Shakespeare, Newton, and Beethoven: Different Creative Patterns

Author: S. Chandrasekhar
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-12-01
Features: This book collects seven lectures by the distinguished astrophysicist Professor S. Chandrasekhar. They elaborate the author's general perspectives on the motivation for scientific research and the patterns of scientific creativity. Chandrasekhar believes that the pursuit of science is the pursuit of beauty. Beauty is the inherent harmony between parts and between parts and the whole. He describes the experiences of several eminent physicists in creating and experiencing beauty, such as Heisenberg's discovery of quantum theory, Einstein's refinement of his famous equation, and Weyl's proposal of the gauge theory of gravity, among others. They all involve common issues: motivation, creativity, and beauty.