Everything's Relative: And Other Fables from Science and Technology

The surprising truth behind many of the most cherished "facts" in science history

Morse invented the telegraph, Bell the telephone, Edison the light bulb, and Marconi the radio . . . right? Well . . . the truth is slightly more complicated. The history of science and technology is riddled with apocrypha, inaccuracies, and falsehoods, and physicist Tony Rothman has taken it upon himself to throw a monkey wrench into the works.

Combining a storyteller's gifts with a scientist's focus and hardheaded devotion to the facts—such as they may be—Rothman breaks down many of the most famous "just-so" stories of physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, and technology to give credit where credit is truly due. From Einstein's possible misunderstanding of his own theories to actress Hedy Lemarr's role in the invention of the radio-controlled torpedo, he dredges his way through the legends of science history in relating the fascinating stories behind some of the most important, and often unsung, breakthroughs in science.

TONY ROTHMAN is a physicist and writer. He is the author of seven other critically acclaimed science books and a frequent contributor to leading science publications, including Scientific American and Discover.