On the Shoulders of Giants and Dwarfs

Einstein's Unfinished Revolution

ISBN: 978-3-527-40693-7
Verlag: Wiley-VCH, Weinheim

Buch, Englisch, 320 Seiten, Format (B × H): 140 mm x 214 mm

Why did big thinkers like Einstein see further than their predecessors? They not only stood on the shoulders of giants -the achievements of predecessors like Newton- but also on the shoulders of dwarfs - knowledge that has been accumulated by generations in the course of history.

Review text:

From reviews of the German edition:

A book about Albert Einstein - and about a whole lot more. Not only does Jürgen Renntell a fascinating story about Einstein's scientific revolution, he also does away with the idea that Einstein owed his ingenious concepts only to the 'giants' of physics like e.g. Isaac NewtonAn informative book for those who wish to know more about knowledge.
Hamburger Abendblatt

A challenging and readable book for those who wish to learn more about the genesis of the theory of relativity, paradigm shifts in scientific research and the process of scientific awareness.
Deutschlandfunk.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Renn, Jürgen

Fachgebiete

• Naturwissenschaften Physik Physik Allgemein Geschichte der Physik
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Wissenschafts- und Universitätsgeschichte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. The paradox of scientific progresss
2. Einstein's revolution: Myth or challenge?
3. The continent of classical physics and its boundary problems
4. Classical physics gaining ground
5. The explosive force of gravitation
6. Progress in circulation
7. Einstein's revolution as transformation of a knowledge system.

Über Autor(innen)

Professor Jürgen Renn is director at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin. His research focuses primarily on the emergence of mechanics in antiquity, the interaction between practical and theoretical knowledge since the Renaissance, the transition from classical to modern physics, the development of the theory of relativity, and the application of new media to the history of science. Professor Renn was the coordinator of the exhibition 'Albert Einstein - Chief Engineer of the Universe' 2005 in Berlin.