardized exam like the MCAT Physics, which doesn’t allow a calculator. (It’s also a handy skill to be able to estimate an answer without relying on a calculator.)

Why Quark Rhymes with Pork: And Other Scientific Diversions


N. David Mermin - 2016
    David Mermin. Bringing together for the first time all thirty of his columns published in Physics Today's Reference Frame series from 1988 to 2009, with updating commentary, this humorous and unusual volume includes thirteen other essays, many of them previously unpublished. Mermin's lively and penetrating writing illuminates a broad range of topics, from the implications of bad spelling in a major science journal, to the crises of science libraries and scientific periodicals, the folly of scientific prizes and honors, the agony of getting funding, and how to pronounce 'quark'. His witty observations and insightful anecdotes gleaned from a lifetime in science will entertain physicists at all levels, as well as anyone else interested in science or scientists at the turn of the twenty-first century.

Anomaly! Collider Physics and the Quest for New Phenomena at Fermilab


Tommaso Dorigo - 2016
    As well as discovering the top quark, the heaviest elementary particle ever observed, the physicists analyzed their data to seek signals of new physics which could revolutionize our understanding of nature.Anomaly! tells the story of that quest, and focuses specifically on the finding of several unexplained effects which were unearthed in the process. These anomalies proved highly controversial within the large team: to some collaborators they called for immediate publication, while to others their divulgation threatened to jeopardize the reputation of the experiment.Written in a confidential, narrative style, this book looks at the sociology of a large scientific collaboration, providing insight in the relationships between top physicists at the turn of the millennium. The stories offer an insider's view of the life cycle of the 'failed' discoveries that unavoidably accompany even the greatest endeavors in modern particle physics.

Space, Time and the Limits of Human Understanding, Foreword by John Stachel, Afterword by Noam Chomsky


Shyam Wuppuluri FRSA - 2016
    With an epilogue on the limits of human understanding, this volume hosts contributions from six or more diverse fields. It presumes only rudimentary background knowledge on the part of the reader.Time and again, through the prism of intellect, humans have tried to diffract reality into various distinct, yet seamless, atomic, yet holistic, independent, yet interrelated disciplines and have attempted to study it contextually. Philosophers debate the paradoxes, or engage in meditations, dialogues and reflections on the content and nature of space and time. Physicists, too, have been trying to mold space and time to fit their notions concerning micro- and macro-worlds. Mathematicians focus on the abstract aspects of space, time and measurement. While cognitive scientists ponder over the perceptual and experiential facets of our consciousness of space and time, computer scientists theoretically and practically try to optimize the space-time complexities in storing and retrieving data/information. The list is never-ending. Linguists, logicians, artists, evolutionary biologists, geographers etc., all are trying to weave a web of understanding around the same duo. However, our endeavour into a world of such endless imagination is restrained by intellectual dilemmas such as: Can humans comprehend everything? Are there any limits? Can finite thought fathom infinity? We have sought far and wide among the best minds to furnish articles that provide an overview of the above topics. We hope that, through this journey, a symphony of patterns and tapestry of intuitions will emerge, providing the reader with insights into the questions: What is Space? What is Time?

WAVES AND THERMODYNAMICS (JEE TRAINER SERIES)


Vikas Jain - 2016
    A complete books on Physics with all the topics covered for strong foundation.

Moon Manual


David M Harland - 2016
    Recent lunar expeditions by both orbiting spacecraft and 'landers' have uncovered far more detail about the Moon's surface and geology, including the trail of Neil Armstrong's first walk on the Moon in 1969. This manual explains in simple and straightforward terms, with a wealth of illustrations and photographs, what we have discovered about the Moon over the centuries, along with a general overview of the vehicles involved in the exploration.

