Einstein and the Quantum reveals for the first time the
full significance of Albert Einstein's contributions to quantum
theory. Einstein famously rejected quantum mechanics, observing
that God does not play dice. But, in fact, he thought more about
the nature of atoms, molecules, and the emission and absorption of
light--the core of what we now know as quantum theory--than he did
about relativity.
A compelling blend of physics, biography, and the history of
science, Einstein and the Quantum shares the untold story
of how Einstein--not Max Planck or Niels Bohr--was the driving
force behind early quantum theory. It paints a vivid portrait of
the iconic physicist as he grappled with the apparently
contradictory nature of the atomic world, in which its invisible
constituents defy the categories of classical physics, behaving
simultaneously as both particle and wave. And it demonstrates how
Einstein's later work on the emission and absorption of light, and
on atomic gases, led directly to Erwin
Schrödinger's breakthrough to the modern form of
quantum mechanics. The book sheds light on why Einstein ultimately
renounced his own brilliant work on quantum theory, due to his deep
belief in science as something objective and eternal.
A book unlike any other, Einstein and the Quantum
offers a completely new perspective on the scientific achievements
of the greatest intellect of the twentieth century, showing how
Einstein's contributions to the development of quantum theory are
more significant, perhaps, than even his legendary work on
relativity.
eISBN: 978-1-4008-4834-8
Subjects: Physics, History of Science & Technology, History
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