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In this amazing tour d'horizon, D. Allan Bromley uses the occasion of the centenary of the American Physical Society to reflect upon the growth of physics over the past 100 years, its fragmentation into numerous subdisciplines, the impact physics has had upon modern technology, and the re-emergence of the fundamental unity of the discipline in recent years. Hundreds of historical illustrations accompany the text. Bromley conveys much of the excitement and wonder that research in physics generated in the 20th century and asks what new things are in store in the next century. He covers such topics as relativity and quantum mechanics, the Manhattan project, superconductivity, transistors and the revolution brought about by solid-state electronics, protein folding, the uses of nuclear and atomic physics in biology and medicine, plate tectonics, the expansion of the universe and the Big Bang, and gravitational radiation. Bromley is the Sterling Professor of the Sciences and Dean of Yale University.||From the reviews:||"...A panoramic view of the physics landscape of the past century, in which are embedded an impressive number of major physics accomplishments. And [the book] describes these accomplishments in a language that is comprehensible to an educated reader with or without training in physics...In choice of topics, Bromley is about as complete as can be imagined...An immensely entertaining and illuminating read."|- Physics Today
In this "Cook's Tour" of developments in physics and realted
fields, D. Allan Bromley, Science Advisor to President Bush during
1989-1983 and past president of the American Physical Society,
conveys much of the excitement and wonder that research in physics
generated in the 20th century and asks what new things are in store
in the next century.
Quantum Mechanics - An Introduction lays the foundations for the rest of the course on quantum mechanics, advanced quantum mechanics and field theory. Starting from black-body radiation, the photoelectric effect, and wave-particle duality, Greiner goes on to discuss the uncertainty relations, spin, and many-body systems; he includes applications to the hydrogen atom and the Stern-Gerlach and Einstein-de Haas experiments. The mathematics of representation theory, S matrices, perturbation theory, eigenvalue problems, and hypergeometric differential equations are presented in detail, with 88 fully and carefully worked examples and exercises to consolidate the material. The book supplies the historical and phenomenological background and steadily builds a wave-mechanical treatment of matter. This fourth edition includes improved explanatory remarks, plus several new examples and exercises
D. Allan Bromley, one of the world's leading nuclear physicists,
was The Assistant to President George Bush for Science and
Technology Policy from August 1989 to January 1993. He was the
first Science Advisor to have this Cabinet-level rank. In this
engrossing memoir of his years at the White House, Bromley brings
the unique perspective of a scientist to the political realities of
policy making with the President and his other Senior Assistants.
Bromley recalls his efforts to rebuild the Office of Science and
Technology Policy and the Federal Coordinating Council for Science,
Engineering, and Technology, organizations that develop science
policy and that oversee the federal agencies responsible for the
science and technology enterprise of the United States; the Bush
Administration initiatives to improve the global environment, the
health and quality of life of all Americans, national security,
international science and technology, and funding of U.S. science
and technology; and the landmark reports prepared under his
supervision that called for a revamping of the science and
mathematics curricula in U.S. precollege education and a rethinking
of the relationships between the research intensive universities
and the federal government. He discusses the people with whom he
interacted-George Bush, John Sununu (Bromley's strongest ally in
the White House), Richard Darman, Senator Al Gore, and many
others-and he includes provocative anecdotes about his
attempts-many successful-to foster closer cooperative scientific
ventures with other countries. Bromley's memoir is both a broad
overview of the role of science and technology in the Bush
Administration and an insider's account of the ambiance,
personalities, and politics that mold specific policy decisions in
Washington. It is fascinating and thought-provoking reading.
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