Bibliograph

Doing physics, how physicists take hold of the world, Martin H. Krieger

Type

Label

Doing physics, how physicists take hold of the world, Martin H. Krieger

Language

eng

Index

no index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Doing physics

Medium

electronic resource

Nature of contents

dictionaries

Responsibility statement

Martin H. Krieger

Sub title

how physicists take hold of the world

Summary

Doing Physics makes concepts of physics easier to grasp by relating them to everyday knowledge. Addressing some of the models and metaphors that physicists use to explain the physical world, Martin H. Krieger describes the conceptual world of physics by means of analogies to economics, anthropology, theater, carpentry, mechanisms such as clockworks, and machine tool design. The interaction of elementary particles or chemical species, for example, can be related to the theory of kinship-who can marry whom is like what can interact with what. Likewise, the description of physical situations in terms of interdependent particles and fields is analogous to the design of a factory with its division of labor among specialists. For the new edition, Krieger has revised the text and added a chapter on the role of mathematics and formal models in physics. Doing Physics will be of special interest to economists, political theorists, anthropologists, and sociologists as well as philosophers of science

Target audience

adult

Classification