Einstein's jury : the race to test relativity / Jeffrey Crelinsten.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Crelinsten, Jeffrey.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Relativity (Physics).

Astrophysics--History--20th century.

Astrophysics.

Physics--History--20th century.

Physics.

Astronomy--History--20th century.

Astronomy.

Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955.

Einstein, Albert.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (431 p.)

Edition:

Course Book

Place of Publication:

Princeton, New Jersey ; Oxfordshire, England : Princeton University Press, 2006.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Einstein's Jury is the dramatic story of how astronomers in Germany, England, and America competed to test Einstein's developing theory of relativity. Weaving a rich narrative based on extensive archival research, Jeffrey Crelinsten shows how these early scientific debates shaped cultural attitudes we hold today. The book examines Einstein's theory of general relativity through the eyes of astronomers, many of whom were not convinced of the legitimacy of Einstein's startling breakthrough. These were individuals with international reputations to uphold and benefactors and shareholders to please, yet few of them understood the new theory coming from the pen of Germany's up-and-coming theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein. Some tried to test his theory early in its development but got no results. Others--through toil and hardship, great expense, and perseverance--concluded that it was wrong. A tale of international competition and intrigue, Einstein's Jury brims with detail gleaned from Crelinsten's far-reaching inquiry into the history and development of relativity. Crelinsten concludes that the well-known British eclipse expedition of 1919 that made Einstein famous had less to do with the scientific acceptance of his theory than with his burgeoning public fame. It was not until the 1920's, when the center of gravity of astronomy and physics shifted from Europe to America, that the work of prestigious American observatories legitimized Einstein's work. As Crelinsten so expertly shows, the glow that now surrounds the famous scientist had its beginnings in these early debates among professional scientists working in the glare of the public spotlight.

Contents:

Front matter

CONTENTS

ILLUSTRATIONS

TABLES

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

NOTATION CONVENTION FOR ANGULAR MEASURE

ABBREVIATIONS

PART ONE: 1905-1911 Early Encounters with Relativity

CHAPTER ONE. Einstein and the World Community of Physicists and Astronomers

CHAPTER TWO. Astronomers and Special Relativity: The First Publications

PART TWO: 1911-1919 Astronomers Encounter Einstein

CHAPTER THREE. The Early Involvement, 1911-1914

CHAPTER FOUR. The War Period, 1914-1918

CHAPTER FIVE. 1919: A Year of Dramatic Announcement

CHAPTER SIX. Men of Science Agog

PART THREE: 1920-1925 Astronomers Put Einstein to the Test

CHAPTER SEVEN. Tackling the Solar Redshift Problem

CHAPTER EIGHT. More Eclipse Testing

CHAPTER NINE. Emergence of the Critics

CHAPTER TEN. The Debate Intensifies

PART FOUR: 1925-1930 Final Acceptance

CHAPTER ELEVEN. Relativity Triumphs

CHAPTER TWELVE. Silencing the Critics

EPILOGUE. The Emergence of Relativistic Cosmology

FINAL REFLECTIONS

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780691171074

0691171076

9781400849673

1400849675

OCLC:

862048565