An Equation That Changed the World: Newton, Einstein, and the Theory of Relativity

An Equation That Changed the World: Newton, Einstein, and the Theory of Relativity

Fritzsch offers readers the opportunity to listen in on a meeting of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and a present-day physicist. While he introduces the theory of relativity, Fritzsch teaches its sources, its workings, and the ways it has revolutionized our view of the physical world. An Equation That Changed the World dramatizes the importance of relativity, for the human race, and the survival of our planet. "Fritzsch could not give the modern reader a more memorable introduction to the personalities and science of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein unless somehow he could find the keys to H. G. Wells' time machine. . . . Many readers will applaud Fritzsch for this lively but profoundly insightful book." — Booklist, starred review "[Fritzsch] has dreamed up a dialogue between the two great physicists, helped along by a fictional modern physicist. . . . The conversation builds up to an explanation of E=mc2, and on the way illuminates the important points where Newtonian and Einsteinian theory diverge." —David Lindley, New York Times Book Review Fritzsch could not give the modern reader a more memorable introduction to the personalities and science of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein unless somehow he could find the keys to H. G. Wells' time machine. As it is, the strength of the author's imagination proves quite sufficient to carry us into the dream of a modern physicist engaged in an extended conversation with his brilliant predecessors. Borrowing a format Galileo used four centuries ago to win acceptance for the Copernican theory, the author uses his imagined conversation with Newton and Einstein to open up the wonders of modern science, even for readers daunted by higher mathematics. Though the author gives ample reign to his imagination, the dialogue draws extensively on the words and writings of Newton and Einstein. The Alice-in-Wonderland weirdness of subatomic and light-speed phenomena receive the most attention. (When evenNewton can't figure it all out, readers can feel more comfortable with their own limitations.) In our age of atomic power and nuclear weaponry, when science defines burning political issues, not merely technical formulas, the writer who can give the world a deeper understanding of scientific thought deserves high praise. Many readers will applaud Fritzsch for this lively but profoundly insightful book. Bryce Christensen The fundamentals of Einstein's theory of special relativity, presented in the form of a series of imaginary dialogues among scientists of three different eras. Fritzsch (Max Planck Institute for Physics, Munich; Quarks: The Stuff of Matter, 1983) begins by sending a fictitious modern physicist, Adrian Haller, to England, where he meets Sir Isaac Newton, who has been returned to Earth. Newton is curious about developments in physics since his day, and the two men spend several chapters discussing Newton's concepts of space, time, and light. When the conversation arrives at the subject of Albert Einstein's contributions to science, Newton persuades Haller to take him for a visit to Bern, Switzerland, where they meet the father of relativity. The three physicists then engage in a series of dialogues on how Einstein modified Newton's ideas of the universe, and on how modern science has both verified and extended Einstein's own theories. While there is an unavoidable kernel of mathematics in any discussion of physical concepts, the derivation of Einstein's famous equation, E = mc2, should be within the grasp of anyone who passed high school algebra. The key ideas are presented clearly, and the discussion touches on such subjects as the source of the sun's energy, the future of nuclear and fusion power, antimatter, and the decay of the proton. Fritzsch's handling of the dialogues and of the flimsy narrative framework does not suggest that he should take up fiction as a career. But the ideas come across clearly, even entertainingly, in spite of what appears to be a rather pedestrian translation. Occasionally stiff, but always readable; a good introduction to modern physics for any reader willing to invest a little thought in the subject. (45 halftones, 41 line drawings, 1 table) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. Harald Fritzsch holds a chair in theoretical physics at the University of Munich and a staff position at the Max Planck Institute for Physics and Astrophysics.