Seven Ideas That Shook the Universe

Partial table of contents: INTRODUCTION. Dominant Themes in Physics. Science and Other Areas of Human Endeavor: Distinctions and Similarities. COPERNICAN ASTRONOMY. Early Scientific Stirrings in the Mediterranean Area. Geocentric Theory of the Universe. The Heliocentric Theory: Revival by Copernicus. New Data and a New Theory. NEWTONIAN MECHANICS AND CAUSALITY. Aristotelian Physics. Galilean Mechanics. Logic, Mathematics, and Science. THE ENERGY CONCEPT. Interactions and Conservation Laws. Heat and Motion. ENTROPY AND PROBABILITY. Heat and Temperature. The Natural Flow of Heat. Transformation of Heat Energy into Other Forms of Energy. The Third Law of Thermodynamics. RELATIVITY. Galilean-Newtonian Relativity. Attempts to Detect the Ether. General Theory of Relativity. QUANTUM THEORY AND THE END OF CAUSALITY. Cavity of Blackbody Radiation. The Nuclear Atom and Atomic Spectra. The Use of Models in Describing Nature. The Impact of Quantum Theory on Philosophy and Literature. CONSERVATION PRINCIPLES AND SYMMETRIES. The Nuclear Force and Nuclear Structure. Conservation Laws and Symmetries. Index.