Preface; 1. Early atomic theory; 2. Thermodynamics and kinetic theory; 3. Early quantum theory; 4. Relativity; 5. Quantum mechanics; 6. Nuclear physics; 7. Quantum field theory: assorted problems; Bibliography; Author index; Subject index.
Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg explains the foundations of modern physics in historical context for undergraduates and beyond.
Steven Weinberg (1933–2021) was a member of the Physics and Astronomy Departments at the University of Texas at Austin. He was honored with numerous awards, including the Nobel Prize in Physics, the National Medal of Science, the Heinemann Prize in Mathematical Physics, and most recently a Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. He was a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the UK's Royal Society, and other academies in the US and internationally. The American Philosophical Society awarded him the Benjamin Franklin medal in 2004, with a citation that said he was 'considered by many to be the preeminent theoretical physicist alive in the world today'. He wrote several highly regarded books, including Gravitation and Cosmology, the three-volume work The Quantum Theory of Fields, Cosmology, and Lectures on Quantum Mechanics, and Lectures on Astrophysics.
'By using the notion of fundamental constituents as the guiding
historical and theoretical principle, Weinberg manages to lay the
foundations of diverse disciplines (hydrodynamics, statistical
mechanics, kinetic theory, thermodynamics, special relativity,
quantum mechanics and even field theory) in less than 300 pages.'
CERN Courier, Opinion Reviews
'Whereas many textbooks forgo historical notes, Weinberg delights
the reader by adding terse yet apt context to the physical concepts
he introduces … It is as if he is imagining what students might be
puzzled by and then solves those problems … everyone will want to
have Foundations of Modern Physics on their bookshelf. There is
always something new to be found in it, and - similar to having a
conversation about physics with Weinberg - there is never a dull
moment when reading it.' Melissa Franklin, Physics Today
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