Einstein's war : how relativity triumphed amid the vicious nationalism of World War I

The Resource Einstein's war : how relativity triumphed amid the vicious nationalism of World War I
Label
Einstein's war : how relativity triumphed amid the vicious nationalism of World War I
Title remainder
how relativity triumphed amid the vicious nationalism of World War I
Statement of responsibility
Matthew Stanley
Title variation
Einstein's war
Title variation remainder
the birth of relativity amid the vicious nationalism of World War I
Creator
Author
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
"The birth of a world-changing idea in the middle of a bloodbath. Einstein's War is a riveting exploration of both the beauty of scientific creativity and the enduring horrors of human nature. These two great forces battle in a story that culminates with a victory now a century old: the mind-bending theory of general relativity. Few recognize how the Great War, the industrialized slaughter that bled Europe from 1914 to 1918, shaped Einstein's life and work. While Einstein never held a rifle, he formulated general relativity while blockaded in Berlin, literally starving. He lost 50 pounds in three months, unable to communicate with his most important colleagues. Some of those colleagues fought against rabid nationalism; others were busy inventing chemical warfare--being a scientist trapped a person in the power plays of empire. Meanwhile, Einstein struggled to craft relativity and persuade the world that it was correct. This was, after all, the first complete revision of our conception of the universe since Isaac Newton's, and its victory was far from sure. Scientists seeking to confirm Einstein's ideas were arrested as spies. Technical journals were banned as enemy propaganda. Colleagues died in the trenches. Einstein was separated from his most crucial ally by barbed wire and U-boats. This ally was the Quaker astronomer and Cambridge don A. S. Eddington, who would go on to convince the world of the truth of relativity and the greatness of Einstein. In May 1919, when Europe was still in chaos from the war, Eddington led a globe-spanning expedition to catch a fleeting solar eclipse for a rare opportunity to confirm Einstein's bold prediction that light has weight. It was the result of this expedition--the proof of relativity, as many saw it--that put Einstein on front pages around the world. Matthew Stanley's epic tale is a celebration of how bigotry and nationalism can be defeated, and of what science can offer when they are."--Dust jacket
Biography type
contains biographical information
Cataloging source
OU/DLC
Dewey number
530.1109/041
Illustrations
  • illustrations
  • photographs
Index
index present
LC call number
QC173.52
LC item number
.S73 2019
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography

Context

Context of Einstein's war : how relativity triumphed amid the vicious nationalism of World War I

Work of

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