David C. Cassidy
Autor(a) de Uncertainty: The Life and Science of Werner Heisenberg
About the Author
David C. Cassidy is the author of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the American Century, Einstein and Our World, and Uncertainty. Professor of Natural Sciences at Hofstra University, he has served as Associate Editor of The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein. He is the only author to have received both mostrar mais the Science Writing Award of the American Institute of Physics and the Pfizer Award of the History of Science Society for the same book (Uncertainty). mostrar menos
Disambiguation Notice:
(eng) Do not confuse this author with the singer David Cassidy.
Obras por David C. Cassidy
Werner Heisenberg: A Bibliography of His Writings (Berkeley papers in history of science) (1984) 3 exemplares
Tears of Endurance 1 exemplar
Associated Works
Etiquetado
Conhecimento Comum
- Sexo
- male
Fatal error: Call to undefined function isLitsy() in /var/www/html/inc_magicDB.php on line 425- David C. Cassidy is the author of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the American Century, which will be available in paperback from John Hopkins University next fall. He is also the author of Einstein and Our World, and Uncertainty. Professor of natural sciences at Hofstra University, he has served as associate editor of The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein. He is the only author to have received both the Science Writing Award from the American Institute of Physics and the Pfizer Award from the History of Science Society for the same book (Uncertainty).
- Nota de desambiguação
- Do not confuse this author with the singer David Cassidy.
Membros
Críticas
Farm Hall and the German Atomic Project of World… por David C. Cassidy
Een toneelstuk over de Farm Hall gesprekken. Farm Hall was de plaats waar een aantal duitse physici na de oorlog zijn vastgehouden. Hun gesprekken zijn in het geheim opgenomen om er achter te komen wat zij wisten van de atoombom en of zij er ook 1 hadden ontwikkeld. Behalve het toneelstuk is er ook een samenvatting en uitleg van de opgenomen gesprekken. En het begin van een interpretatie, maar daarin is de auteur niet helemaal geslaagd.
½
In Einstein and Our World, David C. Cassidy explores the relationship between Albert Einstein’s work and history, arguing that historians cannot understand the significance of a scientist’s work without context. He writes, “The history of science has achieved a greater sophistication and depth as well as a new professional status as a legitimate branch of historical research. Adapting historical methods to its subject, the new profession treats science like all other human endeavors, as a cultural phenomenon, and scientists like other historical figures, as human players in a fascinating historical drama” (pg. 17). With this model in mind, Cassidy alternates between biography, scientific explanations, and an examination of scientific work predating, concurrent with, and following Einstein. Cassidy compares the significance of Einstein’s work to that of Isaac Newton, writing, “Unlike the faith in human reason displayed by some of their Enlightenment counterparts, many twentieth-century thinkers and cultural figures saw in Einstein’s work confirmation of a world moving into an uncertain and meaningless future, and this was reflected in their own works” (pg. 15).
Examining Einstein’s thought process, Cassidy writes, “Einstein, the researcher, started with an attempt to find a Newtonian mechanical foundation for all of physics, but by 1905 he realized that a new foundation would be required” (pg. 31). He addresses the historiography of Einstein and those in his life, writing, “One historical question that has arisen recently concerns the extent to which Einstein’s famous works of 1905 derived from discussions with his friends and, especially, with his fellow physics student and future wife, Mileva Marić” (pg. 42). Cassidy concludes that Marić was crucial to Einstein’s 1905 work, despite not receiving credit in her own time. Of that work, Cassidy writes, “Einstein’s work transformed the nature and subject matter of physics, especially theoretical physics, into their influential, contemporary forms. But the effects of his work were felt only gradually, occurring in some cases over decades” (pg. 57). To summarize the impact on other scientists, Cassidy writes, “The enormous difficulty that [Max] Planck (and others) experienced in comprehending what Einstein had actually done indicates the enormous transformation in thinking that the theory of relativity required” (pg. 60).
