Gearfuse

The fine gents over at De Capo Press were nice enough to send me a review copy of “Why Does E=mc2? (and Why Should We Care)” by renowned physicists Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw. Cox and Forshaw attempt to accomplish what Stephen Hawking and Carl Sagan attempted decades ago. And that is to make physics, and specifically, Einstein’s theory of relativity and the concept of spacetime, accessible to the non-scientific mind. And with mixed success, the scientists have done their job.

Cox and Forshaw start at the beginning. It soon becomes clear that Einstein’s relativity would have been impossible without the discoveries of scientist’s work from centuries in the past. Beginning with Aristotle and continuing all the way up to the days of Hermann Minkowski, the authors develop a thorough picture for the creation of an equation. The process of Einstein’s discovery is outlined based on the discoveries of the past.

Continue reading after the jump.

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Who would have thought that a watch belonging to one of the most brilliant minds in history, Albert Einstein, would go for so cheap? This Swiss watch owned and operated by the famous patent clerk, himself, will be sold at an auction next month and could earn around 20,000 to 30,000 dollars.  That’s pretty cheap considering its previous owner.  There’s nothing special about the 14-carat gold watch in design, but it’s got Einstein’s name on it. That alone should attract many interested buyers.

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