Download or read book Steven Weinberg A Life in Physics written by Steven Weinberg and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2024-10-31 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Steven Weinberg shares his candid thoughts, in his own words, on theoretical physics and cosmology, along with personal anecdotes and recollections of the people who helped shape his career. These memoirs of his life as a scientist and public figure cover his student days and early career, through the golden age of particle physics in the 1970s, his being awarded the Nobel prize, through to the end of the twentieth century. In addition to his research insights, Weinberg provides glimpses into his life in academia more broadly: dealing with the 'two-body problem', tenure, international conference travel, his book-writing, advisory work with JASON, and his advocacy for the Superconducting Super Collider. Physicists, historians of science and interested readers will find the presentation engaging and often witty, as Weinberg reflects on his life in physics.
Download or read book Third Thoughts written by Steven Weinberg and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2018-08-06 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “The phrase ‘public intellectual’ is much bandied about. Just a few real heavyweights in the world merit the title, and Steven Weinberg is preeminent among them.” —Richard Dawkins “Weinberg has a knack for capturing a complex concept in a succinct, unforgettable image... One of the smartest and most diligent scientists around.” —Nature In this wise and wide-ranging meditation, one of the most captivating science communicators of our time challenges us to reconsider the entanglement of science and society. From the cosmological to the personal, from astronomy and quantum physics to the folly of manned spaceflight and the rewards of getting things wrong, Steven Weinberg shares his views on the workings of the universe and our aspirations and limitations. Third Thoughts aims to provoke and inform and never loses sight of the human dimension of scientific discovery. “One of the 20th century’s greatest physicists...shares his strongly-held opinions on everything from the Higgs boson to the state of theoretical physics and the problems of science and society.” —Forbes “This book should be read not only for its insightful and illuminating explanations of a wide range of physical phenomena but also for the opportunity it affords to follow the wanderings of a brilliant mind through topics ranging from high-energy physics and the makeup of the cosmos to poetry, and from the history and philosophy of science to the dangers of economic inequality... [A] captivating book.” —Mario Livio, Science
Download or read book To Explain the World written by Steven Weinberg and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2015-02-17 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A masterful commentary on the history of science from the Greeks to modern times, by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Weinberg—a thought-provoking and important book by one of the most distinguished scientists and intellectuals of our time. In this rich, irreverent, and compelling history, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Weinberg takes us across centuries from ancient Miletus to medieval Baghdad and Oxford, from Plato’s Academy and the Museum of Alexandria to the cathedral school of Chartres and the Royal Society of London. He shows that the scientists of ancient and medieval times not only did not understand what we understand about the world—they did not understand what there is to understand, or how to understand it. Yet over the centuries, through the struggle to solve such mysteries as the curious backward movement of the planets and the rise and fall of the tides, the modern discipline of science eventually emerged. Along the way, Weinberg examines historic clashes and collaborations between science and the competing spheres of religion, technology, poetry, mathematics, and philosophy. An illuminating exploration of the way we consider and analyze the world around us, To Explain the World is a sweeping, ambitious account of how difficult it was to discover the goals and methods of modern science, and the impact of this discovery on human knowledge and development.
Download or read book Facing Up written by Steven Weinberg and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2012-03-01 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The New York Times’s James Glanz has called Steven Weinberg “perhaps the world’s most authoritative proponent of the idea that physics is hurtling toward a ‘final theory,’ a complete explanation of nature’s particles and forces that will endure as the bedrock of all science forevermore. He is also a powerful writer of prose that can illuminate—and sting... He recently received the Lewis Thomas Prize, awarded to the researcher who best embodies ‘the scientist as poet.’” Both the brilliant scientist and the provocative writer are fully present in this book as Weinberg pursues his principal passions, theoretical physics and a deeper understanding of the culture, philosophy, history, and politics of science.Each of these essays, which span fifteen years, struggles in one way or another with the necessity of facing up to the discovery that the laws of nature are impersonal, with no hint of a special status for human beings. Defending the spirit of science against its cultural adversaries, these essays express a viewpoint that is reductionist, realist, and devoutly secular. Each is preceded by a new introduction that explains its provenance and, if necessary, brings it up to date. Together, they afford the general reader the unique pleasure of experiencing the superb sense, understanding, and knowledge of one of the most interesting and forceful scientific minds of our era.
