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A Scientific Autobiography: S Chandrasekhar
S. Chandrasekhar, popularly known as Chandra; was one of the foremost scientists of the 20th century. The year 2010 marks the birth centenary of Chandra. His unique style of research, inward bound, seeking a personal perspective to master a particular field, and then pass on to another, was so unique that it will draw considerable interest and attention among scholars.
As. Chandra elucidates in the preface, "The various installments describe in detail the evolution of my scientific work during the past forty years and records each investigation, describing the doubts and the successes, the trials and the tribulations. And the parts my various associates and assistants played in the completion of the different investigations are detailed."
It is indeed a remarkable and rare document, fascinating to read and experience the joys, frustrations and struggles of a creative mind.
296 pages, Paperback
First published October 29, 2010
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July 26, 2023
If you are unsure whether to read this book, maybe go through this interview excerpt first https://www.aip.org/history-programs/.... The book has specific examples of the general principles outlined in the interview.
This book is a collection of detailed accounts on how Chandrasekhar used to work in theoretical astrophysics. Its full of specifics like the problems he is struggling with, when (as in what month/year) did he work on problems, how did he overcome them, who did he talked to, and some referee communications. It is an example of how a theoretical scientist works.
The underlying theme has been how consumed Chandrasekhar was with his work. This book has comments like "..I figured it out on the train..." or "...I got the idea on a Sunday evening..." and so on. The last notes are dated on December '94 and he died in August '95. In fact, his last paper was accepted two weeks before his death.
While I couldn't understand a lot of details due to my lack of background, I could definitely get some idea on what is he talking about. The specific details are in fact the main strength of this book as one could get a real sense of how theoretical science.
This book is a collection of detailed accounts on how Chandrasekhar used to work in theoretical astrophysics. Its full of specifics like the problems he is struggling with, when (as in what month/year) did he work on problems, how did he overcome them, who did he talked to, and some referee communications. It is an example of how a theoretical scientist works.
The underlying theme has been how consumed Chandrasekhar was with his work. This book has comments like "..I figured it out on the train..." or "...I got the idea on a Sunday evening..." and so on. The last notes are dated on December '94 and he died in August '95. In fact, his last paper was accepted two weeks before his death.
While I couldn't understand a lot of details due to my lack of background, I could definitely get some idea on what is he talking about. The specific details are in fact the main strength of this book as one could get a real sense of how theoretical science.
Displaying 1 of 1 review