Galileo's Finger
The Ten Great Ideas of Science
Résumé
- A brilliant account of the central ideas of science, by one of our greatest science communicators
- 'Peter Atkins aims to give nontechnical but honest explanations of difficult ideas, and gets the level exactly right, perfectly exemplifying Einstein's dictum: [science] should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.' Sir Michael Berry
- Written in an accessible and enjoyable style, so that even the most complicated ideas can be understood by non-scientists
- Illustrated throughout with detailed and explanatory figures, designed and drawn by the author
- Wide ranging: covers all of science in a grand sweep
- Insightful: Peter Atkins illustrates the power of the scientific method, and shows how simple ideas can have enormous consequences
'this book is one of the best panoramic views of
nature's extraordinary symmetry, subtlety and mystery
currently on offer'
-John Cornwell, Sunday Times
Galileo's Finger is quite simply the best introduction to modern scientific concepts that has ever been written. Taking its cue from C.P. Snow's remark that 'not knowing the second law of thermodynamics is like never having read a work by Shakespeare', by reading this book you will become literate in modern science. The ten great ideas it introduces with brilliant imagery range from natural selection through quantum theory to curved spacetime. Never before have these core ideas of modern civilization been presented in so accessible and engaging a manner.
Readership: Everyone interested in knowing more about science; scientists; teachers of science.
Contents
- Prologue: The Emergence of Understanding
- Evolution: The Emergence of Complexity
- DNA: The Rationalization of Biology
- Energy: The Universalization of Accountancy
- Entropy: The Spring of Change
- Atoms: The Reduction of Matter
- Symmetry: The Quantification of Beauty
- Quanta: The Simplification of Understanding
- Cosmology: The Globalization of Reality
- Spacetime: The Arena of Action
- Arithmetic: The Limitation of Explanation
- Epilogue: The Future of Understanding
- Further Reading
- Index
L'auteur - Peter William Atkins
Peter William Atkins - Professeur de chimie à l'Université d'Oxford et directeur du département de chimie physique au Lincoln College, il est membre de la section "chimie physique" et président de la Commission pour l'enseignement de la chimie de l'UICPA.
Autres livres de Peter William Atkins
Caractéristiques techniques
PAPIER | |
Éditeur(s) | Oxford University Press |
Auteur(s) | Peter William Atkins |
Parution | 09/04/2003 |
Nb. de pages | 388 |
Format | 17 x 24,5 |
Couverture | Relié |
Poids | 820g |
Intérieur | Noir et Blanc |
EAN13 | 9780198606642 |
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