Download or read book The First Three Minutes written by Steven Weinberg and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2022-04-26 with total page 219 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Nobel Prize-winning physicist explains what happened at the very beginning of the universe, and how we know, in this popular science classic. Our universe has been growing for nearly 14 billion years. But almost everything about it, from the elements that forged stars, planets, and lifeforms, to the fundamental forces of physics, can be traced back to what happened in just the first three minutes of its existence. In this book, Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg describes in wonderful detail what happened in these first three minutes. It is an exhilarating journey that begins with the Planck Epoch - the earliest period of time in the history of the universe - and goes through Einstein's Theory of Relativity, the Hubble Red Shift, and the detection of the Cosmic Microwave Background. These incredible discoveries all form the foundation for what we now understand as the "standard model" of the origin of the universe. The First Three Minutes examines not only what this model looks like, but also tells the exciting story of the bold thinkers who put it together. Clearly and accessibly written, The First Three Minutes is a modern-day classic, an unsurpassed explanation of where it is that everything really comes from.
Download or read book Cosmology written by Steven Weinberg and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2008-02-21 with total page 612 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a uniquely comprehensive and detailed treatment of the theoretical and observational foundations of modern cosmology, by a Nobel Laureate in Physics. It gives up-to-date and self contained accounts of the theories and observations that have made the past few decades a golden age of cosmology.
Download or read book Mind of God written by P. C. W. Davies and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 1993-03-05 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exploration of whether modern science can provide the key that will unlock all the secrets of existence.
Download or read book Dreams of a Final Theory written by Steven Weinberg and published by Vintage. This book was released on 1994-02-01 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Nobel Prize-winning physicist and bestselling author of The First Three Minutes describes the grand quest for a unifying theory of nature--one that can explain forces as different as the cohesion inside the atom and the gravitational tug between the sun and Earth. Wirting with dazzling elegance and clarity, he retraces the steps that have led modern scientists from relativity and quantum mechanics to the notion of super-strings and the idea that our universe may coexist with others. But Weinberg asks as many questions as he answers, among them: Why does each explanation of the way nature works point to other, deeper explanations? Why are the best theories not only logical but beautiful? And what implications will a final theory have for our philosophy and religious faith? Intellectually daring, rich in anecdote and aphorism, Dreams of a Final Theory launches us into a new cosmos and helps us make sense of what we find there.
Download or read book Lake Views written by Steven Weinberg and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2012-07-30 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Just as Henry David Thoreau “traveled a great deal in Concord,” Nobel Prize–winning physicist Steven Weinberg sees much of the world from the window of his study overlooking Lake Austin. In Lake Views Weinberg, considered by many to be the preeminent theoretical physicist alive today, continues the wide-ranging reflections that have also earned him a reputation as, in the words of New York Times reporter James Glanz, “a powerful writer of prose that can illuminate—and sting.” This collection presents Weinberg’s views on topics ranging from problems of cosmology to assorted world issues—military, political, and religious. Even as he moves beyond the bounds of science, each essay reflects his experience as a theoretical physicist. And as in the celebrated Facing Up, the essays express a viewpoint that is rationalist, reductionist, realist, and secular. A new introduction precedes each essay, explaining how it came to be written and bringing it up to date where necessary. As an essayist, Weinberg insists on seeing things as they are, without despair and with good humor. Sure to provoke his readers—postmodern cultural critics, enthusiasts for manned space flight or missile defense, economic conservatives, sociologists of science, anti-Zionists, and religious zealots—this book nonetheless offers the pleasure of a sustained encounter with one of the most interesting scientific minds of our time.
