Ten Days in Physics that Shook the World: How Physicists Transformed Everyday Life

by Brian Clegg

Overview

'[A]n engaging exploration, ending with interesting speculation on the nature of a future 11th day.'
Peet Morris, Times Higher Education

Developments in physics and physics-based engineering have led to some of the biggest transformations in the way we live out lives. Here, we journey back to ten separate days in history for a closer look at the breakthroughs that have shaped the modern world.

From Isaac Newton's law of motion, to Michael Faraday's electrical field theory, as well as Maxwell's equations that make TV, radio and cellphones possible.

Comprising perfectly pitched science writing enlivened with a wealth of fascinating biographical detail, this eye-opening book is a celebration of power of physicists to bring about far-reaching, life-transforming change.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781785787478
Publisher:	Amberley Publishing
Publication date:	08/05/2021
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.43(w) x 8.03(h) x 0.91(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Brian Clegg's many books include Dice World and A Brief History of Infinity, both long-listed for the Royal Society Science Book Prize, and, most recently, What Do You Think You Are?, described by BBC Science Focus as 'a must-read'.

Table of Contents

Introduction xi

Day 1 Tuesday, 5 July 1687 1

Isaac Newton - Publication of the Principia

Day 2 Thursday, 24 November 1831 23

Michael Faraday - Reading of 'Experimental Researches in Electricity'

Day 3 Monday, 18 February 1850 45

Rudolf Clausius - Publication of 'On the Moving Force of Heat'

Day 4 Monday, 11 March 1861 59

James Clerk Maxwell - Publication of 'On Physical Lines of Force'

Day 5 Monday, 26 December 1898 71

Marie Curie - Publication of 'On a New, Strongly Radio-active Substance'

Day 6 Tuesday, 21 November 1905 89

Albert Einstein - Publication of 'Does the Inertia of a Body Depend on its Energy Content?'

Day 7 Saturday, 8 April 1911 107

Heike Kamerlingh Onnes - Discovery of superconductivity

Day 8 Tuesday, 16 December 1947 123

John Bardeen and Walter Brattain - First demonstration of a working transistor

Day 9 Wednesday, 8 August 1962 139

James R. Biard and Gary Pittman - Patent filed for light emitting diode

Day 10 Wednesday, 1 October 1969 157

Steve Crocker and Vint Cerf - First link of the internet initiated

The eleventh day? 177

Further reading 187

Picture credits 189

Editorial Reviews

10/11/2021

Clegg (Essential Science) highlights in this solid primer 10 days that marked game-changing discoveries in the field of physics. The breakthroughs he covers include the publication of Isaac Newton’s Principia, the discovery of superconductivity by Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, and the connection of the first two nodes of the internet. Other days include paper publication dates (including studies by Marie Curie and Albert Einstein), and one step in the protracted creation of LEDs. Clegg is strongest in describing the background of each development and connecting theoretical understandings to practical applications: for instance, he works from James Clerk Maxwell’s formulation of the laws of electrodynamics to their fundamental importance in all electronic devices. Each chapter includes fast facts on the physicists and engineers profiled, though the inclusion of other significant happenings from the eras under consideration (the same year Rudolf Clausius published “On the Moving Force of Heat,” American Express was founded) often feels like filler. Those new to the field will find this a fine overview of touchstone moments. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

2021-09-15
Appealing accounts of scientific breakthroughs by the veteran popularizer.

Aiming to describe discoveries that have played critical roles in our daily lives, Clegg pays little attention to black holes, neutrinos, dark matter, and other less-relevant astrophysical subjects. In the first of 10 dated chapters, the author looks at Isaac Newton, who considered himself a mathematician and whose masterpiece, Principia (1687), is a turgid, three-volume Latin tome packed with geometry and calculus. Though admittedly “difficult to read,” the book produced the foundational ideas of modern science, not only universal gravitation, but the current—as opposed to ancient and incorrect—concepts of motion, inertia, force, and mass. Modern science moved slowly until the 19th century, so Clegg’s second breakthrough occurred on Nov. 24, 1831, when Michael Faraday presented his paper reporting that a moving magnet produces a current in a nearby wire, called electrical induction, which “made the electrical motor and generator practical. In truth, Elon Musk should have called his car company Faraday, not Tesla.” No-brainers that follow include Marie Curie’s 1898 announcement of her discovery of radium and, seven years later, when Albert Einstein wrote that energy was simply matter in another form. Computer buffs might remember that John Bardeen and Walter Brattain demonstrated the first working transistor in 1947, but the names and dates behind many landmarks in technology are merely answers to trivia questions. Although Clegg does not dumb down his subjects, he understands that more than a few pages explaining the BCS theory of superconductivity or the mechanics of the internet’s Hypertext Transfer Protocol would turn off many readers. Consequently, he fills his chapters with autobiographical details, diverting scientific anecdotes, and other historical events that occurred during his chosen years. It’s padding, but few readers—especially the sizable number who have enjoyed Clegg’s many previous books—will complain.

A painless education on great milestones in physics.

Kirkus Reviews