Physics: A Very Short Introduction - Library Edition

by Sidney Perkowitz, Eric Jason Martin (Narrator)

Physics, the fundamental science of matter and energy, encompasses all levels of nature from the subatomic to the cosmic, and underlies much of the technology around us. Understanding the physics of our universe is an essential aspect of humanity's quest to understand our environment and our place within it. Doing physics enables us to explore the interaction between environment and human society, and can help us to work towards the future sustainability of the planet.

This Very Short Introduction provides an overview of how this pervasive science came to be and how it who funds it, how physicists are trained and how they think, and how physics supports the technology we all use. Sidney Perkowitz presents the theories and outcomes of pure and applied physics from ideas of the Greek natural philosophers to modern quantum mechanics, cosmology, digital electronics, and energy production. Considering its most consequential experiments, including recent results in elementary particles, gravitational waves and materials science, he also discusses outside the lab, the effects of physics on society, culture, and humanity's vision of its place in the universe.

Audio CD

Published January 31, 2023

About the author

Sidney Perkowitz is Candler Professor of Physics at Emory University. Author of many research papers and books, hes also written the popular science books Empire of Light, Universal Foam, Digital People and Hollywood Science which have been translated into six languages and Braille; articles for the LA Times, Washington Post, and other outlets; the stage works Albert & Isadora, Friedmann's Balloon and Glory Enough, presented in Atlanta, New York, and Chicago; and the screenplay The Second Obsession. He has appeared on CNN, NPR, the BBC, and elsewhere. Sidney Perkowitz is Candler Professor of Physics at Emory University. Author of many research papers and books, hes also written the popular science books Empire of Light, Universal Foam, Digital People and Hollywood Science which have been translated into six languages and Braille; articles for the LA Times, Washington Post, and other outlets; the stage works Albert & Isadora, Friedmann's Balloon and Glory Enough, presented in Atlanta, New York, and Chicago; and the screenplay The Second Obsession. He has appeared on CNN, NPR, the BBC, and elsewhere. Sidney Perkowitz is Candler Professor of Physics at Emory University. Author of many research papers and books, hes also written the popular science books Empire of Light, Universal Foam, Digital People and Hollywood Science which have been translated into six languages and Braille; articles for the LA Times, Washington Post, and other outlets; the stage works Albert & Isadora, Friedmann's Balloon and Glory Enough, presented in Atlanta, New York, and Chicago; and the screenplay The Second Obsession. He has appeared on CNN, NPR, the BBC, and elsewhere. "