Download or read book Physics 1971 1980 written by Stig Lundqvist and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 1992 with total page 622 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These volumes are collections of the Nobel Lectures delivered by the prizewinners, together with their biographies, portraits and the presentation speeches for the period 1971 ? 1990. Each Nobel Lecture is based on the work that won the laureate his prize. New biographical data of the laureates, since they were awarded the Nobel Prize, are also included. These volumes of inspiring lectures by outstanding physicists should be on the bookshelf of every keen student, teacher and professor of physics as well as those in related fields.Below is a list of the prizewinners during the period 1971?1980 with a description of the works which won them their prizes: (1971) D GABOR ? for his invention and development of the holographic method; (1972) J BARDEEN, L N COOPER & J R SCHRIEFFER ? for their jointly developed theory of superconductivity, usually called the BCS-theory; (1973) L ESAKI & I GIAEVER ? for their experimental discoveries regarding tunneling phenomena in semiconductors and superconductors, respectively; B D JOSEPHSON ? for his theoretical predictions of the properties of a supercurrent through a tunnel barrier, in particular those phenomena which are generally known as the Josephson effects; (1974) M RYLE & A HEWISH ? for their pioneering research in radio astrophysics: Ryle for his observations and inventions, in particular of the aperture synthesis technique, and Hewish for his decisive role in the discovery of pulsars; (1975) A BOHR, B MOTTELSON & J RAINWATER ? for the discovery of the connection between collective motion and particle motion in atomic nuclei and the development of the theory of the structure of the atomic nucleus based on this connection; (1976) B RICHTER & S C C TING ? for their pioneering work in the discovery of a heavy elementary particle of a new kind; (1977) P W ANDERSON, N F MOTT & J H VAN VLECK ? for their fundamental theoretical investigations of the electronic structure of magnetic and disordered systems; (1978) P L KAPITSA ? for his basic inventions and discoveries in the area of low-temperature physics; A A PENZIAS & R W WILSON ? for their discoveries of cosmic microwave background radiation; (1979) S L GLASHOW, A SALAM & S WEINBERG ? for their contributions to the theory of the unified weak and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles, including inter alia the prediction of the weak neutral current; (1980) J W CRONIN & V L FITCH ? for the discovery of violations of fundamental symmetry principles in the decay of neutral K-mesons.
Download or read book A New Kind of Science written by Stephen Wolfram and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 1197 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work presents a series of dramatic discoveries never before made public. Starting from a collection of simple computer experiments---illustrated in the book by striking computer graphics---Wolfram shows how their unexpected results force a whole new way of looking at the operation of our universe. Wolfram uses his approach to tackle a remarkable array of fundamental problems in science: from the origin of the Second Law of thermodynamics, to the development of complexity in biology, the computational limitations of mathematics, the possibility of a truly fundamental theory of physics, and the interplay between free will and determinism.
Download or read book Lectures on Quantum Mechanics written by Steven Weinberg and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2013 with total page 379 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Ideally suited to a one-year graduate course, this textbook is also a useful reference for researchers. Readers are introduced to the subject through a review of the history of quantum mechanics and an account of classic solutions of the Schr.
Download or read book Foundations of Modern Physics written by Steven Weinberg and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-04-22 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg explains the foundations of modern physics in historical context for undergraduates and beyond.
Download or read book Steven Weinberg written by Neil Potter and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2023-12-03 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dive into the captivating world of theoretical physics with 'Steven Weinberg: Illuminating the Cosmos.' This compelling biography unfolds the life, discoveries, and enduring legacy of Steven Weinberg, a visionary physicist whose contributions revolutionized our understanding of the universe.From his early fascination with the mysteries of the cosmos to his pivotal role in formulating the electroweak unification theory and shaping the foundations of the Standard Model, Weinberg's journey is a riveting exploration of scientific brilliance. The book delves into the complexities of his groundbreaking work, revealing the profound impact it had on theoretical physics and its lasting influence on subsequent generations of scientists.Beyond the equations and theories, 'Illuminating the Cosmos' unravels Weinberg's role as an educator and mentor, tracing the footsteps of the students and colleagues he inspired. The narrative goes further, examining Weinberg's engagement with public discourse, his advocacy for rational thinking, and the controversies that occasionally surrounded his outspoken views.This biography is not just a journey through the life of a scientific luminary; it's an invitation to ponder the mysteries of the universe, guided by the brilliance and passion of a man who dedicated his life to unraveling its deepest secrets. 'Steven Weinberg: Illuminating the Cosmos' is a celebration of curiosity, intellect, and the enduring quest for knowledge in the vast expanse of theoretical physics."
