While we may be familiar with some of science's greatest equations, we may not know that each and every equation emerged not in "Eureka!" moments but in years of cultural developments and scientific knowledge. With vignettes full of humor, drama, and eccentricity, philosopher and science historian Robert P. Crease shares the stories behind ten of history's greatest equations, from the "first equation," 1 + 1 = 2, which promises a rational, well-ordered world, to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, which reveals the limitations of human knowledge. For every equation, Crease provides a brief account of who discovered it, what dissatisfactions lay behind its discovery, and what the equation says about the nature of our world.

Author: Robert P. Crease
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 01/01/2010
Pages: 320
Weight: 0.56lbs
Size: 8.24h x 5.58w x 0.78d
ISBN: 9780393337938
Audience: Young Adult

About the Author
Crease, Robert P.: - Robert P. Crease is the chairman of the philosophy department at Stony Brook University and the author of several books on science, including The Quantum Moment and The Great Equations. He lives in New York City.