Science in the Changing World, first published in 1933, contains a series of broadcasted presentations on the relationship between science and the development of European civilisation in the first half of the 20^th century. Specifically, each talk attempts to reflect the crisis through which the world seemed to be passing at the time, and to make an analysis of those forces of transformation in science, art, economics, and social life which were associated most closely with the advent of the 'scientific' century. Included among the presenters are such eminent and diverse...

This book describes the picture of reality given by Newton, and the development of the later picture of reality given by field theory. In telling this story, the author explains what problem each scientist faced, and how the process of solving them led to new discoveries. By this method he gives unique insight into the understanding of Einstein's special theory of relativity, as he explains exactly what problems led to the invention of the theory, and exactly where Einstein's solution differed from his predecessors'. A similar analysis is given of the discoveries of Faraday, Maxwell, Hertz...

In this collection of informal reminiscences, first published in 1975, Max Born has written an extraordinarily vivid account of his life and work, originally intended for his family.

Ranging from his time at the University of Gottingen, where Born had his first real motivation for a professional career in science, to the period in Berlin as professor extraordinary, when he and his wife became close friends of Einstein, these anecdotes and memories chart the "heroic age of physics" from the perspective of one of its leading characters. In 1954 Born was awarded the Nobel Prize in...

The Progress of Science, first published in 1934, was originally intended to help the interested reader develop their understanding of the natural sciences as they stood in the period leading up to the Second World War. This intention was predicated on the belief that the spirit of science can only have a positive influence on human society, and that when enough people are sufficiently scientifically-minded the problems of civilisation will be resolved through the steady application of scientific principles.

Covering the full range of the distinct disciplines- physics,...

The Special Theory of Relativity:

Based on a short course of lectures delivered in the late 1930s, this short book presents the theory of Special Relativity by formulating a redefinition of the measurement of length, and thus will appeal to students of physics who wish to think through Einstein's thought without the encumbrance of quasi-scientific concepts and language.

Relativity: A Very Elementary Exposition:

This brief lecture, delivered in October 1921 and published for the first time in 1925, offers an explanation of...

First published in 1951 to coincide with the British Festival, this book explores the developments in science which had occurred since the Great Exhibition of 1851. Covering the full range of scientific development which had emerged in that time - from fundamental physics to evolution and genetics, and from geology to medical surgery - this accessible collection of essays charts with impressive comprehension and clarity the momentous changes which had occurred in the pursuit of science since the mid-nineteenth century, and ably demonstrates the appropriateness of citing the twentieth...

Containing the proceedings of the symposium held by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Niels Bohr, this collection was first published in 1988.

More than any other individual, Bohr was responsible for the development of quantum mechanics and for many of its applications in the pursuit of fundamental understanding of physical reality. In addition to his unique role in the discovery and elucidation of quantum theory, Bohr led the study of the fission of nuclei and was greatly concerned with the impact of the...

Into the short compass of this book Professor Graetz has succeeded in compressing an eminently readable survey of the directions in which the atomic theory, as accepted in the nineteenth century, has been extended by the remarkable and almost revolutionary physical investigations and discoveries of the two decades preceding the book's original publication in 1923.

In the endless debate about the Two Cultures no book until this attempted to provide a selection of scientific writing on specific themes to stimulate students of arts subjects into discussion and writing about the nature of science and its relationship with the rest of life. This book is based on a selection of prose passages written by scientists about science, supplemented by notes and a brief linking commentary.

Originally published in 1965, the passages were chosen to illustrate or comment on different aspects of eleven main themes, ranging from surveys of changing ideas on...

First published in 1936, this volume contains six of the Halley Stewart Lectures - originally founded "For Research towards the Christian Ideal in All Social Life" - by some of the greatest of English scientists of the mid-20^th century, each a leading authority in his respective field: cosmology, physics, meteorology, medicine and genetics.

The final lecture considers the relationship between scientific knowledge and human ideals, commenting on the paradox that a century which produced such scientific advance also witnessed the most concentrated period of social,...