Einstein’s discoveries transformed other scientists’ work, as well as elements of society at large. Examining how Einstein and physicists reacted to the quantum models that developed in response to relativity, Cassidy writes, “Older physicists such as Einstein and Planck, still loyal to worldviews and conceptual approaches, could not accept the new quantum physics, despite its internal logic and its mathematical coherence” (pg. 67). Quantum physics gave way to quantum mechanics. Cassidy writes, “By 1928 the two formulations – matrix mechanics and wave mechanics – had been joined into one theory, a new ‘quantum mechanics’ to replace the old Newtonian mechanics when dealing with phenomena on the atomic scale” (pg. 87). In society, people adapted relativity to describe social models, much like they had Darwin’s work. Cassidy writes, “At the close of the Great War, the familiar features of the mechanical worldview seemed suddenly undercut by relativity theory, and the old view’s ‘deterministic’ elements seemed at fault for current uncontrollable difficulties” (pg. 98). Furthermore, “Romantics did not miss the opportunity to associate Einstein’s relativity theory with ontological relativism – the assertion that all forms of ultimate knowledge, including their own preferences for mystical and religious knowledge, are equally valid accounts of the physical world” (pg. 99). Philosophers also drew upon the work. Chief among them were the Vienna Circle. Cassidy describes their work, “With relativity theory as a model, the Circle’s first order of business was to clean up the ambiguous language of science by carefully clarifying the meaning of all concepts” (pg. 115). Furthermore, “The Vienna Circle held that the only statements that are meaningful in science – that is, the only ones that will contribute to positive knowledge – are those that can be verified by direct experimental evidence” (pg. 115). While Einstein changed physics, his work reflected the concerns of his time and shaped those that followed him.… (mais)
Examining Einstein’s thought process, Cassidy writes, “Einstein, the researcher, started with an attempt to find a Newtonian mechanical foundation for all of physics, but by 1905 he realized that a new foundation would be required” (pg. 31). He addresses the historiography of Einstein and those in his life, writing, “One historical question that has arisen recently concerns the extent to which Einstein’s famous works of 1905 derived from discussions with his friends and, especially, with his fellow physics student and future wife, Mileva Marić” (pg. 42). Cassidy concludes that Marić was crucial to Einstein’s 1905 work, despite not receiving credit in her own time. Of that work, Cassidy writes, “Einstein’s work transformed the nature and subject matter of physics, especially theoretical physics, into their influential, contemporary forms. But the effects of his work were felt only gradually, occurring in some cases over decades” (pg. 57). To summarize the impact on other scientists, Cassidy writes, “The enormous difficulty that [Max] Planck (and others) experienced in comprehending what Einstein had actually done indicates the enormous transformation in thinking that the theory of relativity required” (pg. 60).
Einstein’s discoveries transformed other scientists’ work, as well as elements of society at large. Examining how Einstein and physicists reacted to the quantum models that developed in response to relativity, Cassidy writes, “Older physicists such as Einstein and Planck, still loyal to worldviews and conceptual approaches, could not accept the new quantum physics, despite its internal logic and its mathematical coherence” (pg. 67). Quantum physics gave way to quantum mechanics. Cassidy writes, “By 1928 the two formulations – matrix mechanics and wave mechanics – had been joined into one theory, a new ‘quantum mechanics’ to replace the old Newtonian mechanics when dealing with phenomena on the atomic scale” (pg. 87). In society, people adapted relativity to describe social models, much like they had Darwin’s work. Cassidy writes, “At the close of the Great War, the familiar features of the mechanical worldview seemed suddenly undercut by relativity theory, and the old view’s ‘deterministic’ elements seemed at fault for current uncontrollable difficulties” (pg. 98). Furthermore, “Romantics did not miss the opportunity to associate Einstein’s relativity theory with ontological relativism – the assertion that all forms of ultimate knowledge, including their own preferences for mystical and religious knowledge, are equally valid accounts of the physical world” (pg. 99). Philosophers also drew upon the work. Chief among them were the Vienna Circle. Cassidy describes their work, “With relativity theory as a model, the Circle’s first order of business was to clean up the ambiguous language of science by carefully clarifying the meaning of all concepts” (pg. 115). Furthermore, “The Vienna Circle held that the only statements that are meaningful in science – that is, the only ones that will contribute to positive knowledge – are those that can be verified by direct experimental evidence” (pg. 115). While Einstein changed physics, his work reflected the concerns of his time and shaped those that followed him.… (mais)
***The Kindle copy of this book was purchased with my own funds with no expectations of a review on the author's part.****
Cassidy's The Dark will draw you in, and leave you spellbound in a world tinged with madness.
In the sleepy, snow-bound town of Keys Corner, something ancient and eldritch is once more on the prowl, luring in new victims, and tormenting old ones with nightmare turned reality. For Kelan, it begins with meeting a boy out of time, with the seductive call of the Run, a snowy slope not to be sledded by the faint of heart.
