Search results for ""Author Robyn Arianrhod""

Book SynopsisImagine you are fluent in a magical language of prophecy, a language so powerful it can accurately describe things you cannot see or even imagine. Einstein''s Heroes takes you on a journey of discovery about just such a miraculous language--the language of mathematics--one of humanity''s most amazing accomplishments. Blending science, history, and biography, this remarkable book reveals the mysteries of mathematics, focusing on the life and work of three of Albert Einstein''s heroes: Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday, and especially James Clerk Maxwell, whose work directly inspired the theory of relativity. Robyn Arianrhod bridges the gap between science and literature, portraying mathematics as a language and arguing that a physical theory is a work of imagination involving the elegant and clever use of this language. The heart of the book illuminates how Maxwell, using the language of mathematics in a new and radical way, resolved the seemingly insoluble controversy between Faraday''s idTrade ReviewOpen-minded students will come away from reading Einstein's Heroes with a newfound appreciation of the role of scientific inquiry and insight in the larger human enterprise-and hopefully, will acquire a hankering to 'take to the field' themselves. * The Mathematical Association of America *Arianrhod's achievement is to so masterfully combine history, biography, and mathematics as to absorb and enlighten even the mathematically maladroit. * Booklist *Arianrhod is an infectiously enthusiastic writer, keen for her audience both to admire Einstein's heroes and to understand their contributions to fundamental mathematical physics. * Nature Physics *An intriguing blend of science, history, and biography.... Arianrhod's well-written, fascinating discussion of intertwined topics not usually presented in one book aimed at general readers is highly recommended. * Library Journal (starred review) *Offers readers an engaging intellectual exercise combining physics, language, mathematics, and biography. * Science News *A thrilling story.... Arianrhod is an easy author to like, and not simply for the clarity of her narrative. She brings out the human side of the scientists. She also is a student of imaginative prose: Her explication of a novel by the Australian David Malouf helps introduce ideas about mathematics, and she quotes the poet William Blake to crystallize a thought about Maxwell.... Scientists' quest for knowledge is exhilarating to Arianrhod, and she conveys that to the reader. * bloombergnews.com *On one level, Robyn Arianrhod's Einstein's Heroes is about the crowning achievement of classical physics * James Clerk Maxwell's understanding of electricity, magnetism, and light. But on another level, Arianrhod adeptly examines a much deeper idea: why is mathematics the language of nature and how do physicists tap the hidden power of numbers to understand the physical world? Einstein's Heroes does an admirable job of explaining the strange allure that mathematics holds over the scientists who so dramatically altered the way we look at the universe.Charles Seife, New York University, author of Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea *With exceptional skill, Arianrhod makes her subject clearly understood through metaphor, example, and story. She has given us a treasure - a combination of history, biography, and essay that clearly shows how and why the language of mathematics is essential to imagination in modern physics. Her unique book deserves high praise and should be read by anyone who enjoys science writing at its best. * Science and Spirit *

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Book SynopsisThis is the fascinating story of two women who lives were guided by a passion for mathematics and an insatiable curiosity to know and understand the world around them -- the beautiful, outrageous Émilie du Châtelet and the charmingly subversive Mary Somerville. Against great odds, Émilie and Mary taught themselves mathematics, and did it so well that they each became a world authority on Newtonian mathematical physics.Seduced by Logic begins with Émilie du Châtelet, an 18th-century French aristocrat, intellectual, and Voltaire''s lover, whose true ambition was to be a mathematician. She strove not only to further Newton''s ideas in France, but to prove that they had French connections, including to the work of Descartes, whom Newton had read. She translated the great Principia Mathematica into French, in what became the accepted French version of Newton''s work, and was instrumental in bringing Newton''s revolutionary opus to a Continental audience. A century later, in Scotland, Mary STrade Review...timely reminder of how little things have changed since the 19th century and how much women of science can accomplish. * Wall Street Journal *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1 Madame Newton du Chatelet ; 2 Creating the theory of gravity: the Newtonian controversy ; 3 Learning mathematics and fighting for freedom ; 4 Emilie and Voltaire's Academy of Free Thought ; 5 Testing Newton: the'New Argonauts' ; 6 The danger in Newton: life, love and politics ; 7 The nature of light: Emilie takes on Newton ; 8 Searching for 'energy': Emilie discovers Leibniz ; 9 Mathematics and free will ; 10 The re-emergence of Madame Newton du Chatelet ; 11 Love letters to Saint-Lambert ; 12 Mourning Emilie ; 13 Mary Fairfax Somerville ; 14 The long road to fame ; 15 Mechanism of the Heavens ; 16 Mary's second book: popular science in the nineteenth century ; 17 Finding light waves: the 'Newtonian Revolution' comes of age ; 18 Mary Somerville: a fortunate life ; Epilogue: Declaring a point of view

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Book SynopsisThomas Harriot (1560-1621) was a pioneer in both the figurative and literal sense. Navigational adviser and loyal friend to Sir Walter Ralegh, Harriot took part in the first expedition to colonize Virginia. Not only was he responsible for getting Ralegh''s ships safely to harbor in the New World, once there he became the first European to acquire a working knowledge of an indigenous language (he also began a lifelong love of tobacco, which may have been his undoing). Harriot''s abilities were seemingly unlimited and nearly awe-inspiring. He was the first to use a telescope to map the moon''s craters, and, independently of Galileo, discovered and recorded sunspots. He preceded Newton (whose fame eclipsed his) in his discovery of the properties of the prism. He was arguably the best mathematician of his age, and one of the finest experimental scientists of all time. Yet Harriot has traditionally remained a tantalizingly elusive character. He had no close family to pass down records, and Trade ReviewWhile other historians less literate in science and mathematics might have written Harriot's biography in a different manner, she has provided to us a well-written guide to this mysterious scientist who measured everything during the six productive decades of his life. * Larry E. Tise, East Carolina University and Philadelphia, North Carolina Historical Review *"As Robyn Arianrhod's important biography makes abundantly clear, Harriot truly deserves the title "Renaissance Man"Robyn Arianrhod's diligent research establishes Harriot's reputation as a harbinger of modernity, but perhaps history has left us a more specific clue as to the true nature of his legacy." Times Literary Suppliment"In a largely harmonious meld of biography and science writing, Arianrhod furthers the drive to resurrect the reputation of English mathematician Thomas Harriot (1560-1621).The author, a research fellow at Monash University in Melbourne, writes with the authority of a distinguished professor, placing Harriot's achievements in the context of his era and of the evolution of science... A significant achievement that builds on previous works and takes the next step in establishing Harriot's genius." --Kirkus, *Starred* Review[A] readable and important book which can only be recommended to introduce Thomas Harriot to a wider audience. * Thomas Sonar, Braunschweig, zbMATH *I learned much from the many enjoyable hours I spent reading this captivating book. In embarking on this wellcrafted literary work you will soon develop a confident sense that either Harriot is with you in the room, or you are with him on the high seas on Sir Walter Raleigh's Tiger. The elegant writing gracefully guides us past mathematical and scientific hurdles in a joyful time-traveling page-turner that never slows down. When you get to the last page and look back, you will feel that you know the man, a fellow so energetic and so guided by formidable curiosity that you wonder how such a person could possibly have disappeared from history. You will remember this book as a time journey in reverse with the wind in your sails all the way through. * Joseph Mazur, The Mathematical Intelligencer *Robyn Arianrhod's biography of Thomas Harriot (1560{1621) is well researched and well written, and it will be read with pleasure by scholar and layperson alike. * William R. Shea, Mathematical Reviews Clippings *this is a marvelous book because of the engaging way it is told, very much unlike a dull biography with an enumeration of facts. Moreover it is also well documented by additional material to be found in the last 100 pages of the book ... On this canvas Arianrhod paints the bubbling emergence of the Scientific Revolution to which Harriot was a silent contributor. * Adhemar Bultheel, European Mathematical Society *"Arianrhod's seamless blend of storytelling and science puts Harriot into full historical context. Though he inhabited a world of court intrigues, plague, and political upheaval, Harriot's unflagging intellectual curiosity set him apart then, and makes him more than worthy of respect now, as this fascinating biography amply proves." --Publishers Weekly"At long last a first-rate biography of Thomas Harriot. Though unknown to many, Harriot's scientific work casts a long shadow, and for 'Harrioteers,' as his fans are known, Robyn Arianrhod's beautifully written and deeply researched book is the one we've been waiting for. A triumph and a must read!" --Jimmy Soni, author of Mind at Play"Explorer, navigator, astronomer, linguist, mathematician, and natural scientist, Thomas Harriot was all of these and more. His accomplishments rivaled Galileo and Kepler, but his reluctance to publish doomed him to relative obscurity. With beautiful prose, astute historical understanding, and impeccable mastery of a near-inexhaustible array of fields, Robyn Arianrhod resurrects the life and works of this enigmatic Renaissance man. The world of an Elizabethan sage who was an intimate of the greatest soliders, scholars, and poets of the age springs to life in Arianrhod's pulsating narrative." --Amir Alexander, UCLA, author of Infinitesimal"Robyn Arianrhod restores Harriot to his rightful place alongside Galileo and Kepler in the pantheon of pioneering early modern scientists and shows how, as one friend put it, he was 'robbed of glory.' Thomas Harriot: A Life in Science is a wonderful combination of biography, history, and popular science that pulses with the spirit of its time." --Jessie Childs, author of God's TraitorsThe story of Thomas Harriot's life and works, was it not so well documented by such a respected scholar as Dr. Arianrhod, could easily be thought a work of pure fiction - and extravagant, scarcely believable fiction at that. Yet it is all true. That Dr. Arianrhod has devoted the time and effort in bringing him back to us through this absolutely captivating biography is something for which we should all be deeply grateful, and in similar gratitude, we owe it to the memory, indeed, the unrelentingly curious and inquiring spirit, of Thomas Harriot himself, to read it. * The Well-Read Naturalist *Table of ContentsPrologue Chapter 1: Harriot's London Chapter 2: Sea Fever Chapter 3: The Science of Sea and Sky Chapter 4: Practical Navigation (and Why the Winds Blow) Chapter 5: America at Last Chapter 6: Preparing for "Virginia" Chapter 7: Roanoke Island Chapter 8: After Roanoke Chapter 9: War, and a New Calendar Chapter 10: New Chances Chapter 11: Setback Chapter 12: Royal Refraction Chapter 13: Spirals and Turmoil Chapter 14: Changing of the Guard Chapter 15: Algebra, Rainbows, and Tragedy Chapter 16: Solving the Rainbows Chapter 17: Conversations with Kepler Chapter 18: Atomic Speculations Chapter 19: Searching the Skies Chapter 20: Gravity Chapter 21: Mathematics, Jamestown, Guiana Chapter 22: The End of an Era Chapter 23: All Things Must Pass Epilogue: Resurrecting Harriot

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