E=Mc2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation
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To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Einstein’s miracle year of discoveries, a new edition of the bestselling “biography” of his famous equationGenerations have grown up knowing that the equation E=mc2 changed the shape of our world, but never understanding what it actually means, why it was so significant, and how it informs our daily lives today—governing, as it does, everything from the atomic bomb to a television's cathode ray tube to the carbon dating of prehistoric paintings. In this book, David Bodanis writes the "biography" of one of the greatest scientific discoveries in history—that the realms of energy and matter are inescapably linked—and, through his skill as a writer and teacher, he turns a seemingly impenetrable theory into a dramatic human achievement and an uncommonly good story. Publishers Weekly Most people know this celebrated equation has something to do with Einstein's theory of relativity, but most nonscientists don't know what it means. This very approachable yet somewhat limited work of popular science explains, and adorns with anecdote and biography, the equation and its place in history. Oxford lecturer Bodanis (The Secret Family) shows what happened to Einstein on the way to the discovery, what other scientists did to bring it about and how the equation created the atom bomb. Part Two tackles separately the components of the equation (E, =, m, c and "squared"), which means that it covers 18th- and 19th-century physics. "`E' Is for Energy" opens with Michael Faraday, whose unusual religious beliefs helped him discover that electricity and magnetism were the same force. "`m' Is for Mass" brings in French chemist Lavoisier, who established the law of conservation of matter. Bodanis then turns to Einstein's life and work. The middle third of the book covers the exploration of the atom and the making of the atom bomb; the cast of characters here includes Marie Curie, Lise Meitner and Enrico Fermi. A concluding section considers how E=mc2 powers the sun, and how our sun and all others will eventually run out of gas. Capsule biographies here include one of the engaging English astronomer Cecilia Payne, who wouldn't let institutional sexism stop her from finding the hydrogen in the sun. Bodanis's writing is accessible to the point of chattiness: he seeks, and deserves, many readers who know no physics. They'll learn a handful--more important, they'll enjoy it, and pick up a load of biographical and cultural curios along the way. 20 photos and drawings not seen by PW. (Oct.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
PrefaceviiPart 1Birth1Bern Patent Office, 19053Part 2Ancestors of E=mc[superscript 2]2E Is for Energy113=234m Is for mass275c Is for celeritas376[characters not reproducible]55Part 3The Early Years7Einstein and the Equation738Into the Atom939Quiet in the Midday Snow100Part 4Adulthood10Germany's Turn11711Norway13412America's Turn143138:16 A.M.--Over Japan163Part 5Till the End of Time14The Fires of the Sun17315Creating the Earth18416A Brahmin Lifts His Eyes Unto the Sky195Epilogue: What Else Einstein Did204AppendixFollow-Up of Other Key Participants221Notes237Guide to Further Reading301Acknowledgments319Index325
