• Prologue
• If a Person Falls Freely
• The Most Valuable Discovery
• Correct Mathematics, Abominable Physics
• Collapsing Stars
• Completely Cuckoo
• Radio Days
• Wheelerisms
• Singularities
• Unification Woes
• Seeing Gravity
• The Dark Universe
• The End of Spacetime
• A Spectacular Extrapolation
• Something Is Going to Happen.

"At the core of Einstein's general theory of relativity are a set of equations that explain the relationship among gravity, space, and time--possibly the most perfect intellectual achievement of modern physics. For over a century, physicists have been exploring, debating, and at times neglecting Einstein's theory in their quest to uncover the history of the universe, the origin of time, and the evolution of solar systems, stars, and galaxies. In this sweeping narrative of science and culture, Pedro Ferreira explains the theory through the human drama surrounding it: the personal feuds and intellectual battles of the biggest names in twentieth-century physics, from Einstein and Eddington to Hawking and Penrose. We are in the midst of a momentous transformation in modern physics. As scientists look farther and more clearly into space than ever before, The Perfect Theory engagingly reveals the greater relevance of general relativity, showing us where it started, where it has led, and where it can still take us"-- Provided by publisher.

• The five great problems in theoretical physics
• The beauty myth
• The world as geometry
• Unification becomes a science
• From unification to superunification
• Quantum gravity : the fork in the road
• Preparing for a revolution
• The first superstring revolution
• Revolution number two
• A theory of anything
• The anthropic solution
• What string theory explains
• Surprises from the real world
• Building on Einstein
• Physics after string theory
• How do you fight sociology?
• What is science?
• Seers and craftspeople
• How science really works
• What we can do for science.

In this groundbreaking book, the renowned theoretical physicist Lee Smolin argues that physics -- the basis for all other sciences -- has lost its way. For more than two centuries, our understanding of the laws of nature expanded rapidly. But today, despite our best efforts, we know nothing more about these laws than we knew in the 1970s. Why is physics suddenly in trouble? And what can we do about it? One of the major problems, according to Smolin, is string theory: an ambitious attempt to formulate a "theory of everything" that explains all the particles and forces of nature and how the universe came to be. With its exotic new particles and parallel universes, string theory has captured the public's imagination and seduced many physicists. But as Smolin reveals, there's a deep flaw in the theory: no part of it has been tested, and no one knows how to test it. In fact, the theory appears to come in an infinite number of versions, meaning that no experiment will ever be able to prove it false. As a scientific theory, it fails. And because it has soaked up the lion's share of funding, attracted some of the best minds, and effectively penalized young physicists for pursuing other avenues, it is dragging the rest of physics down with it. With clarity, passion, and authority, Smolin charts the rise and fall of string theory and takes a fascinating look at what will replace it. A group of young theorists has begun to develop exciting ideas that, unlike string theory, are testable. Smolin not only tells us who and what to watch for in the coming years, he offers novel solutions for seeking out and nurturing the best new talent--giving us a chance, at long last, of finding the next Einstein.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)9780618551057 20160527

• Foreword Pt. 1Einstein's Dissertation on the Determination of Molecular Dimensions Paper 1A New Determination of Molecular Dimensions Pt. 2Einstein on Brownian Motion Paper 2On the Motion of Small Particles Suspended in Liquids at Rest Required by the Molecular-Kinetic Theory of Heat Pt. 3Einstein on the Theory of Relativity Paper 3On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies Paper 4Does the Inertia of a Body Depend on Its Energy Content? Pt. 4Einstein's Early Work on the Quantum Hypothesis Paper 5On a Heuristic Point of View Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)9780691122281 20160528

