“Hoffmann does more than convey the emotional impact of Einstein’s science on Einstein. He tries to make the general reader see the problems that concerned Einstein and understand the kinds of theories he constructed to solve them... This calls for scientific popularization of a high order... Hoffmann [...] does it very effectively.” — Martin Klein and Robert Merton, The New York Times“... succeeds in catching some of Einstein’s wholeness, the genius and t...

In this fascinating, accessible introduction to one of the most revolutionary developments in modern physics, Einstein scholar Banesh Hoffmann recounts the successive insights that led to both the special and general theories of relativity.Using simple examples from everyday life, the author presents entertaining, nontechnical demonstrations of what relativity actually means and how it has revolutionized our ideas of time and space. Starting with the geometrical and cosmological ide...

From his unusual beginning in "Defining a vector" to his final comments on "What then is a vector?" author Banesh Hoffmann has written a book that is provocative and unconventional. In his emphasis on the unresolved issue of defining a vector, Hoffmann mixes pure and applied mathematics without using calculus. The result is a treatment that can serve as a supplement and corrective to textbooks, as well as collateral reading in all courses that deal with vectors.Major topics include...

This remarkable study is a model of what the biography of a scientist should be. Its author, a noted scientist himself, was a friend of and collaborator with Albert Einstein. On these pages, we come to know Albert Einstein as the “backward” child; the academic outcast; the reluctant world celebrity; the exile; the pacifist; the philosopher; the humanitarian; the tragically saddened “father” of the atomic bomb; and above all, the unceasing searcher after scientific truth. At the same time, ...

A New York Times Notable Book: A particle physicist's "engaging and remarkably clear" look at the dimensions that may exist beyond the ones we know ( The New York Times Book Review).The universe has many secrets. It may hide additional dimensions of space other than the familiar three we recognize. There might even be another universe adjacent to ours, invisible and unattainable . . . for now.Warped Passages is a brilliantly readabl...

A guide to everything you need and want to know about quantum physics, how our universe works and our existence in it.Quantum physics is the most cutting-edge, important and fascinating area of modern science. We have all heard of Einstein's theory of relativity and Schrodinger's Cat - but do we really understand the mind-bending theories of our universe?In 50 concise chapters, Joanne Baker covers the foundation concepts o...

**A spectacular musical and scientific journey from the Bronx to the cosmic horizon that reveals the astonishing links between jazz, science, Einstein, and Coltrane“I’ll forever be grateful to musician/physicist Stephon Alexander… He’ll help you see how our awe-inspiring universe is on a never-ending, cosmological riff.”―Felix Contreras,** NPRMore than fifty years ago, John Coltrane drew the twelve musical notes in a circle and connected the...

Modern physics is heady stuff. It seems that barely a week goes by without some new astounding science story; some revelation about hidden dimensions, multiple universes, the holographic principle or incredible cosmic coincidences. But is it true? What evidence do we have for super-symmetric squarks', or superstrings vibrating in an 11-dimensional space-time? How do we know that we live in a multiverse? How can we tell that the universe is a hologram projected from information encoded on i...

Enter the invisible world of sub-atomic physics and discover the very core of existence. Cracking Quantum Physics takes you through every area of particle physics to clearly explain how our world was, and is, created, and breaks down the most complex theories into easily understandable elements.Subjects covered include:-Time travel-The Higgs field-Dark Matter-The anatomy of the elements-Enter the atom-Quantum reality-Quantum...

Our understanding of the physical universe underwent a revolution in the early twentieth century - evolving from the classical physics of Newton, Galileo, and Maxwell to the modern physics of relativity and quantum mechanics. The dominant figure in this revolutionary change was Albert Einstein. In a single year, 1905, Einstein produced breakthrough works in three areas of physics: on the size and the effects of atoms; on the quantization of the electromagnetic field; and on the special the...

Thousands of years ago in ancient India, Yogis probed the atom with supernormal powers called siddhis. What they saw was subatomic particles as vortices of energy. That insight gave rise to maya the illusion of forms. Anticipating Einstein, Yogis realised everything is energy. There is no material substance underlying our world. They knew the bedrock of reality is mind and consciousness. That is endorsed today at the cutting edge of quantum physics.Applied to modern physics, the vo...

New fundamental forces of Nature? New forms of "dark'' energy? Signals from epochs preceding the Big Bang? Is our space-time unique? Only a joint study of the three topics examined in this book – gravity, strings and particles – may provide answers to these questions. Such a study may also provide the key to solving one of the most fascinating mysteries of modern science, namely: Besides time and the three spatial dimensions, how many other dimensions exist in our universe?The book...