Customer Reviews

The Maxwellians (Cornell History of Science Series)

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Book describes the social/intellectual processes underlying the simplification of Maxwell's formulas regarding electromagentic phenomena. Three individuals were involved in the process, each having diverse personalities, backgrounds, and levels of social influence. Although they never met each other personally, 'in spirit', they worked as a unified team. The book shows the problematic changes in paradigms, such as models regarding the aether, as well as trace the socio-economic underpinnings of their work. England at the time was undergoing a tremendous imperialistic expansion, which helped stimulate inter-oceanic cables, and, in turn, drive the development of its science. An engaging book with a fluid storyline which was both intellectually and emotionally appealing. In many ways, it plotted the fortunate triumph of 'truth' over entrenched hierarchical biases. The science presented in the book was never so complicated that a willing layman, without due effort, could not understand, and should not intimidate any reader from 'giving it a go'.

If you've ever wondered how electrodynamics developed after Maxwell's Treatise up to Einstein's 1905 works, this is the tome for you. The three-page appendix alone (deriving Heaviside's four field equations from Maxwell's twenty field equations) is worth the price, much less all the narrative about FitzGerald, Lodge, Heaviside, telegraphy, the rise and fall of analogies in physics as "likenesses," etc. I expecially appreciated the extent to which it contextualized all the little received aphorisms we hear about electrodynamics, e.g., Hertz's comment that Maxwell's theory is nothing other than Maxwell's equations.

Maxwell equations as we know it today are the join work of a group of three men known as the "Maxwellians". I didn't know much of that because when I learned physics, they went straight to the Maxwell equations and if they named it, I just don't recall it. Thing is, that due to the sad and early death of the remarkable John Clerk Maxwell, many doubts were left in the void, like the generation and detection of electromagnetics waves. By focusing in the energy flow of the system, the improvement of the ether model and the reduction of the equation using vectors, the Maxwellians were able to set the bases of a new era, and a theory that was demonstrated by Herzt experiments.

In my case, this book left an interest in Oliver Heaviside, a very clever self-educated "engineer" who managed to consolidate Maxwell equations in the vector space. No many people knows about Heaviside despite his great contribution --- he was socially handicapped by life, in today standards he would not be considered by labor psychologist, but this fella had a terrific mind and his life awakes curiosity. Finally, the book is not for lay persons, althought I am the one who thinks that you can always learn something with a book, so for those who like challenges, this is a great book.