After 1905, Einstein's miraculous year, physics would never be the same again. In those twelve months, Einstein shattered many cherished scientific beliefs with five extraordinary papers that would establish him as the world's leading physicist. This book brings those papers together in an accessible format. The best-known papers are the two that founded special relativity: "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" and "Does the Inertia of a Body Depend on Its Energy Content?" In the former, Einstein showed that absolute time had to be replaced by a new absolute: the speed of light. In the second, he asserted the equivalence of mass and energy, which would lead to the famous formula E = mc2. The book also includes "On a Heuristic Point of View Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light", in which Einstein challenged the wave theory of light, suggesting that light could also be regarded as a collection of particles. This helped to open the door to a whole new world - that of quantum physics. For ideas in this paper, he won the Nobel Prize in 1921. The fourth paper also led to a Nobel Prize, although for another scientist, Jean Perrin. "On the Movement of Small Particles Suspended in Stationary Liquids Required by the Molecular-Kinetic Theory of Heat" concerns the Brownian motion of such particles. With profound insight, Einstein blended ideas from kinetic theory and classical hydrodynamics to derive an equation for the mean free path of such particles as a function of the time, which Perrin confirmed experimentally. The fifth paper, "A New Determination of Molecular Dimensions", was Einstein's doctoral dissertation, and remains among his most cited articles. It shows how to calculate Avogadro's number and the size of molecules. These papers, presented in a modern English translation, are essential reading for any physicist, mathematician, or astrophysicist. Far more than just a collection of scientific articles, this book presents work that is among the high points of human achievement and marks a watershed in the history of science. Coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the miraculous year, this new paperback edition includes an introduction by John Stachel, which focuses on the personal aspects of Einstein's youth that facilitated and led up to the miraculous year.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)9780691122281 20160528

• Introduction: Riding the Hype Cycle. 1. You Can't Always Blame the Technology. Technical Standards. Bureaucracy. Convergence. Interoperability. Regulatory Issues. Legislation. Mergers and Alliances. Investments. The VC Market. Litigation. 2. Good Examples, Bad News. The E-Books Story: Not Exactly a Page-Turner. The WAP Flap. Biting into Bluetooth. Calling Big LEO. HDTV-Not a Pretty Picture. Information Appliances (Or Home on the Digital Range). Home Networks and Home Automation. DSL Takes Its Hits. Voice Recognition-So Much Talk. A Cry for Help. 3. When Technology "Push" Comes to Shove. Mobile Commerce Becomes a Tough Sell. Telematics Downshifts. GPS-The Sky's The Limit. The Data Game. Ready for My Closeup. Trade Shows: Walking the Walk. Have I Got an Article for You. 4. Good Examples, Good News. Over-the-Air Cellular Phone Repair. Get Smart (Cards). How Smart Is Artificial Intelligence? Playing (Wireless) Games. 5. Growing the Internet (Wirelessly). Who Needs It? An Optical Illusion. More (or Less) Online Shopping. The Dot-Com Bomb. The Digital Divide. 6. Future Hype. Obeying the Law. A Real Learning Experience. Battery-Powered People. 3G and Thee. In This Corner. Improved Internet Access. And Fourth Generation (4G) Wireless? Technology Fatigue. Less Timely Timelines... Technology Timelines. Bibliography. Index. About the Author.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)9780130422033 20160527

Technology is hard and takes time to develop, but often other issues, ranging from the development of technical standards, regulations, politics, bureaucracy, and legal issues get in the way and slow its development and its availability for marketable products. This book is about how technologies emerge and, almost immediately, are heavily promoted, or "hyped, " in the hope of winning investor and consumer interest, often years before they (or products based on these technologies) ever appear on the market. Despite a product or technology's failure to come to fruition, without fail the hype goes on, creating great expectations, often with little or no concern about actual consumer interest. This book provides several examples of technologies that have been highly touted for years (including HDTV, artificial intelligence, mobile communications satellites, and WAP) and are only now beginning to appear in any significant way as real products or services. Beginning with a historical perspective, it details their all-too-long journey into the marketplace.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)9780130422033 20160527

The modern Institute of Physics and its predecessors have served the needs of physics and physicists for 125 years. In celebration of this anniversary, "125 Years: The Physical Society and The Institute of Physics" charts the history of the Institute from its origins to the present day. It provides a fascinating account of the people and events that shaped the Institute's development and includes the: Emergence of physics as a separate scientific discipline, Formation of the Physical Society of London, Establishment of the Institute of Physics, Granting of a Royal Charter to the Institute of Physics, and Final decades of the millennium. Separate chapters are devoted to the educational, professional, and publishing activities of the Institute. Pioneers such as Guthrie, Glazebrook, and Phillips could not have envisaged the ways in which the modern Institute has developed, but would surely approve of the way it is moving forward to the next millennium.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)9780750306096 20160528

• v.1. 1901-1921
• v.2. 1922-1941
• v.3. 1942-1962
• v.4. 1963-1970
• v.5. 1971-1980
• v.6. 1981-1990
• v.7. 1991-1995.

Presents collections of the Nobel Lectures delivered by the prizewinners, together with their biographies, portraits and the presentation speeches for the period 1981-1990. New biographical data of the laureates, since they were awarded the Nobel Prize, are also included.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)9789810207281 20160528