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Great Men of Science: A History of Scientific Progress
Philipp Eduard Anton von Lenard, was a German physicist and the winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1905 for his research on cathode rays and the discovery of many of their properties: "Because it is the only legal tender in Nature, Truth must one day come into play among people; otherwise mankind will go down into decline in spite of all technology."
389 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1933
About the author
Philipp Lenard
17 books1 followerPhilipp Eduard Anton von Lenard, was a German physicist and the winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1905 for his research on cathode rays and the discovery of many of their properties: "Because it is the only legal tender in Nature, Truth must one day come into play among people; otherwise mankind will go down into decline in spite of all technology."
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January 28, 2018
Lenard's work is a well-studied synthesis of the history of scientific discovery and its protagonists, from the school of Pythagoras to Hasenohrl's momentous E ∝ m result of 1904 in Annalen der Physik, snatched away from him by the same PR industry that censored this book and childishly vilified its author (e.g. The Man Who Stalked Einstein: How Lenard Changed the Course of History).
The best of it is having a full-fledged insider – i.e. not a pop-science con artist with a dubious scientific background – witnessing first hand the birth of quantum physics and the growing unification of fundamental forces, sharing an in-depth look at each discovery that shaped our modern understanding.
The careful historical context given to each of them adds substance and a sense of continuity and Lenard's scientific humility is very welcome and akin to that of Heisenberg, admitting us still surrounded by a "vast unknown, which has only been reduced but little since the time of Pythagoras". He also constantly asks questions that scientists increasingly forget to ask,
"Why do we not find that man has become happier and on a higher spiritual level through Watt's present to them? We may equally ask where are the enterprising people who set up steam engines in order to make people happier, and not in order to gain the financial profits upon which they have calculated."
"A consideration of the work of great men of science should help mankind to get out of its microcosm, to the greatness of nature itself, in face of which we should not stand as masters, but as modest admirers. The mastery of motors and wireless waves – by 'knowing all about them' – does not ennoble humanity; it coarsens and degrades them, and even makes them obviously more stupid. On the other hand, the joy at newly found insight lifts them up, when understanding for it has been cultivated. Joy of this kind was to Gauss actually the mainspring of his work; he says that he carried on his scientific undertakings only for their own sake; that is, from the innermost need of his soul."
Particularly interesting is that Lenard turns out to be very welcoming of the developments in physics of his time, such as quantum mechanics – himself being a part of it – and the concepts which were later rebranded as exclusive possessions of a Zionist who supposedly stood on the shoulders of no giants and campaigned for the US to weaponize nuclear physics and to drop atomic bombs on innocent civilians overseas. This is interesting because yellow journalism would have us convinced that Nationalsocialist scientists, especially Lenard, were paranoid of these developments in physics due to racial prejudices.
This work shows that this is nonsense: Lenard didn't seem to have a problem with the physics, but mostly with how credit for scientific discovery was being taken away from the collective efforts of a community and handed, quite conveniently, to single individuals that could then contemplate presiding over new blood/gene-based colonies in the Middle East. In fact, Lenard has no problem to express much admiration for the person and work of Hertz, considering him the father of photo-electricity, his own area of expertise. This, and his embrace for quantum mechanics and Hasenohrl's results, contradicts the propaganda claiming Lenard was viciously obsessed with purging his field from allegedly "Jewish physics".
Also worthy of note is the reference to ether in the development of the electromagnetic theory and the Galileo issue. Himself anti-Catholic, Lenard frames the latter as part of the political struggle that it was between southern and norther European states, and refrains from the facile oversimplifications of contemporary critics of religion who use Galilei's trial as an ideological slogan without a sincere concern for truth in either science or history.
The downside is Lenard's inability to detach himself from dull Eurocentrism and omission of Chinese and Muslim contributions to science. Though admittedly, it might be too much to ask from an early 20th century European scientist.
Overall, this is a must-read for anyone interested in the development of science and in digging deeper and beyond the pop-science political cult into the motivations, methods and goals behind the discoveries that shaped mankind's outlook on nature.
The best of it is having a full-fledged insider – i.e. not a pop-science con artist with a dubious scientific background – witnessing first hand the birth of quantum physics and the growing unification of fundamental forces, sharing an in-depth look at each discovery that shaped our modern understanding.
The careful historical context given to each of them adds substance and a sense of continuity and Lenard's scientific humility is very welcome and akin to that of Heisenberg, admitting us still surrounded by a "vast unknown, which has only been reduced but little since the time of Pythagoras". He also constantly asks questions that scientists increasingly forget to ask,
"Why do we not find that man has become happier and on a higher spiritual level through Watt's present to them? We may equally ask where are the enterprising people who set up steam engines in order to make people happier, and not in order to gain the financial profits upon which they have calculated."
"A consideration of the work of great men of science should help mankind to get out of its microcosm, to the greatness of nature itself, in face of which we should not stand as masters, but as modest admirers. The mastery of motors and wireless waves – by 'knowing all about them' – does not ennoble humanity; it coarsens and degrades them, and even makes them obviously more stupid. On the other hand, the joy at newly found insight lifts them up, when understanding for it has been cultivated. Joy of this kind was to Gauss actually the mainspring of his work; he says that he carried on his scientific undertakings only for their own sake; that is, from the innermost need of his soul."
Particularly interesting is that Lenard turns out to be very welcoming of the developments in physics of his time, such as quantum mechanics – himself being a part of it – and the concepts which were later rebranded as exclusive possessions of a Zionist who supposedly stood on the shoulders of no giants and campaigned for the US to weaponize nuclear physics and to drop atomic bombs on innocent civilians overseas. This is interesting because yellow journalism would have us convinced that Nationalsocialist scientists, especially Lenard, were paranoid of these developments in physics due to racial prejudices.
This work shows that this is nonsense: Lenard didn't seem to have a problem with the physics, but mostly with how credit for scientific discovery was being taken away from the collective efforts of a community and handed, quite conveniently, to single individuals that could then contemplate presiding over new blood/gene-based colonies in the Middle East. In fact, Lenard has no problem to express much admiration for the person and work of Hertz, considering him the father of photo-electricity, his own area of expertise. This, and his embrace for quantum mechanics and Hasenohrl's results, contradicts the propaganda claiming Lenard was viciously obsessed with purging his field from allegedly "Jewish physics".
Also worthy of note is the reference to ether in the development of the electromagnetic theory and the Galileo issue. Himself anti-Catholic, Lenard frames the latter as part of the political struggle that it was between southern and norther European states, and refrains from the facile oversimplifications of contemporary critics of religion who use Galilei's trial as an ideological slogan without a sincere concern for truth in either science or history.
The downside is Lenard's inability to detach himself from dull Eurocentrism and omission of Chinese and Muslim contributions to science. Though admittedly, it might be too much to ask from an early 20th century European scientist.
Overall, this is a must-read for anyone interested in the development of science and in digging deeper and beyond the pop-science political cult into the motivations, methods and goals behind the discoveries that shaped mankind's outlook on nature.
Displaying 1 of 1 review