Essential Calculus-based Physics Study Guide Workbook: The Laws of Motion (Learn Physics with Calculus Step-by-Step Book 1)


Chris McMullen - 2016
    (If instead you’re looking for a trig-based physics book, search for ISBN 1941691145.)DESCRIPTION: This combination of physics study guide and workbook focuses on essential problem-solving skills and strategies: Fully solved examples with explanations show you step-by-step how to solve standard university physics problems. Handy charts tabulate the symbols, what they mean, and their SI units. Problem-solving strategies are broken down into steps and illustrated with examples. Answers, hints, intermediate answers, and explanations are provided for every practice exercise. Terms and concepts which are essential to solving physics problems are defined and explained. VOLUME: This volume covers motion, including uniform acceleration, calculus-based motion, vector addition, projectile motion, Newton’s laws, center of mass integrals, conservation of energy, collisions, the scalar and vector product, rotation, moment of inertia integrals, satellites, and more. (Vol. 2 covers electricity and magnetism, while Vol. 3 covers waves, fluids, heat, sound, and light. Vol.’s 2-3 will be released in the spring of 2017.)AUTHOR: The author, Dr. Chris McMullen, has over 20 years of experience teaching university physics in California, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana (and has also taught physics to gifted high school students). Dr. McMullen currently teaches physics at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. He has also published a half-dozen papers on the collider phenomenology of superstring-inspired large extra dimensions. Chris McMullen earned his Ph.D. in particle physics from Oklahoma State University (and his M.S. in physics from California State University, Northridge).Dr. McMullen is well-known for: engaging physics students in challenging ideas through creativity breaking difficult problems down into manageable steps providing clear and convincing explanations to subtle issues his mastery of physics and strong background in mathematics helping students become more fluent in practical math skills MATH REVIEW: Separate chapters cover essential calculus skills (like derivatives and relevant integration techniques) as well as essential algebra, geometry, and trigonometry skills.SOLUTIONS: The back of the book includes a detailed section of hints, intermediate answers, final answers, and explanations to help you solve each problem one step at a time. It’s like having a physics tutor in the back of the book. (However, if you would prefer complete solutions, search for ISBN 194169117X.)USES: This study guide workbook can be used to: learn how to solve fundamental problems in physics with calculus find fully-solved examples of standard physics problems develop fluency in physics via practice exercises that include answers, hints, and explanations quickly find the most essential physics terms, concepts, and formulas prepare for the AP physics exam review for standardized exams, such as AP Physics or the fundamentals of the GRE. CALCULATOR: Every problem in this book can be solved without the aid of a calculator.

LEARN ELECTRODYNAMICS THROUGH PROBLEMS (LEARN PHYSICS THROUGH PROBLEMS Book 2)


AJIT AGRAWAL - 2016
    So, the question is what makes this book so special. The answer lies in the way the book is Structured and its Super Rich Content. Every chapter has been divided into four sections. Synopsis, Objectives, Subjective and finally the Answer Keys. Every chapter of the book starts with a Synopsis that contains all the formulas and concepts needed in the chapter to solve the problems. Synopsis gives another added advantage of remembering everything at once before the exam. The book has systematically arranged problems starting from objective questions. For example consider subsection (a) magnetic field due to charge. In this section I have started with very simple problem and step by step took it to a very complex situation. And this I have done with every subtopic in every chapter. In order to promote better understanding of the subject, the objective problems have not been segregated as single correct or more than one correct. The objective section will systematically clear the concepts and the subjective section is collection of tough problems. It should be practiced only after doing the objective problems. All the problems in the book is class tested, and the chances of error is almost nil. Hope the readers will enjoy the book

Wisdom of the Martians of Science: In Their Own Words with Commentaries


István Hargittai - 2016
    John von Neumann was a pioneer of the modern computer; Theodore von Kármán was the scientist behind the US Air Force; Leo Szilard initiated the development of nuclear weapons; the Nobel laureate Eugene P Wigner was the world's first nuclear engineer; and Edward Teller was the father of the hydrogen bomb. They were born and raised in Budapest, were forced out of Hungary and then from Germany, they became Americans, and devoted themselves to the defense of the United States and the Free World.They contributed significant discoveries to fundamental science ranging from the properties of materials to the application of the symmetry principle in physics, to creating information theory, to game theory. The areas in which we can learn about their wisdom include applications of science to past, present and future real-world needs; defense; education; environment; human nature; humor; politics; religion; weather modification, and others.This book shows the wisdom of the Martians by presenting their thoughts and ideas in their own words and placing them into context. Their wisdom is intriguing, witty, provocative and thought provoking. It extended over many aspects of life and culture that impinge on our existence. While we cannot always agree with what they say, they are never boring. The power of their words and their philosophies will inspire the readers to pursue their own dreams.

