Beebe is still somewhat known today, however, while Barton is not. Matsen gives him overdue recognition, even as he offers a...
For true-adventure buffs: an engrossing tale of brains, careerism, and clashing egos on the high seas.
Eighty years ago, there was no more famous pop-science writer than William Beebe. As nature-documentary producer Matsen writes, by 1926 Beebe had produced 11 books and hundreds of articles about his adventures on behalf of the New York Zoological Society, for which he was a curator of ornithology, and in doing so had acquired thousands of fans. One was a Columbia engineering student named Otis Barton, who was amazed to read that Beebe was planning a descent via a “steel cylinder” into the Atlantic deep; the cylinder’s walls were reported to be a quarter-inch thick, good for a descent of a mile or more. For the mission to succeed, however, Barton calculated that the tanker would have to be either much thicker or so heavily braced that a passenger would not be able to fit inside. Barton took his concerns to Beebe and struck a deal: Barton would pay for a bathyscaphe and accompany Beebe on a diving expedition. Beebe walked a tightrope between science and celebrity, Matsen writes, and it did not help matters that Barton was as hungry for renown as he; their diving efforts may have been less successful than either would have wished, but at least neither died—and their contraption worked. Still, Barton and Beebe fell out, with Barton complaining that Beebe hogged all the publicity and that none of the newspapers cared about his side of the story. “It wasn’t so much that Barton wanted more credit for building the Bathysphere and making the dives, though he had done all that,” writes Matsen, “but that every line of ink was money in the bank if he hoped to make a living in the movie business.” Beebe went on to other things, while Barton continued his diving experiments, both diminished by the feud.
Beebe is still somewhat known today, however, while Barton is not. Matsen gives him overdue recognition, even as he offers a cautionary tale about the price of fame.Pub Date: April 12, 2005
ISBN: 0-375-42258-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Pantheon
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2005
An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both...
Italian theoretical physicist Rovelli (General Relativity: The Most Beautiful of Theories, 2015, etc.) shares his thoughts on the broader scientific and philosophical implications of the great revolution that has taken place over the past century.
These seven lessons, which first appeared as articles in the Sunday supplement of the Italian newspaper Sole 24 Ore, are addressed to readers with little knowledge of physics. In less than 100 pages, the author, who teaches physics in both France and the United States, cogently covers the great accomplishments of the past and the open questions still baffling physicists today. In the first lesson, he focuses on Einstein's theory of general relativity. He describes Einstein's recognition that gravity "is not diffused through space [but] is that space itself" as "a stroke of pure genius." In the second lesson, Rovelli deals with the puzzling features of quantum physics that challenge our picture of reality. In the remaining sections, the author introduces the constant fluctuations of atoms, the granular nature of space, and more. "It is hardly surprising that there are more things in heaven and earth, dear reader, than have been dreamed of in our philosophy—or in our physics,” he writes. Rovelli also discusses the issues raised in loop quantum gravity, a theory that he co-developed. These issues lead to his extraordinary claim that the passage of time is not fundamental but rather derived from the granular nature of space. The author suggests that there have been two separate pathways throughout human history: mythology and the accumulation of knowledge through observation. He believes that scientists today share the same curiosity about nature exhibited by early man.
An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both scientists and general readers.Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-399-18441-3
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Riverhead
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A magnificent account of a central reality of our times, incorporating deep scientific expertise, broad political and social knowledge, and ethical insight, and Idled with beautifully written biographical sketches of the men and women who created nuclear physics. Rhodes describes in detail the great scientific achievements that led up to the invention of the atomic bomb. Everything of importance is examined, from the discovery of the atomic nucleus and of nuclear fission to the emergence of quantum physics, the invention of the mass-spectroscope and of the cyclotron, the creation of such man-made elements as plutonium and tritium, and implementation of the nuclear chain reaction in uranium. Even more important, Rhodes shows how these achievements were thrust into the arms of the state, which culminated in the unfolding of the nuclear arms race. Often brilliantly, he records the rise of fascism and of anti-Semitism, and the intensification of nationalist ambitions. He traces the outbreak of WW II, which provoked a hysterical rivalry among nations to devise the bomb. This book contains a grim description of Japanese resistance, and of the horrible psychological numbing that caused an unparalleled tolerance for human suffering and destruction. Rhodes depicts the Faustian scale of the Manhattan Project. His account of the dropping of the bomb itself, and of the awful firebombing that prepared its way, is unforgettable. Although Rhodes' gallery of names and events is sometimes dizzying, his scientific discussions often daunting, he has written a book of great drama and sweep. A superb accomplishment.
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1986
ISBN: 0684813785
Page Count: 932
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1986
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
