Faust in Copenhagen: A Struggle for the Soul of Physics
From AwardAnnals
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| Author(s) | Gino Segrè |
|---|---|
| Subtitle | A Struggle for the Soul of Physics |
| Publisher | Viking Books |
| Honors | |
| Known by physicists as the miracle year, 1932 saw the discovery of the neutron and the first artificially induced nuclear transmutation. However, while physicists celebrated these momentous discoveries—which presaged the era of big science and nuclear bombs—Europe was moving inexorably toward totalitarianism and war. In April of that year, about forty of the worlds leading physicists—including Werner Heisenberg, Lise Meitner, and Paul Diraccame—went to Niels Bohrs Copenhagen Institute for their annual informal meeting about the frontiers of physics. Physicist Gino Segrè brings to life this historic gathering, which ended with a humorous skit based on Goethes Faust—a skit that eerily foreshadowed events that would soon unfold. Little did the scientists know the Faustian bargains they would face in the near future. Capturing the interplay between the great scientists as well as the discoveries they discussed and debated, Segrè evokes the moment when physics—and the world—was about to lose its innocence. | |
A fascinating look at the landmark 1932 gathering of the biggest names in physics
Known by physicists as the miracle year, 1932 saw the discovery of the neutron and the first artificially induced nuclear transmutation. However, while physicists celebrated these momentous discoveries—which presaged the era of big science and nuclear bombs—Europe was moving inexorably toward totalitarianism and war. In April of that year, about forty of the worlds leading physicists—including Werner Heisenberg, Lise Meitner, and Paul Diraccame—went to Niels Bohrs Copenhagen Institute for their annual informal meeting about the frontiers of physics.
Physicist Gino Segrè brings to life this historic gathering, which ended with a humorous skit based on Goethes Faust—a skit that eerily foreshadowed events that would soon unfold. Little did the scientists know the Faustian bargains they would face in the near future. Capturing the interplay between the great scientists as well as the discoveries they discussed and debated, Segrè evokes the moment when physics—and the world—was about to lose its innocence.
Reviews
Barnes and Noble
In physics, 1932 was the “Miracle Year,” but in most of Europe, it was the beginning of a nightmare. While world-class scientists struggled to assimilate the discovery of the neutron and the world’s first artificially induced nuclear transformation, fascism sunk its claws into the center of the continent. In April of that year, scores of the world’s leading physicists converged at Copenhagen Institute for their annual informal gathering about developments in their specialty. Among those in attendance were Werner Heisenberg, Lise Meitner, Paul Ehrenfest, Wolfgang Paul, Paul Dirac, and, of course, Denmark’s own Niels Bohr. In Faust in Copenhagen, world-renowned physicist Gino Segrè recounts this momentous conferences and the hauntingly prophetic skit that served as its final encore.
