The Pope of Physics
The Pope of Physics

Author: Gino Segrè

Publisher: Macmillan + ORM

Published: 2016-10-18

Total Pages: 387

ISBN-13: 1627790063

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Enrico Fermi is unquestionably among the greats of the world's physicists, the most famous Italian scientist since Galileo. Called the Pope by his peers, he was regarded as infallible in his instincts and research. His discoveries changed our world; they led to weapons of mass destruction and conversely to life-saving medical interventions. This unassuming man struggled with issues relevant today, such as the threat of nuclear annihilation and the relationship of science to politics. Fleeing Fascism and anti-Semitism, Fermi became a leading figure in America's most secret project: building the atomic bomb. The last physicist who mastered all branches of the discipline, Fermi was a rare mixture of theorist and experimentalist. His rich legacy encompasses key advances in fields as diverse as comic rays, nuclear technology, and early computers. In their revealing book, The Pope of Physics, Gino Segré and Bettina Hoerlin bring this scientific visionary to life. An examination of the human dramas that touched Fermi’s life as well as a thrilling history of scientific innovation in the twentieth century, this is the comprehensive biography that Fermi deserves.

The Road to Stockholm
The Road to Stockholm

Author: István Hargittai

Publisher: Chemical Heritage Foundation

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 406

ISBN-13: 9780198509127

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The Nobel Prize is by far the highest recognition a scientist may receive and the only one with which the general public is familiar. Its prestige has reached improbable heights. At the same time a lot of myth surrounds the Nobel Prize, and this is compounded by the fact that people tend to view scientists with some bewilderment. This book introduces the process of selection of the laureates, discusses the ingredients for scientific discovery and for getting recognition. It reviews the decisive moments of scientific careers en route to the Nobel Prize, points to characteristic features of the laureates, the importance of mentors and venues in scientific careers and other components of success. It also covers some discoverers and discoveries for whom and for which the Nobel Prize never materialized. Whereas there is no general recipe for receiving the Nobel Prize, there are common features of successful scientific careers. The book reveals some information about the scientists' lives and careers that may guide other scientists in increasing their chances of becoming more effective and better recognized players--although it is not expected to help anyone to receive the Nobel Prize! For the general reader The Road to Stockholm reveals the human face of scientists and the human side of their endeavours. The Nobel Prize has served as inspiration for scientists and the general public for a hundred years: this book discusses its problems and celebrates its triumphs.

Solving Fermi's Paradox
Solving Fermi's Paradox

Author: Duncan H. Forgan

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2019-05-02

Total Pages: 433

ISBN-13: 110716365X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

An introduction to the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence through the lens of Fermi's paradox, discussing methodology and potential solutions.

The Quantum Dissidents
The Quantum Dissidents

Author: Olival Freire Junior

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2014-12-26

Total Pages: 369

ISBN-13: 3662446626

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book tells the fascinating story of the people and events behind the turbulent changes in attitudes to quantum theory in the second half of the 20th century. The huge success of quantum mechanics as a predictive theory has been accompanied, from the very beginning, by doubts and controversy about its foundations and interpretation. This book looks in detail at how research on foundations evolved after WWII, when it was revived, until the mid 1990s, when most of this research merged into the technological promise of quantum information. It is the story of the quantum dissidents, the scientists who brought this subject from the margins of physics into its mainstream. It is also a history of concepts, experiments, and techniques, and of the relationships between physics and the world at large, touching on themes such as the Cold War, McCarthyism, Zhdanovism, and the unrest of the late 1960s.

Fermi Remembered
Fermi Remembered

Author: Enrico Fermi

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2004-08-16

Total Pages: 300

ISBN-13: 0226121119

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The volume also features extensive university archival material - including correspondence between Fermi and biophysicist Leo Szilard and a letter from Harry Truman - with new introductions that provide context for both the history of physics and the academic tradition at the University of Chicago."--Jacket.