Galileo's Finger

The Ten Great Ideas of Science
Erscheinungsjahr 2003
ISBN: 978-0-19-860664-2
Verlag: Oxford University Press

Buch, Englisch, 388 Seiten

Taking its cue from C.P. Snow's remark that 'not knowing the second law of thermodynamics is like never having read a work by Shakespeare', this book covers ten great ideas in modern science, from natural selection through quantum theory to curved spacetime.

Any literate person should be familiar with the central ideas of modern science. In his sparkling new book, Peter Atkins introduces his choice of the ten great ideas of science. With wit, charm, patience, and astonishing insights, he leads the reader thro

Prologue: the emergence of understanding; 1. Evolution: the emergence of complexity; 2. DNA: the rationalization of biology; 3. Energy: the universalization of accountancy; 4. Entropy: the spring of change; 5. Atoms: the reduction of matter; 6. Symmetry: the quantification of beauty; 7. Quanta: the simplification of understanding; 8. Cosmology: the globalization of reality; 9. Spacetime: the arena of action; 10. Arithmetic: the limitation of explanation; Epilogue: the future of understanding; Further Reading; Index

Autoren/Hrsg.

Atkins, Peter

Über Autor(innen)

(Professor of Chemistry, University of Oxford, and Fellow, Lincoln College, Oxford)