false 2802 19 E=mc2. Just about everyone has at least heard of Albert Einstein's formulation of 1905, which came into the world as something of an afterthought. But far fewer can explain his insightful linkage of energy to mass. David Bodanis offers an easily grasped gloss on the equation. Mass, he writes, "is simply the ultimate type of condensed or concentrated energy," whereas energy "is what billows out as an alternate form of mass under the right circumstances."<p> Just what those circumstances are occupies much of Bodanis's book, which pays homage to Einstein and, just as important, to predecessors such as Maxwell, Faraday, and Lavoisier, who are not as well known as Einstein today. Balancing writerly energy and scholarly weight, Bodanis offers a primer in modern physics and cosmology, explaining that the universe today is an expression of mass that will, in some vastly distant future, one day slide back to the energy side of the equation, replacing the "dominion of matter" with "a great stillness"--a vision that is at once lovely and profoundly frightening.<p> Without sliding into easy psychobiography, Bodanis explores other circumstances as well; namely, Einstein's background and character, which combined with a sterling intelligence to afford him an idiosyncratic view of the way things work--a view that would change the world. <I>--Gregory McNamee</I> 2352922 2000 E=mc2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation total:394|5:142|4:161|3:75|2:12|1:4| 394 1607 580 89 5 3 false false Thu Dec 06 02:57:56 -0800 2007 Tue Dec 11 12:04:41 -0800 2007
There are lots of biographies of Einstein, and I think the best may have just been publish...more...]]> 5 1 false false Wed Jun 27 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Aug 05 14:01:34 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 05 14:01:53 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Mar 23 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 23 19:58:02 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 23 20:24:25 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Jan 21 16:27:48 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 21 16:34:54 -0800 2009
Bodanis first breaks down the equation into each of its parts and talks about the history of energy, mass, etc. He re-creates the discoveries that slowly added up...more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Mar 11 14:16:38 -0700 2009 Sun Mar 22 14:19:59 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Oct 03 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Sep 30 05:04:45 -0700 2008 Fri Oct 03 17:02:26 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Thu May 24 17:31:18 -0700 2007 Thu Sep 06 10:03:37 -0700 2007
The author broke down each element of the equation devoting a chapter to E (and how scientists found that energy is energy, is energy regardless of the form it takes - and also the wave rath...more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Oct 31 16:37:53 -0800 2006 Mon May 21 18:29:56 -0700 2007
I l...more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 12 13:59:34 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 12 14:08:30 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Apr 13 18:29:29 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 13 18:33:31 -0700 2009 more...]]> 1 0 false false Fri May 18 14:34:29 -0700 2007 Fri May 18 14:45:56 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat May 30 08:38:10 -0700 2009 Sat May 30 08:41:56 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Thu Sep 03 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Apr 11 00:13:34 -0700 2008 Mon Sep 07 22:14:48 -0700 2009 1
Anyway, the book: I loved how Bodanis managed to make all the "science stuff"...more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006 Sat Sep 15 09:51:59 -0700 2007 Mon Sep 17 16:51:30 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Feb 04 19:00:37 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 04 19:02:33 -0800 2009 1 0 false false Fri Oct 16 11:11:38 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 16 11:13:01 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sun Feb 22 19:31:38 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 22 19:34:19 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006 Thu Aug 30 10:30:41 -0700 2007 Thu Aug 30 10:42:16 -0700 2007 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Jul 26 14:00:41 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 26 14:02:24 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Sat Jun 13 07:54:27 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 13 08:18:20 -0700 2009 Don't worry, you need not be an astrophysicist to understand.

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