The End of the Certain World: The Life and Science of Max Born

by Nancy Thorndike Greenspan

""The world is not ruled by reason; even less by love," Max Born wrote to his his close friend Albert Einstein in 1921. Twelve years later, as the Nazis forced him to emigrate to Great Britain, he felt the personal impact of that statement. Even after the defeat of the Nazis, the explosion of the atom bomb inflicted a further blow. It was a cruel twist of fate that Born, a pacifist who loved science for its beauty, had educated the developers of the atom bomb. Robert Oppenheimer, Edward Teller, Eugene Wigner, and John von Neumann, among others, had flocked to Gottingen, Germany, to work with Born, the physicist who had discovered one of the most profound principles of the century - the physics of indeterminacy." "The End of the Certain World presents for the first time Born's full Nobel physicist, a discoverer of quantum theory, exile from Hitler's Germany, teacher of nine Nobel physicists. Born's role in the "Golden Age of Physics" in the 1920s helped to shape the science of the twentieth century and open the door to the modern era. Together with his Wunderkinder - including his assistant Werner Heisenberg - Born solved the quantum puzzle. But whereas Heisenberg received his Nobel Prize in 1933, Born was overlooked; he had to wait more than twenty years to receive one." "When Born finally did win the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1954, it was awarded for his theory of the indeterminate nature of the atomic world. It was a validation on more than one level. He had a long-standing debate with Einstein on the subject, and Born's position - that God does play dice - had been recognized; we indeed live in a world of uncertainty." The End of the Certain World is a social history and a history of science as well as an intimate biography. Nancy Thorndike Greenspan unfolds the story of a great physicist and humanitarian, to reveal his struggle with the forces of religion, politics, and war.

Genres: Science, Biography, Physics

374 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Luca Ferrarini · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I really love about books such as this one is that they provide you with an historical framework for facts and names you have heard and read about during your school and/or academic years.
It is nice to read and dense in information. Not to mention the opportunity of better understanding one of the greatest mind of our recent history

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently well-researched. Not written in a captivating style. A few editing errors. I would have preferred reading this more from the viewpoint of a physicist. Credit due for telling the story of a much underappreciated pioneer of quantum mechanics. Born did live an interesting life.

[Jack Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reread this book on vacation- the third time I read it! I rarely reread books, but this one is absolutely worth it. It's a truly impressively researched book about one of the most influential physicists of the 20th century. The subject led a very interesting life and lived through some very challenging times and the impacts ofctbise challenges are well describef. The author had access to records (and especially letters) and was able to combine information about the subject's personal and professional lives. The "cast of characters" is amazing given how many of the great physicists of the time passed through his institution. This book really has call attention to the subject's many contributions (which did not get the public attention they deserved, although some of that injustice was corrected much later in life). Many people working in atomic physics know his name (the Born-Oppenheimer Approximation" is well'known to many chemical and atomic physicists, most of whom are way more familiar with Oppenheimer than Born, however!). I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the development of 20th century physics (esoecially quantum mechanics and atomic physicists).

[Sarah Koester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good biography of an interesting scientist - especially how both world wars impacted him and his research. There was at times much information that didn’t seem relevant to his story, and many times which I wished for more detail on his physics.

[Karen]

I've just started this book. Max Born was instrumental in the discovery of quantum physics, and the uncle of a good friend (also the uncle of Olivia Newton-John), so it's partly his history too.

[Isaac · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting story, horribly told.

[Michael Medsker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must read for anyone interested in the people that shaped our thoughts about phyics. One of the people that truely inspired me.

[Robert Sparrenberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. The guy had an interesting life but that doesn't come through. Love physics and the quantum revolution.