Binding: Paperback
Description: Niels Bohr who pioneered the quantum theory of the atom had a broad conception of his obligations as a physicist. They included not only a responsibility for the consequences of his work for the wider society but also a compulsion to apply the philosophy he deduced from his physics to improving ordinary people's understanding of the moral universe they inhabit. In some of these concerns Bohr resembled Einstein although Einstein could not accept what he called the "tranquilizing philosophy" with which Bohr tried to resolve such ancient conundrums as the nature (or possibility) of free will. In this Very Short Introduction John Heilbron draws on sources never before presented in English to cover the life and work of one of the most creative physicists of the 20th century. In addition to his role as a scientist Heilbron considers Bohr as a statesman and Danish cultural icon who built scientific institutions and pushed for the extension of international cooperation in science to all nation states. As a humanist he was concerned with the cultivation of all sides of the individual and with the complementary contributions of all peoples to the sum of human culture. Throughout Heilbron considers how all of these aspects of Bohr's personality influenced his work as well as the science that made him in the words of Sir Henry Dale President of the Royal Society of London probably the "first among all the men of all countries who are now active in any department of science." About THE Series: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket - sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts analysis perspective new ideas and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Title: Niels Bohr: A Very Short Introduction
Author(s): Heilbron J. L. (Professor Of History Emeritus University Of California Berkeley)
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Barcode: 9780198819264
Pages: 160 Pages, Some Black And White Images
Publication Date: 6/1/2020
Series: Very Short Introductions
Category: Quantum Physics (Quantum Mechanics & Quantum Field Theory)