What principles guide physicists鈥� ways of thinking and the practice and culture of the discipline? In The Physicist鈥檚 Way, the Nobel Prize鈥搘inning physicist P.J.E. Peebles argues that definite assumptions underpin the working physicist鈥檚 approach, the elements of which are learned organically by incoming generations of students and shared across the field. Peebles outlines these basic principles, elucidating how physicists apply their approach to a broad range of topics, from quantum physics to the physics of the expanding universe.
After discussing physicists鈥� demanding tests of the fundamental theories of quantum physics and relativistic cosmology and how physicists think about the puzzling lack of consistency between the two, Peebles considers the sociology of the field and where physics might be headed. Engaging throughout with ideas developed by scientists, philosophers, and historians, he elucidates the unique place physics holds in the natural sciences for the ability to discover theories that make definite predictions that agree with what can be observed.
The Physicist鈥檚 Way offers an enlightening perspective on how physicists think about and approach the practice of physics.
P.J.E. Peebles is a Nobel Prize laureate in physics and the Albert Einstein Professor of Science Emeritus at 快色直播 University. He is the author of The Whole Truth: A Cosmologist’s Reflections on the Search for Objective Reality, Cosmology’s Century: An Inside History of Our Modern Understanding of the Universe, Physical Cosmology, The Large-Scale Structure of the Universe, Quantum Mechanics, and Principles of Physical Cosmology (all 快色直播).
“Peebles is one of the outstanding physicists and cosmologists of our time. His account of the practice of physics will be of interest to physicists and to anyone curious about what physicists do.”—Edward Witten, Institute for Advanced Study
“You can’t do physics without committing to certain philosophical stances, but often those commitments remain hidden in the background. In this book, one of our leading scientists offers a careful and thorough examination of what working physicists actually think as they go about their business. It is intellectually important and hopefully the beginning of a fruitful dialogue between practitioners in both fields.”—Sean Carroll, author of The Biggest Ideas in the Universe series
“Over a remarkable career, Peebles has helped to expand our understanding of the cosmos. Here he reflects on how physicists build reliable knowledge of the natural world from imperfect data and evolving hypotheses. Thoughtful and engaging.”—David Kaiser, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
“Peebles, a uniquely respected leader in the field and friendly mentor to generations of cosmologists, offers a distinctive, fascinating, and personal distillation of physics—not just its history, but its special philosophical standing among the sciences. His thoughts will enlighten both specialists and general readers.”—Martin Rees, author of On the Future: Prospects for Humanity
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