Tests of Time: Readings in the Development of Physical Theory

Dolling, Lisa M.; Gianelli, Arthur F.; Statile, Glenn N., Editors

ISBN 10: 069109084X / ISBN 13: 9780691090849

Published by Princeton Univ Pr, Princeton, New Jersey, 2003

About this Item

Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003. First Edition. 8vo. Paperback, 708 pp. including index. "This anthology of primary readings chronicles the birth and maturation of five central physical theories the heliocentric theory, the electromagnetic field theory, special and general relativity, quantum theory, and the big bang theory -- in the words of the scientists who brought them to life. Readers sit in with Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo as they overturn the geocentric universe; observe the genius of Faraday and Maxwell as they explore electromagnetic fields; look over Einstein's shoulder as he works out the details of relativity; listen in as Einstein and Bohr argue for the soul of quantum mechanics in the Completeness Debate; and watch as Hubble and others reveal the history of the universe. The editor's approach highlights the moments of discovery that rise from scientific creativity and the humanity of the scientific process; although each was ushered in by a revolution, and each contains counterintuitive elements that delayed its acceptance, these five theories exhibit a continuous rational development that has led them to a permanent place in the worldview of science. "This book is the result of an ambitious educational project to teach students by having them study original scientific texts selected with pedagogical shrewdness. It makes it possible for students to engage in actual scientific thinking and to do this almost entirely without mathematics and in the intellectual presence of great and imaginative creative scientists. There is no other work like it, and it has great appeal." Robert S. Cohen." A new book.

Seller Inventory # 017922

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Tests of Time: Readings in the Development of Physical Theory
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr, Princeton, New Jersey
• Publication Date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 069109084X
• ISBN 13: 9780691090849
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: First Edition
• Condition: New
• Seller catalogs:
  • Science and Nature

About this title

Synopsis

The development of physical theory is one of our greatest intellectual achievements. Its products--the currently prevailing theories of physics, astronomy, and cosmology--have proved themselves to possess intrinsic beauty and to have enormous explanatory and predictive power. This anthology of primary readings chronicles the birth and maturation of five such theories (the heliocentric theory, the electromagnetic field theory, special and general relativity, quantum theory, and the big bang theory) in the words of the scientists who brought them to life. It is the first historical account that captures the rich substance of these theories, each of which represents a fascinating story of the interplay of evidence and insight--and of dialogue among great minds.


Readers sit in with Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo as they overturn the geocentric universe; observe the genius of Faraday and Maxwell as they "discover" the electromagnetic field; look over Einstein's shoulder as he works out the details of relativity; listen in as Einstein and Bohr argue for the soul of quantum mechanics in the Completeness Debate; and watch as Hubble and others reveal the history of the universe.


The editors' approach highlights the moments of discovery that rise from scientific creativity, and the presentation humanizes the scientific process, revealing the extent to which great scientists were the first to consider the philosophical implications of their work. But, most significantly, the editors offer this as their central thesis: although each was ushered in by a revolution, and each contains counterintuitive elements that delayed its acceptance, these five theories exhibit a continuous rational development that has led them to a permanent place in the worldview of science.


Accessible to the general reader yet sufficiently substantive that working scientists will find value in it, The Tests of Time offers an intimate look into how physical theory has been developed, by the brilliant people who have developed it.

About the Author

Lisa M. Dolling, Arthur F. Gianelli, and Glenn N. Statile teach the history and philosophy of science on both the graduate and undergraduate levels at St. John's University. Arthur Gianelli is Chair of the Philosophy Department and the coeditor of The Metaphysical Quest. Lisa Dolling has written and lectured on the philosophy of Niels Bohr and directs the Science and Religion project at St. John's. Glenn Statile has lectured and written on topics in cosmology and the philosophy of science.