Whether discussing theories of cosmology, the physics of making a violin, or the impact of magazine covers on potential buyers, physicist and writer Tony Rothman brings the worlds of the scientist and nonscientist closer together, with amusing and enlightening results. These essays, which bear the mark of Rothman's outspoken humor and dislike for pretense, convey essential ideas to general readers on such topics as the future of the universe, the design of particle accelerators, the intelligent use of statistics, and the making of quality musical instruments. At the same time they provide insight into how the mind of a scientist works, not only in research but also in the "real" world of three-piece suits and mass media. The outlook of physicists, according to the author, often puts them at odds with nonscientists--but Rothman never hides his points of disagreement. In his title essay on being a major magazine editor, he recalls using bell curves and elementary statistics in an attempt to convince the circulation department that fluctuations in sales are unavoidable (despite what they thought). Although Rothman claims that scientists do enjoy playing the role of Faust, the scholar in eternal pursuit of Truth, his essays attest to a scientific interest fully in tune with human concerns.
Originally published in 1991.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
Harvard physics professor Rothman ( Science a la Mode ) is an urbane and stylish science writer who here brings the reader in touch with nearly every major issue in astrophysics theory. Surveying current debates in cosmology--"the Hollywood science"--in three balanced, discerning articles, he prepares readers for the next wave of science writing on the Big Bang. "On That Day, When the Earth Is Dissolved in Positrons" and other pieces take us to the edge of the "theoretically known," where the leap to the "philosophically known" seems short and tempting. The title essay, detailing Rothman's term as an editor for Scientific American magazine, is an arch, titillating and discerning examination of the differences between the science practiced in academia and that sold by Madison Avenue. Illustrations.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
This slender volume by Harvard physicist and essayist Rothman ( Science a la Mode , Princeton Univ. Pr., 1989) covers ground that is becoming increasingly familiar to lay readers: the vastness and age of the universe, time, space, and so on. Rothman is an engaging and clear writer, unafraid of injecting his own opinions on hot topics in the physics of the universe. An essay on the physics of musical instruments is fascinating and particularly well done; the title piece, about Rothman's short stint at Scientific American , is one of the funniest pieces in decades about the arcana of magazine marketing. Good popular science of the Provocative Thought School.
- Mark L. Shelton, Athens, Ohio
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
