Quantum electrodynamics - or QED, for short - is the revolutionary theory that explains how light and electrons interact. Thanks to richard Feynman and his colleagues, who won the Nobel Prize for their ground-breaking work in this area, it is also one of the rare parts of physics that is known for sure, a theory that has stood the text of time. Based on a series of lectures delivered to the general public at the University of California, Feynman here wittily explains the theory of quantum electrodynamics, the central aspect of much of modern physics.

Based on the Messenger Lectures, given by the Nobel Prize-winner Feynman at Cornell and filmed by the BBC, this book explores the nature of the laws of physics (in particular, those of Newton, Maxwell and Einstein) and their relationship to mathematical formulation. Why does nature seem subject to simple mathematical laws, to what extent are there laws inherent in nature itself, and to what extent are they human creations, effective in predicting results but no more real than a work of art? - these are a few of the theoretical questions addressed in a rich and accessible book that sums up the...

The author was no ordinary genius. He upset those in authority, gave captivating lectures, wrote equations on napkins in strip joints and touched countless lives everywhere. This title collects letters of Nobel Prize-winning physicist.

"The whole thing was basically an experiment," Richard Feynman said late in his career, looking back on the origins of his lectures. The experiment turned out to be hugely successful, spawning a book that has remained a definitive introduction to physics for decades. Ranging from the most basic principles of Newtonian physics through such formidable theories as general relativity and quantum mechanics, Feynman's lectures stand as a monument of clear exposition and deep insight. Now, we are reintroducing the printed books to the trade, fully corrected, for the first time ever, and in...