The Logic of Modern Physics

P. W. Bridgman and the Special Theory oj Relativity Ey W. Bridgman wrote A S,phi,ticati< him" (1962) for the reader "who feels the need to stand back a little for a critical scrutiny of what he has really got" (SP, p. 3). * This was his personal trademark as physicist and philoso­ pher and it is present everywhere in Bridgman's precis of special relativity theory. The reissue of Sophisticate's Primer is particularly wel­ come for it exhibits a quest for clarity in foundations in the style of Ernst Mach and Henri Poincare, in whose philo- • N.B. Papers and books are here cited as follows. Bridgman (1927) refers to Bridgman's book The Logic of Modern Physics in the bibliography. Cross-references to Sophisticate's Primer are indicated with the code (SP, p. "'). Bridgman's extant manuscripts are on deposit at the Harvard University Archives, and here cited by date, for example (MS 2 August 1959, p …. ). Some of the manuscripts were written over a period of days, with sequential paging, with the actual dates indicated. Full citations are given in the bibliography. I am grateful to the Harvard University Archives for permission to quote from these materials, and to Bridgman's daughter, Mrs. Jane Koopman, for permitting me to quote from the draft manuscripts of Sophisticate's Primer, which will be deposited in the Harvard Archives. Reprinted from P. W. Bridgman. Sophisticate's Primer of Relativity, Second Edition. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 1983.

This book outlines the story of science from Aristotle to the present. The book goals are to show the evolution of modern science in historical and political context and to demystify science. We stand at the threshold of momentous advancements ranging from human cloning to fusion power. An understanding of science is essential to being a modern citizen.

In selecting the papers for this volume I have excluded all physics papers proper. I have further omitted all book rev.iews. Instead, I have included two papers not published previously; they are marked by an asterisk (*) in the table of contents. Since many of the papers were occasioned by Symposia or similar gatherings their chronological order is rather accidental. Hence I have tried to group the papers thematically into four parts.

Physics Lessons on Important Physics Topics For: AP Physics, College Physics, High School Physics, Mechanics and More!

With scientists perhaps on the verge of unlocking the deepest secrets of the universe and with breaking news of discovery after discovery at the frontiers of research, understanding physics has never been so important. This course puts the awe-inspiring—and at times mind-bending—concepts behind relativity and quantum mechanics within reach of anyone who wants to understand them.Ph.D., Dartmouth College