For the Love of Physics : From the End of the Rainbow to the Edge Of Time - A Journey Through the Wonders of Physics

"YOU HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE" is a common refrain in the emails Walter Lewin receives daily from fans who have been enthralled by his world-famous video lectures about the wonders of physics. "I walk with a new spring in my step and I look at life through physics-colored eyes," wrote one such fan. When Lewin's lectures were made available online, he became an instant YouTube celebrity, and The New York Times declared, "Walter Lewin delivers his lectures with the panache of Julia Child bringing French cooking to amateurs and the zany theatricality of YouTube's greatest hits." For more than thirty years as a beloved professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lewin honed his singular craft of making physics not only accessible but truly fun, whether putting his head in the path of a wrecking ball, supercharging himself with three hundred thousand volts of electricity, or demonstrating why the sky is blue and why clouds are white. Now, as Carl Sagan did for astronomy and Brian Green did for cosmology, Lewin takes readers on a marvelous journey in For the Love of Physics, opening our eyes as never before to the amazing beauty and power with which physics can reveal the hidden workings of the world all around us. "I introduce people to their own world," writes Lewin, "the world they live in and are familiar with but don't approach like a physicist—yet." Could it be true that we are shorter standing up than lying down? Why can we snorkel no deeper than about one foot below the surface? Why are the colors of a rainbow always in the same order, and would it be possible to put our hand out and touch one? Whether introducing why the air smells so fresh after a lightning storm, why we briefly lose (and gain) weight when we ride in an elevator, or what the big bang would have sounded like had anyone existed to hear it, Lewin never ceases to surprise and delight with the extraordinary ability of physics to answer even the most elusive questions. Recounting his own exciting discoveries as a pioneer in the field of X-ray astronomy—arriving at MIT right at the start of an astonishing revolution in astronomy—he also brings to life the power of physics to reach into the vastness of space and unveil exotic uncharted territories, from the marvels of a supernova explosion in the Large Magellanic Cloud to the unseeable depths of black holes. "For me," Lewin writes, "physics is a way of seeing—the spectacular and the mundane, the immense and the minute—as a beautiful, thrillingly interwoven whole." His wonderfully inventive and vivid ways of introducing us to the revelations of physics impart to us a new appreciation of the remarkable beauty and intricate harmonies of the forces that govern our lives. This book is a largely autobiographical account of the author's life as one who fell in love first with physics and then with teaching physics to students. "You have changed my life" is a common refrain in the emails the author receives daily from fans who have been enthralled by his video lectures about the wonders of physics. "I walk with a new spring in my step and I look at life through physics colored eyes," wrote one such fan. When the lectures were made available online, he became an instant YouTube celebrity, and The New York Times declared, "Walter Lewin delivers his lectures with the panache of Julia Child bringing French cooking to amateurs and the zany theatricality of YouTube's greatest hits." For more than thirty years as a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he honed his singular craft of making physics not only accessible but truly fun, whether putting his head in the path of a wrecking ball, supercharging himself with three hundred thousand volts of electricity, or demonstrating why the sky is blue and why clouds are white. Now, as Carl Sagan did for astronomy and Brian Green did for cosmology, the author takes readers on a journey in this book, opening our eyes as never before to the amazing beauty and power with which physics can reveal the hidden workings of the world all around us. "I introduce people to their own world," he writes, "the world they live in and are familiar with but don't approach like a physicist yet." Could it be true that we are shorter standing up than lying down? Why can we snorkel no deeper than about one foot below the surface? Why are the colors of a rainbow always in the same order, and would it be possible to put our hand out and touch one? Whether introducing why the air smells so fresh after a lightning storm, why we briefly lose (and gain) weight when we ride in an elevator, or what the big bang would have sounded like had anyone existed to hear it, he never ceases to surprise and delight with the extraordinary ability of physics to answer even the most elusive questions. Recounting his own exciting discoveries as a pioneer in the field of X-ray astronomy, arriving at MIT right at the start of an astonishing revolution in astronomy, he also brings to life the power of physics to reach into the vastness of space and unveil exotic uncharted territories, from the marvels of a supernova explosion in the Large Magellanic Cloud to the unseeable depths of black holes. "For me," he writes, "physics is a way of seeing the spectacular and the mundane, the immense and the minute, as a beautiful, thrillingly interwoven whole." His ways of introducing us to the revelations of physics impart to us a new appreciation of the remarkable beauty and intricate harmonies of the forces that govern our lives **An engaging book for the Physics aficionado** 'For the Love of Physics: From the End of the Rainbow to the Edge of Time - A Journey Through the Wonders of Physics’ by Walter Lewin is an engaging book which tries to explain the concepts of the subject in a unique and interactive manner. We all go through physics exams and study its concepts, but have you ever wondered what these concepts actually mean to our race, to our planet and their importance for our existence? This takes you on a journey and explains you the physics behind every natural concept from Rainbows to the concept of time. This book is an engaging and entertaining attempt at explaining the different and difficult concepts of physics to a layman. **Understand Physics in detail.** Physics is indeed a beautiful subject with a great amount of concepts involved and complex theories that never cease to amaze us. Through this book, author tries to portray the simplicity and the beauty of the subject in a lucid manner. Not only does it include simple to understand terms, it also manages to incorporate fun and ease of learning in an otherwise tricky subject .For example, the book starts with thoughts about the colour of the sky and clouds and then digs deep into the concepts that are involved behind the vivid colours of skies and clouds. **This book helps you understand the concepts of physics used around you** This book explains many different concepts like nucleus, measurements, starts, bodies in motion, rainbow, strings, electricity, magnetic force, X-rays, winds and space etc. It gives answer to many questions that usually have complex answers and it also solves many queries such as 'Why are we short when we stand but taller when we lie down?’ among others. This book is an ideal companion for Physics lovers. **About the Author** Walter Lewin is a renowned Physicist of Dutch origin and taught Physics at MIT where he spent 45 years. He completed his doctorate in nuclear physics from Delft University of Technology in 1965. He is famous for his online lectures published on edX and MIT Open Courseware, with some of them being watched over 2 million times. In For the Love of Physics, beloved MIT professor Walter Lewin, whose riveting physics lectures made him a YouTube super-star, takes readers on a remarkably fun, inventive, and often wacky journey that brings the joys of physics to life. \n “For the Love of Physics captures Walter Lewin’s extraordinary intellect, passion for physics, and brilliance as a teacher”—Bill Gates. \n For more than thirty years as a renowned professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lewin’s lectures made physics not only accessible but fun, whether putting his head in the path of a wrecking ball, supercharging himself with three hundred thousand volts of electricity, or demonstrating why the sky is blue and clouds are white. In For the Love of Physics, Lewin takes readers on a marvelous journey, opening our eyes as never before to the wonders of physics and its amazing ability to reveal the beauty and power embedded in our world. \n Could it be true that we are shorter standing up than lying down? Why can we snorkel no deeper than about one foot below the surface? Why are the colors of a rainbow always in the same order, can we stretch a hand out and touch one? \n Using superbly clear and simple explanations of phenomena we’ve always wondered about, such as what the big bang would have sounded like had anyone existed to hear it, Lewin surprises and delights with physics-based answers to even the most elusive questions. \n Whether showing us that a flea is strong enough to pull a heavy book across a table, or describing the coolest, weirdest facts about the tiniest bits of matter, Lewin always entertains as he edifies. “For me,” Lewin writes, “physics is a way of seeing—the spectacular and the mundane, the immense and the minute—as a beautiful, thrillingly interwoven whole.” For the Love of Physics is a rare gem that will change the way readers see the world. \n **