Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Preface xv
4. Acknowledgments xix
5. Philosophical Introduction: Philosophy of Science and Physical Theory xxi
6. PART I. The Heliocentric Theory
7. Introduction 3
8. 1. ARISTOTLE: The Physical Foundation for the Geocentric Universe 13
9. 2. ARISTARCHUS: An Early Version of Heliocentrism 26
10. 3. CLAUDIUS PTOLEMY: The Case for Geocentrism 29
11. 4. NICHOLAUS COPERNICUS: First Thoughts on Heliocentrism 38
12. 5. NICHOLAUS COPERNICUS: The Heliocentric Theory 42
13. 6. TYCHO BRAHE: The Supernova of 1572 66
14. 7. TYCHO BRAHE: Observational Evidence against the Aristotelian Cosmology 69
15. 8. JOHANNES KEPLER: The Sun as the Source of Planetary Motions 70
16. 9. GALILEO GALILEI: Telescopic Observations in Support of Copernicus 81
17. 10. JOHANNES KEPLER: The Superiority of the Copernican System 99
18. 11. GALILEO GALILEI: The Coherence of the Copernican Theory 109
19. 12. ISAAC NEWTON: The Physical Foundations of Heliocentrism 114
20. 13. JOHN HERSCHEL: The Discovery of Stellar Parallax 128
21. Selected Bibliography 129
22. PART II. Electromagnetic Field Theory
23. Introduction 133
24. 1. WILLIAM GILBERT: The Properties of Magnets 145
25. 2. CHARLES COULOMB: The Law of Electric Force 151
26. 3. HANS CHRISTIAN OERSTED: The Effect of a Current of Electricity on a Magnetic Needle 153
27. 4. ANDRÉ MARIE AMPÈRE: A Positivist Approach to Electromagnetism 157
28. 5. ISAAC NEWTON: The Particle Theory of Light 162
29. 6. CHRISTIAAN HUYGENS: The Wave Theory of Light 167
30. 7. THOMAS YOUNG: The Vindication of the Wave Theory of Light 179
31. 8. AUGUSTIN FRESNEL AND DOMINIQUE ARAGO: The Transverse Nature of Light Waves 201
32. 9. MICHAEL FARADAY: Electromagnetic Induction 209
33. 10. MICHAEL FARADAY: The Concept of an Electromagnetic Field 214
34. 11. JAMES CLERK MAXWELL: The Theory of the Electromagnetic Field 224
35. 12. JAMES CLERK MAXWELL: The Electromagnetic Theory of Light 232
36. 13. JAMES CLERK MAXWELL: The Medium for Electromagnetic Waves 235
37. 14. HEINRICH HERTZ: The Production of Electromagnetic Waves 245
38. Selected Bibliography 251
39. PART III. The Theory of Relativity
40. Introduction 255
41. 1. JAMES CLERK MAXWELL: The Ether 265
42. 2. ALBERT MICHELSON: The Ether and Optical Experiments 273
43. 3. GEORGE F. FITZGERALD: The Contraction Hypothesis 285
44. 4. HENDRICK A. LORENTZ: The Contraction Hypothesis 286
45. 5. HENRI POINCARÉ: A Prelude to Relativity 289
46. 6. ALBERT EINSTEIN: The Postulates of the Special Theory of Relativity 299
47. 7. HERMAN MINKOWSKI: The Space-Time Continuum 304
48. 8. ALBERT EINSTEIN: The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity 308
49. 9. ALBERT EINSTEIN: The Ramifications of the Special and General Theories of Relativity 313
50. 10. ARTHUR EDDINGTON: The Bending of Light Rays 330
51. 11. ALBERT EINSTEIN: Ether and Relativity 340
52. 12. ALBERT EINSTEIN: Later Comments on General Relativity 347
53. 13. ALBERT EINSTEIN: E = MC² 350
54. Selected Bibliography 355
55. PART IV. Quantum Theory
56. Introduction 359
57. Historical and Conceptual Development
58. 1. MAX PLANCK: The Quantum Hypothesis 373
59. 2. ALBERT EINSTEIN: The Photon 380
60. 3. NIELS BOHR: The Quantum Character of the Atom 383
61. 4. LOUIS DE BROGLIE: The Wave Nature of the Electron 387
62. 5. NIELS BOHR: Complementarity and the New Quantum Theory 392
63. 6. NIELS BOHR: The Debate with Einstein 406
64. 7. ALBERT EINSTEIN: Response to Bohr 432
65. 8. WERNER HEISENBERG: A Brief History of Quantum Theory 437
66. 9. WERNER HEISENBERG: The Copenhagen Interpretation 446
67. 10. ERWIN SCHRÖDINGER: The Fundamental Idea of Wave Mechanics 454
68. 11. ERWIN SCHRÖDINGER: Are There Quantum Jumps? 465
69. 12. P.A.M. DIRAC: The Conceptual Difficulties of Quantum Theory 472
70. 13. JOHN A. WHEELER: Observer-Created Reality 484
71. The Completeness Debate
72. 14. ALBERT EINSTEIN, BORIS PODOLSKY, AND NATHAN ROSEN: The EPR Paradox 495
73. 15. ALBERT EINSTEIN: The Argument for Incompleteness 501
74. 16. NIELS BOHR: Response to EPR 507
75. 17. DAVID BOHM: The Hidden Variables Hypothesis 515
76. 18. J. S. BELL: Comment on the Hidden Variables Hypothesis 526
77. 19. J. S. BELL: A Conceptual Analysis of the EPR Thought Experiment of David Bohm 532
78. 20. ABNER SHIMONY: Philosophical Reflections on the Completeness Debate 540
79. Selected Bibliography 544
80. PART V. Big Bang Cosmological Theory
81. Introduction 547
82. 1. HENRIETTA LEAVITT: Variables in the Magellanic Clouds 556
83. 2. HENRIETTA LEAVITT: The Variability-Luminosity Relationship 559
84. 3. VESTO SLIPHER: The Radial Velocity of the Andromeda Nebula 561
85. 4. VESTO SLIPHER: The Discovery of the Red Shift of Nebula 564
86. 5. HARLOW SHAPLEY: The Measurement of Great Distances 567
87. 6. WILLEM DE SITTER: Relativity and Cosmology 573
88. 7. EDWIN HUBBLE: The Structure of the Universe 592
89. 8. EDWIN HUBBLE: The Velocity-Distance Relationship 602
90. 9. ARTHUR EDDINGTON: The Expanding Universe 611
91. 10. GEORGES LEMAÎTRE: The Beginning of Big Bang Cosmology 625
92. 11. ARNO PENZIAS AND ROBERT WILSON: The Discovery of Background Radiation 640
93. 12. R. H. DICKE, P.J.E. PEEBLES, P. G. ROLL, D. T. WILKINSON: An Explanation of the Penzias and Wilson Discovery 642
94. 13. STEVEN WEINBERG: The Cosmic Microwave Radiation Background 646
95. 14. ALAN GUTH AND PAUL STEINHARDT: The Inflationary Universe 652
96. 15. GEORGE SMOOT AND KEAY DAVIDSON: Wrinkles in Time 666
97. 16. STEPHEN HAWKING: The Edge of Spacetime 677
98. Selected Bibliography 684
99. Epilogue
100. 1. HELGE KRAGH: Physical Theory: Present and Future 685
101. Sources of the Readings 693
102. Index of Names 699
103. Index of Concepts 707
104. Permissions 709