Vor langer Zeit hat ein weiser Mann die Entdeckung gemacht, dass der Bernstein beim Reiben in einen neuen, merkwurdigen Zustand kommt, den man jetzt den elektrischen nennt. Und dieser namliche Mann war es auch - vielleicht ist das nur Zufall -, welcher als erster der Uberzeugung Ausdruck gab, dass es ein grosses, einigendes Prinzip geben muss, welches alle Erscheinungen miteinander verkettet - ein Prinzip, welches uns befahigt, das ganze Naturgeschehen mit unserer Vernunft zu erfassen; dass aller scheinbaren Verschiedenheit und allem Wechsel der Dinge irgend ein Urelement zugrunde liegt, aus welchem alles besteh- ein Urelement, dessen Auffindung das letzte Ziel jeder Natur wissenschaft sein muss. Wenn das vielleicht auch nur ein zu falliges Zusammentreffen ist, auf jeden Fall gebuhrt dem alten Naturforscher Thales aus Milet eine zweifache Ehre. Denn er war der erste, welcher schon um 600 v. Chr. den Grundgedanken, der tatsachlich die Entwicklung der Physik aller Zeiten be herrschte, richtig erfasste und richtig zum Ausdruck brachte; er war aber auch der erste, welcher - allerdings in einer rohen und unvollkommenen Weise - gerade jene Erscheinung beschrieb, deren Untersuchung in unseren Tagen bereits verschiedene Ge biete der Physik, welche ehedem ohne jeden inneren Zusammen hang zu sein schienen, aufs innigste miteinander verknupft, so z. B. strahlende Warme, Licht, Magnetismus, Elektrizitat; und gerade durch diese Untersuchungen sind wir in jungster Zeit dem Urelement naher gekommen, als es die Menschheit in fruheren Zeiten jemals war."

This volume gives in brief scope some of the most significant changes in fundamental concepts that have resulted from the extraordinary advances made in recent years in the field of experimental physics. These changes have important bearings on nature and life in general as well as on physics. Originally published in 1932. A UNC Press Enduring Edition - UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!

ELECTRONS (+ and-), PROTONS, PHOTONS, NEUTRONS, MESOTRONS, AND COSMIC RAYS. originally published in 1934. PREFACE: In 1917 the University pf Chicago Press published a small volume entitled The Electron which was intended to be a rather simple presentation of some of the newer de velopments in physics with which my own work had been closely associated. In 1924 a revised edition of this work appeared. A few years later I had the honor of giving The Messenger Lectures at Cornell University and in them still further expanded and brought up to date these newer developments. The present volume grows immediately out of these Messenger Lectures, but is, of course, an attempt to make the presentation as true a picture as I am able to give of the situation as it exists at the date of publication, Janu ary i, 1935. In a sense this work may be looked upon as a third re vision of The Electron, but it differs from most revisions in two particulars, First, an effort has been made at the request of the publishers to introduce into The Electron portion only such changes as are demanded by correct ness of presentation today, and in fact I have been pleased and somewhat surprised to find that the historical mode of presentation originally adopted has rendered radical changes even today both unnecessary and undesirable. Second, the growth of discovery and the rapidity of the advance in physics from the base occupied in 1924 has made it altogether necessary to add six entirely new chap ters ( ad to rvi) on' Waves and Particles, on The Dis' ccfvby anVl OrigJ* i; 6f the'Cosmic Rays/' on The Spin ning Elecr& h$ on The Positron, on The Neutron an