Collected Works of Sir Isaac Newton


Isaac Newton - 2016
    Newton’s book ‘Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica’ laid the foundations for classical mechanics and ‘Optiks’ made seminal contributions to modern physical optics. This comprehensive eBook presents Newton’s collected works, with numerous illustrations, rare texts, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Newton’s life and works * New introductions, specially written for this collection, by Professor Kenneth Richard Seddon, OBE (QUILL, The Queen’s University of Belfast) * Images of how the books were first published, giving your eReader a taste of the original texts * Excellent formatting of the texts * Key works are fully illustrated with their original diagrams * Features three biographies - discover Newton’s intriguing life * Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and genres Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles CONTENTS: Scientific Works PHILOSOPHIÆ NATURALIS PRINCIPIA MATHEMATICA THE MATHEMATICAL PRINCIPLES OF NATURAL PHILOSOPHY (MOTTE TRANSLATION) OPTICKS Theological Works THE CHRONOLOGY OF ANCIENT KINGDOMS AMENDED OBSERVATIONS ON DANIEL AND THE APOCALYPSE OF ST. JOHN AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF TWO NOTABLE CORRUPTIONS OF SCRIPTURE The Biographies MEMOIRS OF SIR ISAAC NEWTON’S LIFE by William Stukeley SIR ISAAC NEWTON by Sarah K. Bolton SIR ISAAC NEWTON by Henry Martyn Taylor Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles or to purchase this eBook as a Parts Edition of individual eBooks

Michael Faraday’s The Chemical History of a Candle: With Guides to Lectures, Teaching Guides & Student Activities


Bill Hammack - 2016
    This edition is a companion book to the popular EngineerGuy YouTube series of the lectures. This books contains supplemental material to help readers appreciate Faraday’s key insight that “there is no more open door by which you can enter into the study of science than by considering the physical phenomena of a candle.” Through a careful examination of a burning candle, Faraday’s lectures introduce readers to the concepts of mass, density, heat conduction, capillary action, and convection currents. They demonstrate the difference between chemical and physical processes, such as melting, vaporization, incandescence, and all types of combustion. And the lectures reveal the properties of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide, including their relative masses and the makeup of the atmosphere. The lectures wrap up with a grand, and startling, analogy: by understanding the chemical behavior of a candle the reader can grasp the basics of respiration. To help readers understand Faraday’s key points this book has an “Essential Background” section that explains in modern terms how a candle works, introductory guides for each lecture written in contemporary language, and seven student activities with teaching guides.

A Critical Introduction to the Metaphysics of Time


Ben Curtis - 2016
    The historical survey presents the necessary background to understanding more recent developments, including McTaggart's 1908 argument for the unreality of time, the open future, the perdurance/endurance debate, the possibility of time travel, and the relevance of current physics to the philosophy of time.Informed by cutting-edge philosophical research, A Critical Introduction to the Metaphysics of Time evaluates influential historical arguments in the context of contemporary developments. For students looking to gain insights into how ideas within the philosophy of time have developed and better understand recent arguments, this is the ideal starting point.

The Substance of Spacetime: Infinity, Nothingness, and the Nature of Matter


Andrew M. Ryan - 2016
    Consider this mindbender: spacetime does not exist at all, but it doesn't exist in the void even more than it doesn't exist in the universe. Is that the description of something that does not exist?     Relativity theory treats spacetime as a mathematical abstraction--a four-dimensional coordinate system analogous to the three dimensions of Cartesian geometry. It does not exist, per se. It is not a "thing" in any tangible sense. It merely serves as the background needed to describe the behaviors of the "real" things that exist within it. It is no more than the stage on which the cosmic drama plays out. That's the theory.   What if spacetime exists after all? Are we not obliged to take this stuff seriously and start asking questions? What are its properties? Where did it come from? Is spacetime a simple or a composite thing? Can it be broken into simpler parts? If not, are we compelled to wonder if spacetime is actually the fundamental substance of the universe? And how does this remarkable stuff come together to form the physical world around us?     The Substance of Spacetime sets out to investigate these very mysteries and the results are truly exciting. Treating spacetime, not merely as a coordinate system, but as a real physical substance, opens a window onto reality that would otherwise be impossible to even contemplate.If spacetime exists, everything changes.

