Equation that Changed the World: Newton, Einstein, and Relativity

Author: (German) Fritsch
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: Can a simple mathematical equation really change the world? What profound physical meaning does it conceal? The author explains the basic ideas of special relativity in clear, fresh, and accessible language. The famous mass-energy equation E=mc2 plays a central role in our understanding of the material structure and properties of nature. The immense energy source of the atomic bomb is based on the physical principles described by this equation, and thus the latter changed the entire world through the former. The main content of this book is presented in the form of a virtual three-person discussion, involving Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and a fictional theoretical physics professor named Adrian Haller. They represent three different eras of the development of physics. Through lively dialogues among the three, readers can personally grasp the spacetime perspective of relativity, such as the principle of the constancy of the speed of light, time dilation, and length contraction. The emergence of the mass-energy relationship deepens our understanding of the material world: phenomena like nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, the creation and annihilation of particles and antiparticles, and other incredible events are all examples of the interconversion of matter and energy.