A History of Modern Planetary Physics: Transmuted Past (A History of Modern Planetary Physics 3 Volume Hardback set)

Brush, Stephen G.

ISBN 10: 0521552133 / ISBN 13: 9780521552134

Published by Cambridge University Press, 1996

About this Item

A copy that has been read, remains in good condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. The spine and cover show signs of wear. Pages can include notes and highlighting and show signs of wear, and the copy can include "From the library of" labels or previous owner inscriptions. 100% GUARANTEE! Shipped with delivery confirmation, if you're not satisfied with purchase please return item! Ships via media mail.

Seller Inventory # OTV.0521552133.G

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A History of Modern Planetary Physics: Transmuted Past (A History of Modern Planetary Physics 3 Volume Hardback set)
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521552133
• ISBN 13: 9780521552134
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: good

About this title

Synopsis

Transmuted Past follows the development of theories of stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis in the twentieth century and describes radiometric methods for estimating the age of the Earth. Professor Brush also offers perspectives on the changing reputation of planetary science relative to the "pure" sciences, such as physics, and a comparison of history and geology as ways of studying the past.

From the Back Cover

The age of the Earth has been one of the most disputed numbers in science since the 17th century. Although most earth scientist and astronomers accept the Earth's age to be 4.55 billion years, much significance lies in the manner in which that figure was determined. Transmuted Past follows the development of theories of stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis in the 20th century and describes radiometric methods for estimating the age of the Earth. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the reputation of the planetary sciences changed significantly; whereas the planetary sciences once played an integral role in science, they eventually came to be accorded a status inferior to atomic physics and cosmology. Professor Brush explores this shift and shows how a planetary science such as geology can provide a useful example of the scientific approach for comparison with a humanistic discipline such as history.