{"product_id":"the-prism-and-the-pendulum-the-ten-most-beautiful-experiments-in-science-9780812970623","title":"The Prism and the Pendulum: The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments in Science","description":"Is science beautiful? Yes, argues acclaimed philosopher and historian of science Robert P. Crease in this engaging exploration of history's most beautiful experiments. The result is an engrossing journey through nearly 2,500 years of scientific innovation. Along the way, we encounter glimpses into the personalities and creative thinking of some of the field's most interesting figures. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWe see the first measurement of the earth's circumference, accomplished in the third century B.C. by Eratosthenes using sticks, shadows, and simple geometry. We visit Foucault's mesmerizing pendulum, a cannonball suspended from the dome of the Panth on in Paris that allows us to see the rotation of the earth on its axis. We meet Galileo--the only scientist with two experiments in the top ten--brilliantly drawing on his musical training to measure the speed of falling bodies. And we travel to the quantum world, in the most beautiful experiment of all. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWe also learn why these ten experiments exert such a powerful hold on our imaginations. From the ancient world to cutting-edge physics, these ten exhilarating moments reveal something fundamental about the world, pulling us out of confusion and revealing nature's elegance. \u003ci\u003eThe Prism and the Pendulum\u003c\/i\u003e brings us face-to-face with the wonder of science.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRobert P. Crease\u003c\/b\u003e is a professor in the Department of Philosophy at Stony Brook University in New York, and historian at Brookhaven National Laboratory. He writes a monthly column, \"Critical Point,\" for \u003ci\u003ePhysics World\u003c\/i\u003e magazine. His books include \u003ci\u003eMaking Physics: A Biography of Brookhaven National Laboratory; The Play of Nature: Experimentation as Performance; The Second Creation: Makers of the Revolution in Twentieth-Century Physics\u003c\/i\u003e (with Charles C. Mann); and--with Robert Serber--\u003ci\u003ePeace \u0026amp; War: Reminiscences of a Life on the Frontiers of Science\u003c\/i\u003e. Crease's translations include \u003ci\u003eAmerican Philosophy of Technology: The Empirical Turn\u003c\/i\u003e. He lectures widely, and his articles and reviews have appeared in \u003ci\u003eThe Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian, \u003c\/i\u003e and elsewhere. He lives in New York City.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Random House Trade","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50413246447890,"sku":"9780812970623","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_827dbef5-715f-485d-a104-30e499996d63.jpg?v=1729350830","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-prism-and-the-pendulum-the-ten-most-beautiful-experiments-in-science-9780812970623","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}