Einstein Defiant: Genius Versus Genius in the Quantum Revolution

by Edmund Blair Bolles

"I find the idea quite intolerable that an electron exposed to radiation should choose of its own free will, not only its moment to jump off, but also its direction. In that case, I would rather be a cobbler, or even an employee in a gaming house, than a physicist." -Albert Einstein A scandal hovers over the history of 20th century physics. Albert Einstein-the century's greatest physicist-was never able to come to terms with quantum mechanics, the century's greatest theoretical achievement. For physicists who routinely use both quantum laws and Einstein's ideas, this contradiction can be almost too embarrassing to dwell on. Yet Einstein was one of the founders of quantum physics and he spent many years preaching the quantum's importance and its revolutionary nature. The Danish genius Neils Bohr was another founder of quantum physics. He had managed to solve one of the few physics problems that Einstein ever shied away from, linking quantum mathematics with a new model of the atom. This leap immediately yielded results that explained electron behavior and the periodic table of the elements. Despite their mutual appreciation of the quantum's importance, these two giants of modern physics never agreed on the fundamentals of their work. In fact, they clashed repeatedly throughout the 1920s, arguing first over Einstein's theory of "light quanta"(photons), then over Niels Bohr's short-lived theory that denied the conservation of energy at the quantum level, and climactically over the new quantum mechanics that Bohr enthusiastically embraced and Einstein stubbornly defied. This contest of visions stripped the scientific imagination naked. Einstein was a staunch realist, demanding to know the physical reasons behind physical events. At odds with this approach was Bohr's more pragmatic perspective that favored theories that worked, even if he might not have a corresponding explanation of the underlying reality. Powerful and illuminating, Einstein Defiant is the first book to capture the soul and the science that inspired this dramatic duel, revealing the personalities and the passions-and, in the end, what was at stake for the world.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, History, Physics, Biography

348 pages, Hardcover

First published December 10, 2003

Reviews

[Rachel Brune · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book that explores the history of early-20th century physics in the context of the debates and relationships among the greatest physicists of the day. Not only does the author illuminate their personalities, foibles, failings and triumphs, but he does so using the backdrop of historic events, and is able to clearly enunciate the ideas they were discussing in terms understood by the non-physicist.

One point that I exceptionally enjoyed was reading about Einstein and learning that his genius was not just in being smart and knowing stuff, but the creative, imaginative genius that grasped the "big picture" so intuitively that he couldn't help but make leaps and bounds that mere mortals would never have seen. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in the history of physics and how we understand our world today.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book with lots of insight into Einstein the man.