For Harmon, it is a call that hearkens back to a sins of necessity and to a staggering loss. For others, such as Susan, Kelan's mother, and Eric, his brother, and passers-through such as Fran, Pedersen, and the Four-Pack, they are secondary and tertiary players, tapped because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
To me, Harmon's story was the most terrifying, because it dealt with the super-sensitive topic of eyes. I've lost one, and book and cinema scenes involving eyes in any connotation is enough to make me shiver in fear. Here's your fair warning, folks. If you are sensitive about eyes, like me, be prepared. The eye theme carried through from Harmon to Ellis's story, though the themes of 'the watcher in the woods', and eyes in general were persistent throughout the book.
Despite the creepy eye theme, I was hooked from the start. I devoured the story, wanting to learn what this being was....is... I was not disappointed.… (mais)
Cassidy's The Dark will draw you in, and leave you spellbound in a world tinged with madness.
In the sleepy, snow-bound town of Keys Corner, something ancient and eldritch is once more on the prowl, luring in new victims, and tormenting old ones with nightmare turned reality. For Kelan, it begins with meeting a boy out of time, with the seductive call of the Run, a snowy slope not to be sledded by the faint of heart.
For Harmon, it is a call that hearkens back to a sins of necessity and to a staggering loss. For others, such as Susan, Kelan's mother, and Eric, his brother, and passers-through such as Fran, Pedersen, and the Four-Pack, they are secondary and tertiary players, tapped because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
To me, Harmon's story was the most terrifying, because it dealt with the super-sensitive topic of eyes. I've lost one, and book and cinema scenes involving eyes in any connotation is enough to make me shiver in fear. Here's your fair warning, folks. If you are sensitive about eyes, like me, be prepared. The eye theme carried through from Harmon to Ellis's story, though the themes of 'the watcher in the woods', and eyes in general were persistent throughout the book.
Despite the creepy eye theme, I was hooked from the start. I devoured the story, wanting to learn what this being was....is... I was not disappointed.… (mais)
Chess- the royal game, where a sly tactician can hone their skills. It is a game of wits, requiring a quick, clever mind to master. And in Fosgate's Game, by David Cassidy, chess has truly become 'the most dangerous game', as lives are put on the line.
The story is told from the perspective of Chadwick, a companion of sorts to a maladjusted man name of Fosgate. Fosgate has acquired a most rare artifact, a chess set dated to the time of thrpe Tepes rulers of Wallachia. No ordinary chess set is this (where're the Warehouse 13 agents when you need them?). In fact, it might rightly be considered Lucifer's chess set.
One night, as a storm rages outside, Fosgate challenges his companion to a game. There's only one catch. Each player must put an identifying item connected to a specific person inside two receptacles, one for each player. Still benign, yes? Not so much, for this is an otherworldly chess set. Whomever comes out victor will visit death upon the person tied to their receptacle.
Over several months, Fosgate forces his companion to play many more games of devilish chess. But Chadwick is a true strategist, able to think many moves ahead, and he lays a cunning trap for his opponent. Springing the trap brings both players, and readers, face to face with fear itself.
Fosgate's Game was my first introduction to Cassidy's work, and I devoured it in a few short hours. If you are a Lovecraft or King fan, you're certain to enjoy this book!… (mais)
The story is told from the perspective of Chadwick, a companion of sorts to a maladjusted man name of Fosgate. Fosgate has acquired a most rare artifact, a chess set dated to the time of thrpe Tepes rulers of Wallachia. No ordinary chess set is this (where're the Warehouse 13 agents when you need them?). In fact, it might rightly be considered Lucifer's chess set.
One night, as a storm rages outside, Fosgate challenges his companion to a game. There's only one catch. Each player must put an identifying item connected to a specific person inside two receptacles, one for each player. Still benign, yes? Not so much, for this is an otherworldly chess set. Whomever comes out victor will visit death upon the person tied to their receptacle.
Over several months, Fosgate forces his companion to play many more games of devilish chess. But Chadwick is a true strategist, able to think many moves ahead, and he lays a cunning trap for his opponent. Springing the trap brings both players, and readers, face to face with fear itself.
Fosgate's Game was my first introduction to Cassidy's work, and I devoured it in a few short hours. If you are a Lovecraft or King fan, you're certain to enjoy this book!… (mais)
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Associated Authors
Estatísticas
- Obras
- 14
- Also by
- 1
- Membros
- 426
- Popularidade
- #57,313
- Avaliação
- 3.7
- Críticas
- 8
- ISBN
- 42
- Línguas
- 3