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An Equation That Changed the World: Newton, Einstein, and the Theory of Relativity
Fritzsch offers readers the opportunity to listen in on a meeting of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and a present-day physicist. While he introduces the theory of relativity, Fritzsch teaches its sources, its workings, and the ways it has revolutionized our view of the physical world. An Equation That Changed the World dramatizes the importance of relativity, for the human race, and the survival of our planet.
"Fritzsch could not give the modern reader a more memorable introduction to the personalities and science of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein unless somehow he could find the keys to H. G. Wells' time machine. . . . Many readers will applaud Fritzsch for this lively but profoundly insightful book." — Booklist, starred review
"[Fritzsch] has dreamed up a dialogue between the two great physicists, helped along by a fictional modern physicist. . . . The conversation builds up to an explanation of E=mc2, and on the way illuminates the important points where Newtonian and Einsteinian theory diverge." —David Lindley, New York Times Book Review
"Fritzsch could not give the modern reader a more memorable introduction to the personalities and science of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein unless somehow he could find the keys to H. G. Wells' time machine. . . . Many readers will applaud Fritzsch for this lively but profoundly insightful book." — Booklist, starred review
"[Fritzsch] has dreamed up a dialogue between the two great physicists, helped along by a fictional modern physicist. . . . The conversation builds up to an explanation of E=mc2, and on the way illuminates the important points where Newtonian and Einsteinian theory diverge." —David Lindley, New York Times Book Review
300 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
52 people want to read
About the author
Harald Fritzsch
43 books6 followersGerman theoretical physicist known for his contributions to the theory of quarks, the development of Quantum Chromodynamics and the great unification of the standard model of particle physics.
After completing his education in Zwickau 1961, he became Soldier of the Nationale Volksarmee of the GDR. He studied Physics in Leipzig from 1963 to 1968. After fleeing to West Germany, he continued his studies in Munich where he finished his Ph.D. under the supervision of Heinrich Mitter.
In 1970 Fritzsch visited the Aspen Center of Physics, where he met Murray Gell-Mann. They started a collaboration, first in Aspen, later at the California Institute of Technology. In 1971 they introduced the concept of the colour charge quantum number which allowed them in collaboration with William A. Bardeen to explain the decay rate of pions. In the fall of 1971 Fritzsch and Gell-Mann moved to Geneva in Switzerland, where they worked together at CERN. They proposed a gauge theory for the strong interaction, which now is called Quantumchromodynamics. In September 1972 they moved back to Caltech. In 1975 Fritzsch published a paper together with Peter Minkowski in which they proposed the symmetry group SO as the symmetry of the grand unified theory which has become a standard theory. In 1976 Fritzsch moved to CERN. After working for one year at the University of Wuppertal and the University of Bern, Fritzsch became professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in 1980.
Fritzsch worked also on "composite models" of leptons and quarks, mass matrices of quarks and leptons, weak decays of heavy quarks, cosmology and the fundamental constants of physics. He retired in 2008.
After completing his education in Zwickau 1961, he became Soldier of the Nationale Volksarmee of the GDR. He studied Physics in Leipzig from 1963 to 1968. After fleeing to West Germany, he continued his studies in Munich where he finished his Ph.D. under the supervision of Heinrich Mitter.
In 1970 Fritzsch visited the Aspen Center of Physics, where he met Murray Gell-Mann. They started a collaboration, first in Aspen, later at the California Institute of Technology. In 1971 they introduced the concept of the colour charge quantum number which allowed them in collaboration with William A. Bardeen to explain the decay rate of pions. In the fall of 1971 Fritzsch and Gell-Mann moved to Geneva in Switzerland, where they worked together at CERN. They proposed a gauge theory for the strong interaction, which now is called Quantumchromodynamics. In September 1972 they moved back to Caltech. In 1975 Fritzsch published a paper together with Peter Minkowski in which they proposed the symmetry group SO as the symmetry of the grand unified theory which has become a standard theory. In 1976 Fritzsch moved to CERN. After working for one year at the University of Wuppertal and the University of Bern, Fritzsch became professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in 1980.
Fritzsch worked also on "composite models" of leptons and quarks, mass matrices of quarks and leptons, weak decays of heavy quarks, cosmology and the fundamental constants of physics. He retired in 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 3, 2016
Ich fand das Buch richtig gut! Hab viel gelernt und auch viel markiert :D (Vielleicht ein bisschen zu viel) :D Naja jedenfalls geht es um Einstein und Newton die sich miteinander unterhalten und sich gegenseitig Tipps und Erklärungen geben! Es ist nicht für Jedermann aber ich mochte es sehr :)
June 26, 2023
Imagine a meeting involving Sir Issac Newton, Albert Einstein and a modern day physicist..
An out of the world experience indeed.
Did I understand the book completely? No way..
Did I enjoy it? Absolutely...
An out of the world experience indeed.
Did I understand the book completely? No way..
Did I enjoy it? Absolutely...
April 7, 2012
I chose this book for a college science course I am teaching because I thought the theme of dialog between great scientists was interesting. Unfortunately Newton and Einstein end up being one-dimensional caricatures of the real historical persons who describe the physics at hand in simplistic, sometimes inaccurate, and often ahistorical ways. I was hoping for a meaningful dialog between historical personalities, but instead found a cliched and oversimplified story with little connection to the depth of the developing thought on the nature of physical reality.
February 21, 2011
Fascinating discussion between a fictitious scientist named Haller, Albert Einstein, and Isaac Newton, all miraculously alive contemporaneously, explaining to the average reader the Theory of Relativity, among other things. Very engaging. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on fission and fusion as possible sources of energy over the next few decades.
July 11, 2011
Great book that teaches you about relativity. Who might be interested in the topic, however, that may be different.
September 8, 2011
Good book originally in German and suffered much because the translator was not a physicist and graphs and equations were mis-labled.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews