Seeking Ultimates: An Intuitive Guide to Physics, Second Edition

Note: Supplemental materials are not guaranteed with Rental or Used book purchases.

ISBN: 9780750306577 | 0750306572
Cover: Nonspecific Binding
Copyright: 1/1/1999

Rent

(Recommended)

$50.59

Term

Due

Price

Semester

Dec 12

$53.26

Quarter

Aug 13

$50.59

Short Term

Jul 20

$47.94

*This item is part of an exclusive publisher rental program and requires an additional convenience fee. This fee will be reflected in the shopping bag.
Buy New

Usually Ships in 3-5 Business Days

$68.19
eBook

Available Instantly

Online: 180 Days

Downloadable: 180 Days

*To support the delivery of the digital material to you, a digital delivery fee of $3.99 will be charged on each digital item.

$36.30*

Who but a retired physics professor could create a book that combines explanations of physics concepts with philosophical discussions of happiness and scientific proofs of the existence of God? Emphasizing that our understanding is incomplete, Landsberg (emeritus physics, U. of Southhampton, UK) examines the nature of time and entropy, chaos, quantum theory, cosmology, and some aspects of mathematics. Each chapter highlights a hero of science (e.g. Count Rumford for temperature and energy and Mendeleev for elements and particles).

Introduction

Acknowledgments

What this book is about

(8)

Introduction

(1)

My story

(1)

Intuition

(1)

Incompleteness

(3)

Human aspects

(1)

Reasons for reading this book

(1)

Arrangement of the chapters

(1)

There is no free lunch. Temperature and energy: science for the environment

(20)

Count Rumford

Introduction

(1)

How cold can we get?

(3)

Historical notes on thermodynamics

(2)

What is the highest temperature?

(1)

What is energy conservation?

(2)

A marriage of energy and mass

(3)

Perpetual motion?

(3)

Energy for mankind

(4)

Summary

(1)

Painting by numbers. Elements and particles: science as prediction

(39)

Dmitri Mendeleev

Introduction

(1)

Chemistry in 1867

(3)

The Periodic Table and three predictions

(1)

Confirmations

(4)

The atom in the 1890s

(2)

The atom split

(1)

Incompleteness

(2)

Plum-pudding or planetary system?

(7)

A taxonomy of particles

(5)

Basic forces

(4)

Predictions of particles

(5)

Electrons yield modern electronics

(2)

Summary

(2)

Why you cannot unscramble an egg. Time and entropy: science and the unity of knowledge

(26)

Ludwig Boltzmann

What is entropy?

(7)

How can we move in time?

(6)

The first problem: can all molecular velocities be reversed?

(1)

A second problem: coarse-graining

(4)

Time's arrow as an illusion

(1)

Different arrows of time

(2)

Entropy as metaphor

(4)

Summary

(1)

How a butterfly caused a tornado. Chaos and life: science as synthesis

(28)

Charles Darwin

Introduction

(1)

Limits of predictability in Newtonian mechanics

(3)

Chemical and population chaos

(8)

Abrupt changes (`phase transitions')

106

(3)

Self-organization

109

(2)

Entropy is not always disorder

111

(4)

The origin of life

115

(3)

Summary

118

(4)

Now you see it, now you don't. Quantum theory: science and the invention of concepts

122

(46)

Max Planck

Introduction

122

(1)

Quantum mechanics: the elimination of unobservables

123

(4)

Wave mechanics: the optics-mechanics analogy

127

(6)

A brief history of the new mechanics

133

(3)

Wavefunctions and probabilities

136

(4)

Attempts to understand quantum mechanics

140

(8)

Comments on quantum mechanics

148

(1)

Quantum effects

148

(8)

Can gravity affect temperature or light?

156

(6)

Matter drained of heat

162

(2)

A look at superconductivity

164

(2)

Summary

166

(2)

The galactic highway. Cosmology: science as history

168

(37)

Albert Einstein

Ages

168

(3)

Hubble's law

171

(5)

Cosmological models

176

(8)

The `relic' radiation

184

(3)

Olbers' Paradox

187

(2)

The oscillating universe

189

(4)

The origin of the elements

193

(1)

Black holes

194

(3)

Some problems

197

(3)

Time machines

200

(3)

Summary

203

(2)

Weirdness or purity. Mathematics: science as numbers

205

(23)

Arthur Eddington

Introduction

205

(1)

Godel's theorem: consistency and incompleteness

206

(4)

Complexity and randomness

210

(3)

Infinites

213

(3)

The physical constants

216

(5)

Cosmical coincidences

221

(3)

The anthropic principle

224

(2)

The Copernican principle

226

(1)

Summary

227

(1)

The last question. Does God exist?

228

(16)

Blaise Pascal

Introduction

228

(2)

Godelian statements

230

(1)

The evidence of thermodynamics

231

(2)

The evidence from cosmology

233

(5)

The evidence from quantum mechanics

238

(3)

Conclusions

241

(3)

Love of my life. Science as human activity (Hero: readers are invited to choose their own)

244

(9)

Happiness

244

(2)

Limits of science

246

(1)

Distortions: science and the public

247

(3)

Science wars?

250

(2)

Concluding remarks

252

(1)

Glossary

253

(27)

References

280

(15)

Index

295

(12)

Name Index

307

Please wait while the item is added to your bag...

FREE SHIPPING

Rent More, Save More! Use code: BBRENTAL

5% off 1 book, 7% off 2 books, 10% off 3+ books

Seeking Ultimates: An Intuitive Guide to Physics, Second Edition

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

FREE SHIPPING

Rent More, Save More! Use code: BBRENTAL

5% off 1 book, 7% off 2 books, 10% off 3+ books

Seeking Ultimates: An Intuitive Guide to Physics, Second Edition

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

Digital License