Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

The Age of Uncertainty: how the greatest minds in physics changed the way we see the world
The Age of Uncertainty: how the greatest minds in physics changed the way we see the world
The Age of Uncertainty: how the greatest minds in physics changed the way we see the world
Ebook427 pages6 hours

The Age of Uncertainty: how the greatest minds in physics changed the way we see the world

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars

()

Read preview

About this ebook

The epic, page-turning history of how a group of physicists toppled the Newtonian universe in the early decades of the twentieth century.

Marie Curie, Max Planck, Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schrödinger, and Albert Einstein didn’t only revolutionise physics; they redefined our world and the reality we live in. In The Age of Uncertainty, Tobias Hürter brings to life the golden age of physics and its dazzling, flawed, and unforgettable heroes and heroines. He immerses us in a half century of global turmoil against which some of humankind’s greatest and strangest scientific discoveries unfolded, expertly guiding us through the brilliant and mind-bending ideas that turned the world on its head.

The work of the twentieth century’s most important physicists produced scientific breakthroughs that led to an entirely new view of physics — and a view of the universe that is still not fully understood today, even as evidence for its accuracy is all around us. The men and women who made these discoveries were intellectual adventurers, renegades, dandies, and nerds, some bound together by deep friendship; others, by bitter enmity. But the age of relativity theory and quantum mechanics was also the age of wars and revolutions. The discovery of radioactivity transformed science, but also led to the horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Throughout The Age of Uncertainty, Hürter reminds us about the entanglement of science and world events, for we cannot observe the world without changing it.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 30, 2022
ISBN9781922586698
The Age of Uncertainty: how the greatest minds in physics changed the way we see the world
Author

Tobias Hürter

Tobias Hürter, born in 1972, studied mathematics and philosophy in Munich and Berkeley, and holds a PhD in mathematics. He has been writing about science, technology, and philosophy for magazines and newspapers since 2000. He worked as an editor at the MIT Technology Review and was deputy editor at Hohe Luft, a philosophy magazine that he co-founded. Now he is a permanent freelance editor at DIE ZEIT Magazin Wissen. Hürter is the author of several nonfiction books.

Related to The Age of Uncertainty

Related ebooks

Physics For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for The Age of Uncertainty

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings

0 ratings0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    The Age of Uncertainty - Tobias Hürter

