From Clockwork to Crapshoot: A History of Physics

by Roger G. Newton

Book Overview

Science is about 6000 years old while physics emerged as a distinct branch some 2500 years ago. As scientists discovered virtually countless facts about the world during this great span of time, the manner in which they explained the underlying structure of that world underwent a philosophical evolution. From Clockwork to Crapshoot provides the perspective needed to understand contemporary developments in physics in relation to philosophical...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0674034872
• ISBN13: 9780674034877
• Release Date: March 2010
• Publisher: Belknap Press
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.5" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Six thousand years of physics

The book describes six thousand years of science, beginning with Babylon and Egypt, which developed many practical applications and rules in the natural world. The author progresses quickly to ancient Greece and the beginning of abstract reasoning and speculation. We learn about the tight connection between mathematics and physics, indeed this book may be regarded as a history of math as well. Newton's writing is clear and easy to follow - at least until the time of Einstein, relativity and quantum mechanics. Then the subject matter makes it difficult to follow the narrative, and I had to re-read parts several times. You will learn just what a "quantum jump" is (p. 224). It is very small, and happens in the electron shell of the atom. There is some comment (p. 270) on why Lord Kelvin's limit on the age of the earth was overthrown. You will also learn how and why probability and statistics have become prominent parts of our understanding of matter and energy, and why the firm deterministic laws of physics have had to be abandoned. The book ends with the modern, - and still tentative, - understanding of the structure of the atom. The atom in turn enlightens our understanding of the universe, and the history of the cosmos since the "Big Bang." On the whole, a very satisfying read.