Einstein and the Ether [Paperback]

Ludwik Kostro (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2000

Although Einstein is widely credited with abolishing the ether concept, he actually introduced a new relativistic ether in 1916, developing the idea in his later works. This book relates the story of Einstein and the rebirth of the ether, demonstrating how Einstein came to reject the 19th century ether. It details three relativistic ether models developed by Einstein and Einstein's treatment of spacetime as a material entity-a "new ether"

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ludwik Kostro studied physics and philosophy at the "Sapienza" University and the Gregorian University in Rome from 1963 to 1970. In 1975 he joined the University of Gdansk, until 1994 as a Lecturer and Assistant Professor in the Physics Institute and from 1994 onward as a Full Professor in the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, of which he served as Director. He is presently Director of the Department for Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science at the same University. Since 1988 he has been a member of the Editorial Board of the journal Physics Essays (Ottawa, Canada). He is a member of the board of the Interdivisional Group of History of Physics at the European Society of Physics, and serves on the Scientific Committee of the International Conferences on Physical Interpretations of Relativity Theory held every two years at Imperial College in London and sponsored by the British Society for Philosophy of Science. Since 1986 he has been Secretary of the Department of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry at the Gdansk Scientific Society. He is the author of 79 scientific papers in physics and philosophy, as well as several books, e.g., Eros, Sex and Abortion in the Critical Catholicism (Scientia, 1999). He has been awarded a number of major prizes. The French Goverment recently decorated him with the Les Palmes Académiques medal.

Product Details

• Paperback: 242 pages
• Publisher: C. Roy Keys Inc (December 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0968368948
• ISBN-13: 978-0968368947
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,618,241 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Changes our understanding of 20th century physics, March 26, 2001

By 

Franco Selleri (University of Bari, Italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Einstein and the Ether (Paperback)

"Einstein and the Ether" is a great book that changes our understanding of twentieth century physics in a fundamental way. I heartily recommend that every educated person read it, for at least two reasons:

1. It is a major cultural shock for practically all physicists and philosophers to learn that Albert Einstein himself was favourable to the existence of a relativistic ether during the last forty years of his life. I experienced this shock myself when Ludwik Kostro first told me about his book and I read his preliminary papers on this subject. Now I witness everyone else's surprise when I lecture on relativistic physics and cite these new historical findings about Einstein's acceptance of the ether.

2. The book is a fascinating voyage into the mind of the greatest scientist of the twentieth century. Even a great physicist like Einstein cannot avoid having doubts, changing his opinion and making mistakes. Kostro guides us in a fantastic cultural adventure, a guided tour through the brain of the founder of relativity at work building ever better physical theories.

Kostro's touch is light but firm. His great gift is his ability to make the reader forget that there is an author between Einstein and himself. And yet a little reflection about the tremendous amount of information gathered in the book's two hundred forty-odd pages immediately shows how important, painstaking and intelligent his role has been.

My deepest gratitude goes to Ludwik Kostro for this wonderful gift he has made to all people interested in the history and philosophy of science.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A crucial clarification on the phylosophy of Einstein's relativity, March 8, 2007

By 

Mario LUDOVICO (Poznan, POLAND) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Einstein and the Ether (Paperback)

The clairification that Ludwik Kostro provides about the true ideas Einstein had conclusively to express about space (the ether) and spacial interactions is a very important contribution to the understanding of major problems tackled by contemporary physics. In particular, it seems an important call of attention for all those who are interested in finding new ways for involving "the substance" of which the physical space consists, with a view to defining more satisfactory and manageable theories concerning gravitation.
The book by Kostro relies upon a remarkable amount of largely unknown documentation about Einstein's views and activity, whith the consequence of dismantling many superficial and misleading myths currently accepted about Einstein and his theory of relativity.