The quantum ten : a story of passion, tragedy, ambition and science / Sheilla Jones.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jones, Sheilla.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Quantum theory.

Physics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (336 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2008.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Theoretical physics is in trouble. At least that's the impression you'd get from reading a spate of recent books on the continued failure to resolve the 80-year-old problem of unifying the classical and quantum worlds. The seeds of this problem were sewn eighty years ago when a dramatic revolution in physics reached a climax at the 1927 Solvay conference in Brussels. It's the story of a rush to formalize quantum physics, the work of just a handful of men fired by ambition, philosophical conflicts and personal agendas. Sheilla Jones paints an intimate portrait of the key figures who wrestled wi

Contents:

The regression of science

The quantum showdown

The birth of the quantum

A place to belong

Building a foundation

The cost of compromise

Taking a new path

Only what the eye can see

The emergence of the boys' club

The Gottingen gospel

A meeting of minds

Shock waves

Drawing the battle lines

Dark night of the scientific soul

Solvay prelude

Coming undone

Picking up the pieces

Quantum confusion.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 312-316) and index.

ISBN:

0-19-974085-2

1-282-88809-9

9786612888090

0-19-970909-2

OCLC:

676698579