A professor of astrophysics relates the inference of ultracompressed states of matter from signals emitted in specific areas of the universe and explains the phenomena relating to pulsars and black holes

Frozen Star

Greenstein, George

Literature & Fiction

Plume

What fuels the creative fire of genius? Is it fierce determination, some special quirk of personality, or fortuitous coincidence? In Portraits of Discovery, astronomer and science writer George Greenstein profiles the lives often brilliant scientists to reveal the sources of their genius. He skillfully intertwines the stories of their personal lives and their work, showing how devotion to discovery "is what gives their lives meaning; what animates their days and consoles their nights". This is a book full of wonders. Greenstein puts us on the scene as Margaret Geller and John Huchra unfold a map of the universe, revealing astoundingly large and beautiful images of arcs of galaxies that go off the charts of our imagination. He probes the mystery behind Luis Alvarez's discovery that the extinction of the dinosaurs was almost surely caused by Earth's collision with an asteroid the size of Manhattan. All along, Greenstein offers artfully drawn portraits of the colorful personalities of his subjects: the genius and "buffoonery" of Richard Feynman, who developed a new, more elegant way to solve physics problems; the wit and imagination of the hard-drinking, Nobel Prize-winning George Gamow, known for his magic tricks as well as for profound insights into radioactivity and the Big Bang; and the exuberance of Ludwig Boltzmann, who developed a new vision of the atom despite a mental illness that eventually led to his tragic suicide. Powerful social and political forces also enter the picture: we learn how women astronomers like Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin and Annie Jump Cannon, despite their enormous contributions, were deprived of fair pay, recognition, and even the use of telescopes! We see George Gamow and his wife attempting to paddle their way across 170 miles of open sea in a small canoe to escape political oppression in Russia. Conversely, we hear the story of Luis Alvarez's Cold War-inspired testimony against J. Robert Oppenheimer-which earned Alvarez the everlasting enmity of many of his fellow scientists. In the two very different worlds of Martin Perl and Homi Bhabha-one in modern industrial America, the other in Third World India-we follow the problematic development and achievements of large-scale Big Science. In Portraits of Discovery, the author has created a rarity in science writing-a book that does justice to both the actual work of scientific research and to the idiosyncratic, flesh-and-blood lives of the scientists themselves. Reading it will deepen and enrich your appreciation of both science and its practitioners. A gallery of richly painted portraits of scientific genius:"the encounters of individual, contingent lives with the hard rock of external truth". Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin and Annie Jump Cannon. The chemical composition of the stars Ludwig Boltzmann Atoms, entropy, and the Second Law of Thermodynamics. George Gamow Radioactivity Homi Bhabha The development of science in India. Luis Alvarez The extinction of the dinosaurs. Richard Feynman Feynman diagrams Martin Perl The tau particle and Big Science Margaret Geller and John Huchra Mapping the cosmos

Portraits of Discovery: Profiles in Scientific Genius

Biographies & Memoirs

Professionals & Academics

wiley

Understanding the Universe: An Inquiry Approach to Astronomy and the Nature of Scientific Research

A student-active introduction to astronomy, emphasizing inquiry learning so students will clearly understand our universe and the scientific method. Within-text and end-of-chapter questions check understanding of concepts and require the student to think critically through astronomy-based problems. 'Nature of Science' and 'Detectives on the Case' sections in each chapter encourage students to take on the role of a scientist and so develop an understanding of how scientific progress is made, leading students through a chain of arguments of forming and testing hypotheses, in the context of specific astronomical topics. By focusing on key topics, the student is able to develop a deeper understanding of the core areas of astronomy. Math is used to make intuitive points and kept simple by using a two-track system to first describe the logic of the calculation followed by a more detailed example. Simple illustrations support the text and step students through concepts visually.

Science & Math

Astronomy & Space Science

Cambridge University Press

In an analysis of quantum mechanics and the series of unlikely circumstances that have determined human existence, a professor of astronomy proposes that the universe and life as we know it are part of a symbiotic relationship created for the purpose of maintaining life

The symbiotic universe: Life and mind in the cosmos

Morrow

In an analysis of quantum mechanics and the series of unlikely circumstances that have determined human existence, a professor of astronomy proposes that the universe and life as we know it are part of a symbiotic relationship created for the purpose of maintaining life

The Symbiotic Universe: Life and the Cosmos in Unity

William Morrow & Co.

Cover worn, page edges tanned. Shipped from the U.K. All orders received before 3pm sent that weekday.

Futura

Since its inception in the early decades of the twentieth century, quantum mechanics has joined Einstein's theory of relativity and Darwin's theory of evolution as a dominating scientific force. Nevertheless, this theory has steadfastly resisted interpretation within a conventional world view. There is no consensus among workers in the field as to how to solve these problems. In the past, books dealing with these issues have been constrained by two complementary difficulties. At the instructional level, the theoretical apparatus of quantum theory is complex and unfamiliar; textbooks are therefore forced to concentrate heavily on the technical aspects of the theory. At the popular level, considerable attention is often devoted to these questions; but owing to their non-technical nature, such presentations are necessarily limited in the understanding they can convey. The Quantum Challenge is explicitly intended to fill the gap between these two approaches. The authors believe that the material can be presented with reasonable rigor and intellectual honesty, yet still be accessible to undergraduate physical science, mathematics and engineering students.

The Quantum Challenge: Modern Research on the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics (JONES AND BARTLETT SERIES IN PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY)

Zajonc, Arthur G.

Earth Sciences

Jones& Bartlett Learning

The Quantum Challenge: Modern Research on the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics (The Jones and Bartlett Series in Physics and Astronomy)

The Quantum Challenge, Second Edition, is an engaging and thorough treatment of the extraordinary phenomena of quantum mechanics and of the enormous challenge they present to our conception of the physical world. Traditionally, the thrill of grappling with such issues is reserved for practicing scientists, while physical science, mathematics, and engineering students are often isolated from these inspiring questions. This book was written to remove this isolation.

The Quantum Challenge: Modern Research on the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics: Modern Research on the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics (Physics and Astronomy)

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Greenstein, George. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Greenstein, George

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Greenstein, George. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Frozen Star

Portraits of Discovery: Profiles in Scientific Genius

Understanding the Universe: An Inquiry Approach to Astronomy and the Nature of Scientific Research

Understanding the Universe: An Inquiry Approach to Astronomy and the Nature of Scientific Research

The symbiotic universe: Life and mind in the cosmos

The Symbiotic Universe: Life and the Cosmos in Unity

Frozen Star

The Quantum Challenge: Modern Research on the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics (JONES AND BARTLETT SERIES IN PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY)

The Quantum Challenge: Modern Research on the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics (The Jones and Bartlett Series in Physics and Astronomy)

The Quantum Challenge: Modern Research on the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics: Modern Research on the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics (Physics and Astronomy)