By studying physics with Perkowitz, you may be able to knock on the door of the physical world

Physics is an ancient discipline that spans a long time and vast space, encompassing natural philosophical ideas as well as modern physical theories. From Aristotle to Newton to Einstein, the development of physics marks the development of human understanding of the world and even the universe. From the Big Bang theory to black holes to gravitational waves, physics concepts have always sparked heated discussions and imaginations, and have had a profound impact on society and culture. Physics, the latest Oxford Reader series, is a great way to explain how physicists do their research, how physics affects the functioning of society, and how physics will answer the question "Where did everything begin?" "How can humanity continue to develop?" and other important issues.

Even if you're not a physicist and haven't taken a physics course, physics is a part of your life. Your smartphone uses semiconductor chips made according to quantum mechanics; If you've ever had an X-ray or an MRI, you've experienced the benefits of medical technology developed in a physical laboratory; If you care about clean energy, environmental protection, or nuclear war, then these topics are also inseparable from physics; If you've ever looked up at the stars in the night sky and wondered where they and everything else in the world came from, physics will tell you the answer. From consumer goods to research that explores the frontiers of the unknown, physics has become embedded in our daily activities, our civilizations, and our ambitions. It is a fundamental discipline that enjoys the unwavering support of society, and it is also the foundation of other disciplines and technologies.

As a basic science that studies matter and energy, physics is studied at almost all scales of nature: from the smallest subatom to the entire universe. Sidney Perkowitz, professor emeritus of physics at Emory University in the United States, provides an overview of the development and evolution of physics in his book Physics, revealing how physics works: how physicists think, who funds physics research, and how physics underpins the science and technology we use.

Sidney Perkowitz, a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, is a popular science writer who is committed to popularizing science for the general public, and has published many popular science works such as "Universal Bubbles: From Cappuccino to the Universe", "Digital Man", "Slow Light", and has written for "Science", "Washington Post", "Los Angeles Times" and other newspapers. In 2015, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Arts and Sciences.

Physics has been deeply associated with nature since its inception, and its name "physics" comes from the Greek root "physis", which means "nature". But the tools that form modern physics have evolved over a long period of time. At the beginning of the book, the author traces the formation of physics: "Other necessary conditions for the development of physics include careful observation and continuous recording of natural events, such as the regular motion of planets and stars. Then there's the quantitative analysis. Mathematics has become the language of physics, and it is the most powerful, concise, and accurate way to process data, express physical ideas, build world models, and predict world behavior. There are two other prerequisites: one is the concept of experimentation, i.e., the testing of a particular idea by artificially limiting a part of reality by design, typically in the form of combining observations with recorded quantitative data; The other is the development of theoretical physics, which uses mathematics to analyze and explain physical behavior and experimental results. These elements did not happen overnight or in the same place, they were born in different countries and cultures over a period of thousands of years. To give an example that has been integrated into physics: before the Greeks, the early Sumerians, Babylonians, and Egyptians had already proposed various methods of measurement and applied mathematics to them. The Sumerians and Babylonians produced star catalogs, and the Egyptians developed practical mathematics to deal with the distribution of land after the Nile flooded and land markers were erased. Other ancient civilizations around the world have also come up with a variety of physical and quantitative sciences, as well as technologies that can demonstrate their mastery of some of the principles of physics. For example, the Chinese invented many devices and methods such as abacus and compass; Indian mathematicians in South Asia have proposed or widely disseminated some basic mathematical concepts, such as the concept of 'zero is a number', negative numbers, etc.; The Mayans of Mesoamerica developed sophisticated astronomical systems and calendars; The Incas in South America designed and built a large-scale system of roads and ditches for hydrological management. ”

