
The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein, Volume 13
The Berlin Years: Writings & Correspondence, January 1922 - March 1923 - Documentary Edition
Princeton University Press
Published on 21. October 2012
Book
Hardback
1080 pages
978-0-691-15673-6 (ISBN)
Description
In April 1922, we find Einstein lecturing in Paris, engaged in reestablishing ties among scientists in former enemy nations. Meanwhile, back in Berlin, political tensions are rising. In June, the brutal murder of his friend, Germany's foreign minister, Walther Rathenau, heavily affects Einstein who, for a while, fears for his own safety and briefly contemplates leaving Berlin and abandoning academic life altogether. When only a few months later it is announced that he will be awarded the Nobel Prize, after more than a decade of nominations, Einstein is on a steamer heading from Europe to Japan. As we learn in this volume, although he knew in advance of the coming prize, he nevertheless embarked on his longest voyage yet. His travel diary, published here for the first time, recounts in poetic prose the hectic schedule on land, the contemplative rest at sea, and his musings on science, philosophy, and art during his first encounter with the Far East, Palestine, and Spain. Einstein's work and intense scientific exchanges--with N. Bohr, P. Ehrenfest, A. Sommerfeld, M. Born, and others--during these fifteen months result in remarkable publications and intellectual developments.
A paper written with Ehrenfest shows with uncompromising clarity that the outcome of the recent Stern-Gerlach experiment could not be explained by either classical or quantum theory. In a similar vein, he analyzes the phenomenon of superconductivity. Clearly among the leading quantum theorists, he focuses on its conceptual bases, tirelessly proposing crucial experiments that could decide between classical and quantum physics. We also see foundational interests develop in his concerns with a unified field theory of electromagnetism and gravitation. A translation of selected non-English texts included in Volume 13 is available in paperback at http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9874.html
A paper written with Ehrenfest shows with uncompromising clarity that the outcome of the recent Stern-Gerlach experiment could not be explained by either classical or quantum theory. In a similar vein, he analyzes the phenomenon of superconductivity. Clearly among the leading quantum theorists, he focuses on its conceptual bases, tirelessly proposing crucial experiments that could decide between classical and quantum physics. We also see foundational interests develop in his concerns with a unified field theory of electromagnetism and gravitation. A translation of selected non-English texts included in Volume 13 is available in paperback at http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9874.html
Reviews / Votes
"Einstein continues to fascinate minds. His letters to various people speak his mind directly to the reader. Even for a non-science student, it makes an interesting read."-- Sarthak Shankar, Organiser "The joy of the Collected Papers, which has now reached the 13th volume and the year 1922, is that it reveals these lesser known facets of this extraordinary man, allowing us to go beyond the famous mask."--Peter Forbes, Guardian "As usual, this volume is of excellent quality with respect to the printing, the contents, and the illustrations."--Zentralblatt MATH "A rich array of assorted documentary evidence, most of which appears here for the first time."--David E. Rowe, MetascienceMore details
Series
Edition
Documentary Edition
Language
German
Place of publication
New Jersey
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Trade binding
Illustrations
24 halftones.
Dimensions
Height: 254 mm
Width: 178 mm
Weight
2155 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-691-15673-6 (9780691156736)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
At the California Institute of Technology, Diana Kormos Buchwald is professor of history; Jozsef Illy, Ze'ev Rosenkranz, and Tilman Sauer are senior researchers in history.
Content
List of Texts xiii List of Illustrations xxxi INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL Introduction to Volume 13 xxxiii Editorial Method of the Series lxxix Acknowledgments lxxxvii Note on the Translation lxxxix List of Abbreviations xc Location Symbols xci Descriptive Symbols xciv TEXTS 1 Alphabetical List of Correspondence 753 Chronology 771 Calendar of Abstracts 783 Appendixes 833 Literature Cited 893 Index 921 Index of Citations 973