Wisdom of the Martians of Science: In Their Own Words with Commentaries - Brossura

Hargittai, Balazs; Hargittai, Istvan

Brossura

ISBN 10: 9814723819 ISBN 13: 9789814723817

Casa editrice: World Scientific Pub Co Inc, 2016

Riassunto

Wisdom of the Martians of Science refers to five scientists whose brilliance contributed to shaping the modern world. John von Neumann was a pioneer of the modern computer; Theodore von Kármán was the scientist behind the US Air Force; Leo Szilard initiated the development of nuclear weapons; the Nobel laureate Eugene P Wigner was the world's first nuclear engineer; and Edward Teller was the father of the hydrogen bomb. They were born and raised in Budapest, were forced out of Hungary and then from Germany, they became Americans, and devoted themselves to the defense of the United States and the Free World.They contributed significant discoveries to fundamental science ranging from the properties of materials to the application of the symmetry principle in physics, to creating information theory, to game theory. The areas in which we can learn about their wisdom include applications of science to past, present and future real-world needs; defense; education; environment; human nature; humor; politics; religion; weather modification, and others.This book shows the wisdom of the Martians by presenting their thoughts and ideas in their own words and placing them into context. Their wisdom is intriguing, witty, provocative and thought provoking. It extended over many aspects of life and culture that impinge on our existence. While we cannot always agree with what they say, they are never boring. The power of their words and their philosophies will inspire the readers to pursue their own dreams.

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Recensione

This book is about five famous scientists, whose lives followed similar paths in the rocky terrains of the twentieth century. As Jewish-Hungarians they had to immigrate to the United States; as outstanding scientists, they were leading figures in the development of modern physics and computer science; and as believers in democracy and freedom, they assumed important roles in the global political fight for these ideas. The book by Balazs Hargittai and István Hargittai presents their views, feelings and wisdom through quotes from their writings, with comments from the authors. This makes a fascinating, memorable and sometimes provocative reading. --László Lovász, President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Wolf-Prize Laureate Mathematician

Wisdom of the Martians of Science is unputdownable for anyone curious about how science in the mid-twentieth century transformed our planet. Five Hungarians, the 'Martians', in America led this transformation. Geniuses all but each very different. We hear them in their words, placed in context, to marvel how oppression and adversity did not bend their drive. No matter what our opinions of each of them, and some such as Teller generate strong responses, we cannot but be amazed at their 'octopus-like' approaches. Their tentacles curl around every problem from basic to applied, from politics to defence, from making bombs to making peace. These are the Hargittais at their best, taking us back in time to sit on a roller-coaster ride through science. Fasten your seat belts and enjoy. --K Vijay Raghavan FRS, Distinguished Professor and former Director of The National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore

No one is better acquainted with the lives of the Martians of Science - five Hungarian geniuses who put their extraordinary talents to work in the cause of democracy and freedom - than the father-and-son team of Istvan and Balazs Hargittai. With widely-varying personalities, from the imperious Edward Teller to the courteous, soft-spoken Eugene Wigner, the five had in common, in addition to their incredible brains, a shared history as émigré Hungarian Jews who made new lives in the United States, and whose contributions in the fields of physics, rocketry, and computer development played a critical role in their adopted country's victory in World War II. Much has been written about these men, but only the Hargittais have allowed us a glimpse into their souls through their own words, put in context by the authors. I am the daughter of one of the Martians, John von Neumann, and knew several of the others personally, but this group portrait has given me new insights that I treasure. --Marina V N Whitman, University of Michigan, USA, and author of The Martian's Daughter

Dettagli dell?edizione

• Editore: World Scientific Pub Co Inc
• Data di pubblicazione: 2016
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 9814723819
• ISBN 13: 9789814723817
• Rilegatura: Copertina flessibile
• Numero edizione: 1
• Numero di pagine: 252
• Contatto del produttore: non disponibile