In fact, the popularization of science can be described as a difficult task, especially the popularization of physics, which is even more difficult! Gu Min, a professor at the School of Physics of Nanjing University, said in the preface that Pei's book is original, although it talks about physics, it does not indulge in the sea of equations. When it comes to physics, even if it is popularized, it is often inseparable from equations and formulas, and it is regarded as crawling like an earthworm and floating like a tadpole, which is even more confusing to read. Except for a few professional scholars, others will dream of Zhou Gong's butterfly soon after opening the book. It can be seen that the complexity of the equations and the obscurity of the formulas plague sentient beings. Patrick is well aware of the drawbacks, so when describing the physical content, he depicts it in a vivid and conceptually clear way, completely abandoning the mathematical language, which is the most remarkable thing about this book, like splitting a rugged mountain into a smooth road; Dispel the fog of the obstructive eye and enlighten the light of wisdom. Readers only need to have a small amount of basic knowledge of physics to read this book with confidence, appreciate and deeply understand the great discipline of physics, and explore the mysteries of physics, which is the best of popular science! Second, the book is a grand narrative that spans the past and the present, outlining the development process and internal logic of physics. Finally, Patrick introduced the applications of physics from multiple perspectives, such as tides, geomagnetism, astronomical telescopes, transistors, LEDs, lasers, X-rays, nuclear magnetic resonance, medical ultrasound, solar cells, nuclear energy (fission and fusion), biophysics, radiation medicine, radiometric dating (geological dating and archaeological dating), etc., and discussed some hot issues, such as dark matter and dark energy, Schrödinger's cat and quantum entanglement, quantum computing and quantum communication, etc. In conclusion, in this book, Pais presents a comprehensive picture of physics and answers important questions such as the importance of physics research and its impact on human society. It is easy to understand and read, and it is really a rare work of popular science. ”

From the ideas of Greek natural philosophers to modern quantum theory to topics such as energy production, this book presents the evolution of pure physical theory and the impact of applied physics. The book also explores the socio-cultural impact of physics and how it allows us to re-examine our place in the universe. For example, the natural philosopher Aristotle's unique perception of physics: "Aristotle's analysis of motion had its insights, but his law of falling bodies exposed the weakness of Greek thought, which did not use empirical results to understand nature." Aristotle's assertion that heavier objects fall faster may sound common sense, but it is not true. After many experiments, we will understand that in a given gravitational field, everything falls with the same acceleration. However, Greek speculation gave rise to some important ideas, such as the atomism defended by Democritus of Abdera, which he reduced to the following sentence: 'Nothing exists outside of atoms and space, and everything else is an idea.' But some of the early thinkers did make some experiments and observations. For example, Archimedes discovered the principle of buoyancy in liquids; In the second century AD, Claudius Ptolemy collected data on the refraction or bending of light between different media. Each subsequent century has its own physical contribution. Earlier work followed the writings of Greek philosophers, especially Aristotle, but not all civilizations expanded these ideas. The Roman philosopher and poet Lucretius had a great influence simply by explaining Greek science to his fellow citizens. His poem "The Theory of the Nature of Things" is known for its clear presentation of Greek ideas such as atomism. The poem influenced Isaac Newton's understanding of the motion of falling bodies, as well as Darcy Thompson, a Scottish mathematical biologist and author of the classic On Growth and Form (1917), on the physical constraints of living things, who he credited with inspiring every generation of scientists. ”

Physics originated in ancient Greece, and Aristotle famously said, "The greater the mass, the greater the acceleration." However, Galileo disproved this theory by observing a sphere rolling on a slope, proposing the law of free fall, pointing out that acceleration has nothing to do with the mass of an object, and establishing the standard for experimentally verifying theories in physics. These facts, which may seem simple today, were controversial and magnificent at the time, and are described in great detail in the book. The same is true of Copernicus' heliocentric theory. Eventually, through the efforts of Kepler and Newton, the basic framework of physics was established, both experimental and theoretical. The two complement each other and are indispensable. However, the facts are not always so simple, the theory of ether, thermodynamics, quantum theory, the Big Bang theory, etc., are all tortuous and complex, and the book describes them in detail, seeking truth from facts, and is worth pondering. The questions that arise from this, such as why science emerged in the West and not in the East, are also worth pondering.

Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Roald Hoffmann commented that in this book, Sidney Perkowitz takes us on an enlightening journey through physics, from quarks to the refrigerator in the kitchen. He shows us in clear language how humanity's sheer curiosity about the world can lead us to understand everything from the Earth's interior to black holes light-years away. That's physics! Professor Gu Min also commented from the perspective of the translation of this book: "The words are interesting, and the translator has made great contributions. Chen Yang, M.S. in Physics, Beijing Institute of Technology. He has translated and published a number of books, and has provided translations and participated in the review of the official account of Global Science's 'Scientific Research Circle'. Translation is the essence of cultural exchange, and Yang has been fascinated by it for nearly a decade. It is a very meaningful move to translate Physics, a popular general reader, for domestic readers. Trust and understanding are key to the hardships of translation. Especially in the field of physics, where there are many terms and ideas, it can be challenging to translate. Yang's translations are calm and simple, and they live up to their name. In your spare time, you can read it, have a wide range of knowledge, and moisturize things silently! (Reader Daily all-media reporter He Jian)