    ebook_preview_excerpt.html}˒ƱtͲJMI|H&"K6eY \f7{?Yjh#9GYպ`*DqoοoyL鷿 oSNK~s7?Ͽ9?7UWb:?Ti\P]6>*T50ZqL}/9r:w~!iWa5! 5mZSU|ƇbhT#/ZԄ>W\s8T{5ׇ0V1~  |Xz/|s= 衚S5Sl-­eV)yU F/|s 1of٭nKa -Oh[S-3C|ܲ|׻^~DE?v0z M=.Nu SYpϗ>Wz<֩x_ QEh0vu vpsqCAᡸRԺ, ]lאKuR}vY! V{Lی'1mئa6+C= Nқzs|ƙ96-p~e&8V]0HlL, Ijx+7J%|r&ji ![zNݮ8cYMeO?-9"=emM)r~Vs4Vtx7lya~u^FZ' eSWF;L㊮>Iਗ਼zpK;;ˋY_o%;(_O; Y}3.]oG v5îʫQAl}uy0(M]Lz ['ava G3Y߮[}*=C] wPm!tɡ&Di^OXgW,>-| , 0o-vf{,ma>&ŭU8>vKu@[w IjV PjU^͆<ޟn k@S>g Idp@V= 4I~z9R , O=!"˺|3[‹3$ alvUa_c@EsJm6sKo)@>#c:Z&]L<Lh rәb`2VifB<@ _Áa'zaRbH`@jc"'IWmX_gtL`"@Ghx8i7_34YClIΞ*Ng(~X[hqݴ_I2L̃T7iߵ!W†-PqIv;mPv`><~zc5un|nA ݵD },}shGP([^6`T?[;Hܩd6eü:m)RvJ(8gKz߄ QxAPT6IY&uP0(=Þi-\6δFT` J,Yvgf:\2wcrFϓ)Ş!:T\ T $VPWjtTi^q4b vãJk`͓ -B8;Z8sH|iܮ07 rdE@,^:SapmDJNC1 [pqxg$[ NNI!/ W?#S5s &sQ|5 ian_2);弞t>`4[8{#&w6S=$xNlM3W?gb'8G2Lo#" 纷-mn!H0oÇU*WNꌧ20x *ȑxO!'; ɍМIÏydK9,*@q:ag 9#&@R/gJ-BI*CH`m^ *N[G+B՚sqMq¿zAw!GDl7`OʧLI8cBo_|" Ş EJ{"Crdq% MC~|7*}-G.SarޮU%(*V+TX#Se>If!$om99hWĹ(h)-$Ҧ^ʪr O2S``I>%6_;1_*ʅ$15 ׁ |"?g] 7f21]۹z`(p&X*zvᏪ4bSΠcU e>VSN0M), _`=; tס5iN4ÙZ (HFbFyo o`XvHȻDVMTY~6Gkjj`gۺiMNl1]|xI 1m`b>Pd+`+w0ͶAmVX~$doRL=Ld$]7ƶOC=(cSՌbYGV7u(y]3Z^LBkhq oyAxsB"rRnyr-UFtA\jaj슣^@ %,+4ԕ3E4(͊'y9w5|480b;+}=I$a8v"4qS)Uϖ'p<ƶ#$٘zpIa||,Ico>ڍEQ6*H>8O#O dg֨l Qb)9-)K/>Yh+σ/LS`X|)),:S֥>ze[v"R=xw>ƧE2-xGCiW2JKʖY| (.c-<?F$ˠn0 rVCTnPmua Z/@Y>B#@!9\)D$3_B*Ɋ )8ۯK tZ2Mž)rUe֎f,g"˂eg9s/@70y^~^ q 2y$t>%u"rflTll 1>g9ǺY C{qdao<6z5W )'(,lu6Mi` {7BͰ=v ݶ ԥɍ h>t j^\2Od:ZK7dvb7N6JxkOOX=սjق*,˄5HFmel #FQQ$yYn#JXC i+]=JK!:Mt@=XҸV&4Zdܭ#>IE cX"$ߙS"נQg9W>mâ73ϲ7ZW6JNi5"{^3oaٷEWW5Ӗit4Tq*ijz\d"| k0q-;7qZHPG~HAN:[t\M@8SDz/q?^ddzᇦ3^ۍ'\/eL57= Z}V62MZ]o!2Ÿ_{)C0j|ӬI? ?;]W_|{EV/%_k0!]W f DrRbp0 ̍rm7[4,?؆LU8f6(ҍ,7Hp rTw%"XnP:seN*Udy̩bYI5ymOS'"ݞ/sΗJֲ)k/еy!df_/"usFxE,ɺd9%/r7Yt9[ ߢ[Z.y~y2K̫o c+Rp&xp3(8\Op >% cbh:rK殫㜓~uS(}bD)T+ PeF;z>ݱeΒ' [:LY[>GCQb!F%D$!σ+q)xJR0u^9@LjqLFשTyw}z|&q[^2pc49Dn VsaB>U:͸4ԻI变/ Q{ZRԠ;U捾na,gzɜq/u{VI&FhxiOQ#윱Lj;J N#v\#f^@yB/=أJ@1JPWlϫm:(ܣ2?Cz򷟉% #> 9PL,lZ2D8aM_Q:>2:6q}d91"nU8dP%S&F2>rvQ ) [#Mkv6l]V+ɵnm`=d2ӻ\Q)Ziإ.*yn8>:W<9fF.Op(^ q x٪g(`&Ub6=dD$wזg A8MDS). !7t뙩P<@SՏȮ}?,<Z*^N .\\1jlY' 0x_GmZC#5di%'ѻ 2lWa=7c:Q\GAyVQu%W3޻X 3 40'&CsxV912嘨]jʞH%HʛÜ-ڼr;#=*]]GJ֬ }rcUL"ڊ~75&aMD_ gEpe@uaxi[Mq({ҹ6p/m9 O6/2E+*ڜZw3U*AwCdV` H %,ɬAlpH8Bb% ҕ.c.CUŮ!8'&eg[xP[S[e#:H@rmw S~BhzXG|DW(6r)m|>;6 IrBrĒnJd\Z~E}+B3{bœ:\{ DSP$睛45s<庋÷UmY! [KZF~w߳Pi?X\E3?AH{{˶XP_LZ)\&_͐pH ]L`;'j%fXnM'Sf/e|MK8D6i+qz.KeoOT<4 b0È0mzauw'&}%[h$&p`m2*y~d/h[=|Ty$}C[a(53F[q#1O_ [t́;ҀpgXU!! >;>BU&QO}'u_(=:p-Yף*]X ֞}dxQPn /!