PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY

Close Notification

Your cart does not contain any items

The Character of Physical Law, with new foreword

Richard Feynman Frank Wilczek

$42.95

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

QTY:

English
MIT Press
10 March 2017
An introduction to modern physics and to Richard Feynman at his witty and enthusiastic best, discussing gravitation, irreversibility, symmetry, and the nature of scientific discovery.

Richard Feynman was one of the most famous and important physicists of the second half of the twentieth century. Awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1965, celebrated for his spirited and engaging lectures, and briefly a star on the evening news for his presence on the commission investigating the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, Feynman is best known for his contributions to the field of quantum electrodynamics. The Character of Physical Law, drawn from Feynman's famous 1964 series of Messenger Lectures at Cornell, offers an introduction to modern physics—and to Feynman at his witty and enthusiastic best.

In this classic book (originally published in 1967), Feynman offers an overview of selected physical laws and gathers their common features, arguing that the importance of a physical law is not “how clever we are to have found it out” but “how clever nature is to pay attention to it.” He discusses such topics as the interaction of mathematics and physics, the principle of conservation, the puzzle of symmetry, and the process of scientific discovery. A foreword by 2004 Physics Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek updates some of Feynman's observations—noting, however, “the need for these particular updates enhances rather than detracts from the book.” In The Character of Physical Law, Feynman chose to grapple with issues at the forefront of physics that seemed unresolved, important, and approachable.

By:  
Foreword by:  
Imprint:   MIT Press
Country of Publication:   United States
Edition:   With New Foreword ed.
Dimensions:   Height: 210mm,  Width: 141mm,  Spine: 13mm
Weight:   232g
ISBN:   9780262533416
ISBN 10:   0262533413
Pages:   184
Publication Date:  
Recommended Age:   From 18 years
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Richard Feynman (1918–1988), awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965 for work on quantum electrodynamics, was Professor of Theoretical Physics at CalTech. He was the author of QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! Adventures of a Curious Character, and other books.

See Inside

See Also