Моя жизнь и взгляды

by Max Born

"Моя жизнь и взгляды" - последняя книга М.Борна, итог его многолетних раздумий о последствиях научно-технической революции, о роли науки в жизни человечества. Книга представляет собой философско-публицистический трактат, глубокий по мысли и доступный по форме. В центре внимания автора ответственность ученых за судьбы мира, предотвращение термоядерной войны. В своей книге Борн выступает с позиций страстного поборника мира, убежденного борца против войны, в защиту гуманности и свободы.

Книга адресуется физикам, историкам и методологам науки, философам, всем тем, для кого выражение "мир на Земле" - не пустые слова, кому небезразлично будущее человечества.

Genres: Physics, Biography

176 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Max Born (was a German-British physicist and mathematician who was instrumental in the development of quantum mechanics. He also made contributions to solid-state physics and optics and supervised the work of a number of notable physicists in the 1920s and 30s. Born won the 1954 Nobel Prize in Physics (shared with Walther Bothe).

Reviews

[Jack Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only recently realized that this was out there and decided this was a "must read" - if nothing else to see what one if the great (est?) Scientific monds of the 20th century had to say about his life and work (the shorter part of the book) and his thoughts about the relationship between science and "the state of the world" at the time wrote these essays. He focused a lot on the meaning of atomic weapons for society. He also has an interesting commentary on space flight/travel based at the time (back when it was essentially a US/USSR "race"). Given that it is a collection of essays, there's some repetition, but that's a small price to pay for getting insight into the thoughts of not only a great physicist but a way well-read, broadly knowledgeable individual who thought deeply about these topics.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished the month of July with a bang with the completion of Max Born’s My Life and My Views. One part memoir, one part essay collection, this book gives the reader a glimpse into his thoughts on a range of topics in both science and philosophy. A fascinating read knowing that in his earlier years Born had a lengthy ongoing correspondence with Albert Einstein, back in the days when ongoing written letter exchanges were still common. Worth a read if you’re into scientists/science of this era - which to me is a fascinating time period to read about.

[Richard]

The essays collected in this book once more confirmed the role of the atomic bomb as one of the major events in science history. Max Born very often refers to this turning point in human history, when it became clear that there was no such thing as pure science anymore; scientists indeed have a huge impact on current affairs and affect large portions of the population in big ways. Born at the close of the 20th century, these books offer me a glimpse into a time when scientists in Europe were rock stars and physics was dominated by a selected number of ingenious researchers who all knew each other.

I especially liked his remark that the development of the atomic bomb could not have been prevented, i.e. that a society would eventually learn about nuclear physics. Also, he states numerous times that a fatal accident of history happened: The discovery of fission by Otto Hahn in Hitler's Germany. As a result, many feared a nazi-dominated world order if Hitler could get his hands on nuclear bombs first, hence the monumental effort of Project Manhattan.