\. Vgm?js76e*0?DntrfP: Ykp 3s2qyJlمHhJO4TA7`tp'D!y@S60*h[o_},Dk_pǖB;H+D0v)*·|g}w[U?scFlބ.o|x(X̕2r?$RR\ ]R4-k|J89s#7h›M7-a'6l㚞!^iBHZfȦOI o}F9=b~$զ? DIڭJvLGQ9Ud.4 %\Rfi :evIJ+ ;4^ӵVBס{hjʔ?'֌*nĂT9U?q^[-} K]We),B j@}5U 6{S3wl̍ni`.=$˥}X2hw$+ti(c'eԇ+Q4A(6x-"zEivFg;T"Θ,CaJ ۽6ETt2nvI9ϵ{/*=m}5r\& ΔW@:mEͶ*&tK7Y)XX_.K<<*vaAt5S6"˾tj'Ɓg x>Ӣ܈ H'V%4lpc7ArPD _˜1N۱krB=6q$~t"_3tDzʤq&a1Ťz'hNrOWM+gmX.R[pFYփ0Kug"1tXF;gZ*zAxQO {?;|-ܧ,xd~#b>Lnq:wPMU0g|jޕ֛=7̕uhjnbJD\sgՌG  j%X+ʑ_]!~ob'21Lx)H< R16ޟ,Tl1^BCh4ƱU\Ք'^c`<ۀ8/W2oDc&73ѝl%mr ]`¡s Tg)iiֆtZH4ˎ>f[h34O}ޏ5@B:.dXE(NFc%_D Hԓyl/pV};m[ۏrާ$5ډBe/46T"wHnR,-,ޯ508?ynco͆ub)RuL#|'`ccEJqՙw1EM 4NǨNY9MI{/l؎\gQ7npPڳP2S38W>Ҝ JeӋTZǘ)X1(YO3"xM5NQmcW!`gwWD}ϸzjp<bQ1_-}) x yIĆë~K“* (&dn%U!tk<'avFѦ˔jz|e'd^m:]riFm=>útW&:ٌ kblo2xy 7MӴ9r1W$Czw:PLjkSš-wO#j؁N0f' 49'^V5`{ ؎Bb f}Ƅ)u܌MVs `m(yiF*lڴq_̭M{5` :lz?eqpkP#E`~Z7('x+P܇k+ؔFPqs&ܾt)TB`g hLU$\8Qog$l(* RadTebiiUO,DOTde򧩩'6Q*cN21q‚d`hW# ?'qrNpOIQ )lXE=)3sm^~*1nR;`mYy mFegX -x87s)]. v}ڛe.8kEa}]xtn.'u{QP dVCAVE40P[]2ޡy%)͠q)msg|sƉ CE@yҴSVb w$[d=\r;$0{\s{dXJ#rET~bIdě ){iT7e7يڙ$\S*sw76>5V|[+0zYjq^l= xW=hC^A@ɫ`XܘI$88ӱi A,S Sl"I%ÇZP@yS[7$\$̐Cm蟆AT$bEU"Ŧnip$I ]4zȝVl8đ战/޴Ӧ]N5>VE3sGjȵvOD"y0`:+s<1 ƶ$,qt2$_oPD a_A3!rOgNDf#fĎ#m@ tF(qf[{K| <6RDa % 5Ԝ!;H ̗@_)Vs,p&*?-Y+UzO/ R i%Y'Ԟ~%s%gr(͋H0E@s<_Hbu<8gemlMG]vC@ \R0jmr e>Ykΐ>`-o!x )WPشڍjXv&v7̣uFl('5bͷޕ9`3}5̦Ι_t+њ)1H8#rK}M&&l6?g&WĨ̂uӜm6|侔ssZm)7)$(M#'ιأSj#.J>$kdaR>jprFW*-6iۯvB?@ Q{5W:O<^7u.|Sp,FN x=l/HM$dYaz.yR^w[)GC~Zjy$~Dmjl5w7U3ϭg>ZCC2&ST6Y^gmuDF}ɀLQ90C,@X8#+ V513H,a8-%)}R.2 Zg;G'c<]ֵZoHB/Sg^>* ;e0-?L .(b"~K.䥷w6bSU /^x!%7bq ]ygŌGGIqdBѣ>+gNFE5n趚K=ÅهFX(/D{DP~>3[r`Urs9%31 R+ʨ|Գ@dך5hrD9;{e -q;;~OJ^*돊,y6T}bu*kT8SEc4lz5w-hHcps;,*͏΋^t]ᦕ7Df7Y &أLͤu%kZ,%5*cQ|Ll(6)<̋]yUvbmA,QXERD¿洨Bܕ1>>:w3Yg.*O1e֓<`UѻSUh4Y'2=N`]" Ge?KB)Ig^dt"嘅ˬ!׍8uے[w޾4kM]Ub@{xsWkRì%bZH.TbW٫"Sqwy,Nf}9vt~e;M~ľ]cy%~_ʛ B#/79/|rՒG*}eL I:gdC"̉q+L{c3J ߤ5LcjxsZ Y R}i`Q Uu\଍f-~/v.:9V@pNHgU,O2zew$0[S6Ds&V[ΟwexQ:D˧Q5Me$.rX1|20WCK8;717w~ދSdp5ݹ-i#YD~" XK9qڽ[[~ʗÈܟE}`h /.&ExRli-ހuc<%؁IggNm1\^EOۙsUtO o3Rp֨:U}/B5rw"r?%_ͮ{$q3b_kNZb B#]6"uBPOOQ|UbD-16Y߸Ţ>h>m5*4ii(Z:1ӚyUk54C(soyWZ_!gZ688+@_8ta#ҫPb6~_^ALHs-vj{)ZoR|i M}U.1w0 fܓJTvtU6O+{oo/a=ukQMZ`vJYY#jqGlS<v7#8k<9xSH&7p{ǡ.J#fv=R%!Û +wO°-qYs~d@ۅٝRfymg{%í$_%h#[I!T\na53oUJΧ3: MOw(Es䈏 æ)_[ &x lF)!K޼do-w8LQ3im*je7QL|r-;c"s?eOYeBQv8\$!rW7 O>1ýd/bϖ"&W{S;)\gle-D RMޯ[
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1