A Short History of Physics in the American Century

A Short History of Physics in the American Century PDF

Author: David C. Cassidy

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2013-09-02

Total Pages: 225

ISBN-13: 0674725824

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As the twentieth century ended, computers, the Internet, and nanotechnology were central to modern American life. Yet the physical advances underlying these applications are poorly understood and underappreciated by U.S. citizens. In this overview, Cassidy views physics through America's engagement with the political events of a tumultuous century.

A Brief History of Physical Science

A Brief History of Physical Science PDF

Author: John A. Cramer

Publisher:

Published: 2001-08-27

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780595197545

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Why do we think matter is made of atoms and the Earth goes around the Sun? How big is the universe? Did it have a beginning or is it eternal? Is heat a fluid or just the random motion of molecules? Is light made of particles or is it a fluid or maybe something else? This book answers these questions and many more as it traces the development of our modern scientific understanding of the physical world. The historical approach allows us to see not only how the content of the modern physical sciences was formed but also how cultural, philosophical, and religious influences and attitudes have played a major role in that development.

Physical Science in the Middle Ages

Physical Science in the Middle Ages PDF

Author: Edward Grant

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1977

Total Pages: 148

ISBN-13: 9780521292948

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This concise introduction to the history of physical science in the Middle Ages begins with a description of the feeble state of early medieval science and its revitalization during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, as evidenced by the explosion of knowledge represented by extensive translations of Greek and Arabic treatises. The content and concepts that came to govern science from the late twelfth century onwards were powerfully shaped and dominated by the science and philosophy of Aristotle. It is, therefore, by focussing attention on problems and controversies associated with Aristotelian science that the reader is introduced to the significant scientific developments and interpretations formulated in the later Middle Ages. The concluding chapter presents a new interpretation of the medieval failure to abandon the physics and cosmology of Aristotle and explains why, despite serious criticisms, they were not generally repudiated during this period. As detailed critical bibliography completes the work.

A Brief History of Physics

A Brief History of Physics PDF

Author: Edited by: Kisak

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2015-11-08

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 9781519198372

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Physics is the fundamental branch of science that developed out of the study of nature and philosophy known, until around the end of the 19th century, as "natural philosophy." Today, physics is ultimately defined as the study of matter, energy and the relationships between them. Physics is, in some senses, the oldest and most basic pure science; its discoveries find applications throughout the natural sciences, since matter and energy are the basic constituents of the natural world. The other sciences are generally more limited in their scope and may be considered branches that have split off from physics to become sciences in their own right. Physics today may be divided loosely into classical physics and modern physics. Elements of what became physics were drawn primarily from the fields of astronomy, optics, and mechanics, which were methodologically united through the study of geometry. These mathematical disciplines began in antiquity with the Babylonians and with Hellenistic writers such as Archimedes and Ptolemy. Ancient philosophy, meanwhile - including what was called "physics" - focused on explaining nature through ideas such as Aristotle's four types of "cause."

History and Evolution of Concepts in Physics

History and Evolution of Concepts in Physics PDF

Author: Harry Varvoglis

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2014-01-29

Total Pages: 146

ISBN-13: 3319042920

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Our understanding of nature, and in particular of physics and the laws governing it, has changed radically since the days of the ancient Greek natural philosophers. This book explains how and why these changes occurred, through landmark experiments as well as theories that - for their time - were revolutionary. The presentation covers Mechanics, Optics, Electromagnetism, Thermodynamics, Relativity Theory, Atomic Physics and Quantum Physics. The book places emphasis on ideas and on a qualitative presentation, rather than on mathematics and equations. Thus, although primarily addressed to those who are studying or have studied science, it can also be read by non-specialists. The author concludes with a discussion of the evolution and organization of universities, from ancient times until today, and of the organization and dissemination of knowledge through scientific publications and conferences.

A Brief History of Science

A Brief History of Science PDF

Author: Thomas Crump

Publisher: Constable & Robinson

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 472

ISBN-13:

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"From earliest pre-history, with the dawning understanding of fire and its many uses, including cooking and pottery, up to the twenty-first century and the 26-kilometre underground particle accelerator, this is a fascinating exploration of mankind's innovative nature. Thomas Crump describes how our creativity, expressed in the design and production of tools and scientific instruments has continually extended the frontiers of science and, as a consequence, human civilization."--Jacket.

A Cultural History of Physics

A Cultural History of Physics PDF

Author: Karoly Simonyi

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2012-01-25

Total Pages: 644

ISBN-13: 1439865116

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While the physical sciences are a continuously evolving source of technology and of understanding about our world, they have become so specialized and rely on so much prerequisite knowledge that for many people today the divide between the sciences and the humanities seems even greater than it was when C. P. Snow delivered his famous 1959 lecture,