Book description
At a moment of great discovery, one Big Idea can change the world...
Niels Bohr's discoveries in quantum theory led to advances in
physics and our understanding of atomic structure. His work won him
the Nobel Prize in 1922 and his ideas continue to propel physics
towards new discoveries. But what is quantum theory? Most of us do not
understand even the basics of one of the most significant scientific
advances ever made, opening up a whole new field in science, whose
ambiguities still challenge scientists around the world.
Bohr and Quantum Theory offers an accessible and absorbing
account of the man who was both a part of The Manhattan Project but
also an advocate of peace. He held the key to understanding such
intricate realities as black holes and nuclear energy. Bohr's Big Idea
explains complex and crucial ideas in a clear and engaging way,
placing quantum theory in the context of a man's life, work and time
and examining its important implications for our future.
The Big Idea series is a fascinating look at the greatest
advances in our scientific history, and at the men and women who made
these fundamental breakthroughs.
Paul Strathern was born in London and studied philosophy at Trinity
College, Dublin. He was a lecturer at Kingston University where he
taught philosophy and mathematics. He is a Somerset Maugham
prize-winning novelist of
A Season in Abyssinia
, as well as four other novels. He is also the author of the
Philosophers in 90 Minutes
series
.
He wrote
Mendeleyev's Dream
which was shortlisted for the Aventis Science Book Prize,
Dr.
Strangelove's Game: A History of Economic Genius
,
The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance
,
Napoleon in Egypt
and most recently,
The Artist, The Philosopher and The Warrior
,
which details the convergence of three of Renaissance Italy's most
brilliant minds: Leonardo Da Vinci, Niccolo Machiavelli and Cesare
Borgia. He lives in London and has three grandchildren.