John Stewart Bell and Twentieth-Century Physics: Vision and Integrity


Andrew Whitaker - 2016
    While the debate over quantum theory between the supremely famous physicists, AlbertEinstein and Niels Bohr, appeared to have become sterile in the 1930s, Bell was able to revive it and to make crucial advances - Bell's Theorem or Bell's Inequalities. He was able to demonstrate a contradiction between quantum theory and essential elements of pre-quantum theory - locality andcausality. The book gives a non-mathematical account of Bell's relatively impoverished upbringing in Belfast and his education. It describes his major contributions to quantum theory, but also his important work in the physics of accelerators, and nuclear and elementary particle physics.

Explaining our Weird Universe 1: Cool stuff about time, black holes and quantum magic


Matthew Wright - 2016
    We’ll be learning a bit about quantum mechanics, and about the intersection between that world and Einstein’s concepts. This gets particularly interesting near a black hole. And we’ll see why new-age ‘independent thinkers’ are wrong to imagine quantum mechanics as wish-fulfilment. Fun though it would be if that were true.

Bananaworld: Quantum Mechanics for Primates


Jeffrey Bub - 2016
    Schro?dinger coined the term entanglement to describe these bizarre correlations. Bananaworld -- an imaginary island with entangled bananas -- brings to life the fascinating discoveries of the new field of quantum information without the mathematicalmachinery of quantum mechanics. The connection with quantum correlations is fully explained in sections written for the non-physicist reader with a serious interest in understanding the mysteries of the quantum world. The result is a subversive but entertaining book that is accessible andinteresting to a wide range of readers, with the novel thesis that quantum mechanics is about the structure of information. What we have discovered is that the possibilities for representing, manipulating, and communicating information are very different than we thought.

Vlad the Astrophysicist


Peter Mulvey - 2016
    

Invisible Rainbow: A Physicist's Introduction to the Science behind Classical Chinese Medicine


Changlin Zhang - 2016
    Underlining how public perception of acupuncture has shifted over the last few decades from one of skepticism to one of acceptance, he explores the progression of acupuncture research from its unsuccessful beginnings to the ultimate discovery of a scientific basis for therapies centered on the subtle coherence patterns of interacting electromagnetic waves and fields. He explains the dissipative structure of electromagnetic waves that constitutes our electromagnetic body and describes how changes in our mood, lifestyle, and environment affect it.Invisible Rainbow explains these developments within the context of science's parallel development from its nineteenth-century focus on materialism, reductionism, and closed systems to its realization of the mass-energy equivalence, electromagnetic field, and its study of open complex systems. Discussing differences in Eastern and Western thought traditions and how they influence their respective medical systems, it also elucidates acupuncture's meridian system and Ayurveda's chakras and auras.

200 More Puzzling Physics Problems: With Hints and Solutions


Peter Gnadig - 2016
    The problems are chosen almost exclusively from classical, non-quantum physics, but are no easier for that. They are intriguingly posed in accessible non-technical language, and require readers to select an appropriate analysis framework and decide which branches of physics are involved. The general level of sophistication needed is that of the exceptional school student, the good undergraduate, or the competent graduate student; some physics professors may find some of the more difficult questions challenging. By contrast, the mathematical demands are relatively minimal, and seldom go beyond elementary calculus. This further book of physics problems is not only instructive and challenging, but also enjoyable.

Mindstorms: Level 4


Rena Hixon - 2016
    Explore MIndstorms and a robot's abilities deeper, from programming a series of movements to collecting and analyzing robot data.

The Quantum Handshake: Entanglement, Nonlocality and Transactions


John G. Cramer - 2016