Download or read book Night Thoughts of a Classical Physicist written by Russell McCormmach and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1991 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is the end of an historical epoch, but to an old professor of physics, Victor Jakob, sitting in his unlighted study, eating dubious bread with jam made from turnips, it is the end of a way of thinking in his own subject. Younger men have challenged the classical world picture of physics and are looking forward to observational tests of Einstein's new theory of relativity as well as the creation of a quantum mechanics of the atom. It is a time of both apprehension and hope. In this remarkable book, the reader literally inhabits the mind of a scientist while Professor Jakob meditates on the discoveries of the past fifty years and reviews his own life and career--his scientific ambitions and his record of small successes. He recalls the great men who taught or inspired him: Helmholtz, Hertz, Maxwell, Planck, and above all Paul Drude, whose life and mind exemplified the classical virtues of proportion, harmony, and grace that Jakob reveres. In Drude's shocking and unexpected suicide, we see reflected Jakob's own bewilderment and loss of bearings as his once secure world comes to an end in the horrors of the war and in the cultural fragmentation wrought by twentieth-century modernism. His attempt to come to terms with himself, with his life in science, and with his spiritual legacy will affect deeply everyone who cares about the fragile structures of civilization that must fall before the onrush of progress.
Download or read book The Universe Speaks in Numbers written by Graham Farmelo and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2019-05-28 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How math helps us solve the universe's deepest mysteries One of the great insights of science is that the universe has an underlying order. The supreme goal of physicists is to understand this order through laws that describe the behavior of the most basic particles and the forces between them. For centuries, we have searched for these laws by studying the results of experiments. Since the 1970s, however, experiments at the world's most powerful atom-smashers have offered few new clues. So some of the world's leading physicists have looked to a different source of insight: modern mathematics. These physicists are sometimes accused of doing 'fairy-tale physics', unrelated to the real world. But in The Universe Speaks in Numbers, award-winning science writer and biographer Farmelo argues that the physics they are doing is based squarely on the well-established principles of quantum theory and relativity, and part of a tradition dating back to Isaac Newton. With unprecedented access to some of the world's greatest scientific minds, Farmelo offers a vivid, behind-the-scenes account of the blossoming relationship between mathematics and physics and the research that could revolutionize our understanding of reality. A masterful account of the some of the most groundbreaking ideas in physics in the past four decades. The Universe Speaks in Numbers is essential reading for anyone interested in the quest to discover the fundamental laws of nature.
Download or read book Shelter Island II written by Roman Jackiw and published by Courier Dover Publications. This book was released on 2016-02-17 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1947 J. Robert Oppenheimer organized a historic conference of physicists at Shelter Island, located off the eastern tip of Long Island, to discuss recent advances in theoretical physics and the direction of future research. Over three decades later, the physics community held another meeting, the 1983 Shelter Island Conference on Quantum Field Theory and the Fundamental Problems of Physics. This volume is the record of the 1983 conference; it also includes much valuable information on the 1947 conference, for which no formal proceedings were ever published. The latter-day conference included many of the participants from the prior event as well as younger physicists who have since become prominent figures in this field. Consequently, this volume is a vital document in the history of physics, of value to students and researchers in many branches of the subject. Topics include the new inflationary universe scenario; supersymmetry; Stephen Hawking's presentation, "The Cosmological Constant Is Probably Zero"; superunification and the seven-sphere; time as a dynamical variab≤ induced gravity; and an extensive and previously unpublished paper by Edward Witten on Kaluza-Klein theories. Contributors include Stephen L. Adler, Hans Bethe, M. J. Duff, Murray Gell-Mann, Alan H. Guth, Stephen W. Hawking, Roman Jackiw, Toichiro Kinoshita, W. E. Lamb, Jr., T. D. Lee, A. D. Linde, R. E. Marshak, Y. Nambu, K. Nishijima, John H. Schwarz, Silvan S. Schweber, Steven Weinberg, Victor Weisskopf, P. C. West, Edward Witten, and Bruno Zumino.
