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Good Night
Nov. 17th, 2018 12:19 am
Nov. 17th, 2018
Postivismnow Pimp Up
Nov. 17th, 2018 11:03 amDo you have good news, wonderful aphorisms or sayings or words of hope or advice and even funny cat videos, then you need to post to -
https://positivismnow.livejournal.com/
Yes, I am shameless, pumping up this site again. We need newer voices.
https://positivismnow.livejournal.com/
Yes, I am shameless, pumping up this site again. We need newer voices.
Thomas Levenson "The Hunt For Vulcan" (Head Zeus)
In 182 pages, Thomas Levenson gives us an account of important advances in science from Newton’s theory of gravity, which was published in 1686, its application to astronomy, to the publication of Einstein’s theory of relativity in 1915. He also writes of the discoveries of Uranus by Sir William Herschel and Neptune by Urbain Le Verrier. Moreover, Levenson doesn’t just list dry facts but portrays scientists as real people, giving us details of their lives and characters that make physics interesting reading for laymen. For example, we learn how Herschel, a country doctor, was also an avid astronomer with a telescope in his garden. He began identifying Uranus by stealing views in between patients. Le Verrier, a leading astronomer in 1854, became director of the Paris Observatory. Although a brilliant scientist, his management skills were lacking. During Le Verrier’s first thirteen years as director, 17 astronomers and 46 assistants left the Observatory. Colleagues described Le Verrier as a haughty, disdainful, inflexible autocrat. A few times he actually laid hands on people.
The title, “Hunt for Vulcan . . . and How Albert Einstein Destroyed a Planet, Discovered Relativity, and Deciphered the Universe” isn’t quite accurate. When Le Verrier used Newton’s formulas to postulate the existence of a planet between the Sun and Mercury based on anomalies in Mercury’s orbit, everyone assumed he was correct--both Newton and Le Verrier had proven themselves almost god-like in their insights after all. Scientists spent 50 years looking for the planet they called Vulcan and some actually thought they had found it and no one was willing to jettison Newton’s universal law of gravitation until 1915 when Einstein used the theories of relativity and the bending of spacetime by gravity to prove that Vulcan doesn’t, and couldn't, exist. Einstein did not “destroy” Vulcan. Using his theory of relativity, Einstein simply refuted Vulcan’s existence or the need for the discovery of any planet or comet orbiting between Mercury and the sun.
I find it surprising that on November 10, 1919, the New York Times printed on page one an account of Einstein’s theory of relativity, quoting Einstein’s statement that “there were not more than 12 persons in the whole world who would understand it.” It’s hard to imagine a newspaper headlining a complicated theory of physics today.
With biographical sketches, some history of the era, and accessible explanations of the involved science, The Hunt for Vulcan is informative and highly entertaining.
In 182 pages, Thomas Levenson gives us an account of important advances in science from Newton’s theory of gravity, which was published in 1686, its application to astronomy, to the publication of Einstein’s theory of relativity in 1915. He also writes of the discoveries of Uranus by Sir William Herschel and Neptune by Urbain Le Verrier. Moreover, Levenson doesn’t just list dry facts but portrays scientists as real people, giving us details of their lives and characters that make physics interesting reading for laymen. For example, we learn how Herschel, a country doctor, was also an avid astronomer with a telescope in his garden. He began identifying Uranus by stealing views in between patients. Le Verrier, a leading astronomer in 1854, became director of the Paris Observatory. Although a brilliant scientist, his management skills were lacking. During Le Verrier’s first thirteen years as director, 17 astronomers and 46 assistants left the Observatory. Colleagues described Le Verrier as a haughty, disdainful, inflexible autocrat. A few times he actually laid hands on people.
The title, “Hunt for Vulcan . . . and How Albert Einstein Destroyed a Planet, Discovered Relativity, and Deciphered the Universe” isn’t quite accurate. When Le Verrier used Newton’s formulas to postulate the existence of a planet between the Sun and Mercury based on anomalies in Mercury’s orbit, everyone assumed he was correct--both Newton and Le Verrier had proven themselves almost god-like in their insights after all. Scientists spent 50 years looking for the planet they called Vulcan and some actually thought they had found it and no one was willing to jettison Newton’s universal law of gravitation until 1915 when Einstein used the theories of relativity and the bending of spacetime by gravity to prove that Vulcan doesn’t, and couldn't, exist. Einstein did not “destroy” Vulcan. Using his theory of relativity, Einstein simply refuted Vulcan’s existence or the need for the discovery of any planet or comet orbiting between Mercury and the sun.
I find it surprising that on November 10, 1919, the New York Times printed on page one an account of Einstein’s theory of relativity, quoting Einstein’s statement that “there were not more than 12 persons in the whole world who would understand it.” It’s hard to imagine a newspaper headlining a complicated theory of physics today.
With biographical sketches, some history of the era, and accessible explanations of the involved science, The Hunt for Vulcan is informative and highly entertaining.
In Town Today
Nov. 17th, 2018 07:09 pmI was meant to do a couple of visits today but decided to move them forward. I just did not feel like doing so today. So after midday, I popped into town to sell some paperbacks and received six quid, which I then used to get some food, an LP for £2, and more specifically, this item from a charity shop for two pounds -
Yes, another CD storage facility. Filled up with modern classical through to avant-garde jazz and such grooves, and a nice selection of Impulse jazz albums. Much better than old shoeboxes.
The LP I found, well I could not believe my luck, and only two quid!
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It is the U.S. copy on ECM records and worth around a tenner on Discogs.
A fine piece of contemporary avant-garde jazz.
Listening to Kate Bush CD "50 Words For Snow" as I write.
Yes, another CD storage facility. Filled up with modern classical through to avant-garde jazz and such grooves, and a nice selection of Impulse jazz albums. Much better than old shoeboxes.
The LP I found, well I could not believe my luck, and only two quid!
It is the U.S. copy on ECM records and worth around a tenner on Discogs.
A fine piece of contemporary avant-garde jazz.
Listening to Kate Bush CD "50 Words For Snow" as I write.
Xchange Monday
Nov. 17th, 2018 07:51 pmMonday I will be heading to London, as I have there or four visits to do, which I engineered to fall on the same day - two charity shops (purchase and refund), a jewellery shop, and a furniture shop (the clue of them is the hessian bag in the picture here), and of course a visit to MVE. I have a hessian bag full of exchanges to do this time. All CD's I no longer need or chazzer finds that did not exactly float my boat.
I will probably put more in before I am finished and off to the city. So this Monday or next Monday at the very latest - last Monday in November you see. Oh and that hessian bag - the clue, a planet after Uranus. Yes - there is a chain of shops called that.
I will probably put more in before I am finished and off to the city. So this Monday or next Monday at the very latest - last Monday in November you see. Oh and that hessian bag - the clue, a planet after Uranus. Yes - there is a chain of shops called that.
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