When Physics Became King [Hardcover]

Iwan Rhys Morus (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0226542017 | ISBN-13: 978-0226542010 | Publication Date: March 1, 2005 | Edition: 1

As recently as two hundred years ago, physics as we know it today did not exist. Born in the early nineteenth century during the second scientific revolution, physics struggled at first to achieve legitimacy in the scientific community and culture at large. In fact, the term "physicist" did not appear in English until the 1830s.

When Physics Became King traces the emergence of this revolutionary science, demonstrating how a discipline that barely existed in 1800 came to be regarded a century later as the ultimate key to unlocking nature's secrets. A cultural history designed to provide a big-picture view, the book ably ties advances in the field to the efforts of physicists who worked to win social acceptance for their research.

Beginning his tale with the rise of physics from natural philosophy, Iwan Morus chronicles the emergence of mathematical physics in France and its later export to England and Germany. He then elucidates the links between physics and industrialism, the technology of statistical mechanics, and the establishment of astronomical laboratories and precision measurement tools. His tale ends on the eve of the First World War, when physics had firmly established itself in both science and society.

Scholars of both history and physics will enjoy this fascinating and studied look at the emergence of a major scientific discipline.

(20050728)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Morus sets out to provide a new ''Big Picture'' of nineteenth-century physics that is more in tune with the insights of recent work in the history of science, this time by focusing on the cultural history of physics and on the question implicit in his title: How and when did physics become king of the sciences? How did it emerge as a discipline and acquire the great cultural authority it possessed by the end of the nineteenth century? Very few good histories of nineteenth-century physics have been published, and none takes quite the approach Morus does here. In short, there is currently no book even closely equivalent to this."—Bruce J. Hunt, author of The Maxwellians

(Bruce J. Hunt 20060401)

"Morus is to be congratulated on writing an account of the rise of physics that is not only accessible to scientists, students, and the general reader but of major interest to scholars studying nineteenth-century European history. From French mathematics to German romanticism, from the precision laboratory to spiritualism, When Physics Became King explores the concepts, skills, institutions, and societies through which a new and international discipline was forged. The rise of the physical sciences should henceforth be integral to any general history of modern Europe."—Andrew Warwick, author of Masters of Theory: Cambridge and the Rise of Mathematical Physics

(Andrew Warwick )

"This is a story about the ascendance of physics as viewed by the public and, more importantly, by government and industry. As
Morus puts it, physics became ''the ultimate authority in nature''. It is a fascinating story, well told and mostly based on the latest
research by professional historians of science."—Stephen G. Brush, Nature

(Stephen G. Brush Nature )

 "In a beautifully written and engaging synthesis, Morus sheds new light on familiar topics and people .... The result is by far the best history of 19th-century physics that is now available."—Jeff Hughes, Physics World

(Jeff Hughes Physics World )

"This delightfully written book traces the evolution of the subject from the relatively obscure world of 18th century
Natural Philosophy to the end of the 19th century with Physics established as a University discipline requiring proper training, having a well-defined career structure, and imposing research obligations on working physicists....The book is informative, well structured and a joy to read. It ought to appeal not only to the relatively narrow audience of science historians, but to working physicists and to the general public."—A. Calogeracos, Contemporary Physics

(A. Calogeracos Contemporary Physics )

"A masterfully written historical analysis. . . . The book, which fills most admirably a huge gap in the secondary literature, is a ''must read'' for undergraduates. I also highly recommend it to historians of science and technology; to general historians, for the understanding it offers of the importance of physics to 19th-century economies and notions of nationalism; and to scientists, for the sense it provides of the importance of sociocultural context to scientific content."

(Myles W. Jackson American Scientist )

"Iwan Rhys Morus''s excellent history of physics in the 19th century, When Physics Became King, considers the field in an age when physics and physicists came to play a prominent role in the culture. . . . A few good histories of physics during that remarkable age exist—but none as readable or comprehensive as Morus''s superb book."—Robert M. Brain, Physics Today

(Robert M. Brian Physics Today )

About the Author

Iwan Rhys Morus is a lecturer in the Department of History of Science at Queen’s University, Belfast. He is also coauthor of Making Modern Science, forthcoming from the University of Chicago Press.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226542017
• ISBN-13: 978-0226542010
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,679,643 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Science and Society in Victorian England, December 29, 2005

By 

Edward F. Strasser "Éad" (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When Physics Became King (Paperback)

The book is not restricted to England or to the years of Victoria's rule, but Victorian England is the focus of the book. Other science is included as needed.

It starts in France, where Laplace's connection with Napoleon enabled him to dominate much of French science, promoting both his own ideas and the careers of others who followed his ideas. After the fall of Napoleon, anti-Laplacian science became dominant. This sort of political struggle to promote ideas is one of the themes of the book.

The scene then moves to English universities, especially Cambridge, where science is seen as a pastime for the sons of the leisure class. But there are people who want universities to support scientific research. The transformation of university science is another major theme.

There is also a large section about science as show business. Giant sparks, electromagnets that could lift large weights, and corpses whose muscles moved when stimulated by electricity are among the demonstrations that attracted large crowds. This interest contributed to the acceptance of science as a worthwhile endeavor.

And, of course, there is much discussion of the scientific ideas themselves. We see scientists struggling to decide whether force or energy is the more significant property, whether heat is a fluid or the motion of molecules, whether molecules actually exist, and more. We also see the resolution of many of these problems as the science matures.

Unfortunately, the science is described in a very sketchy way. For example, there isn't enough about Maxwell's theory of light for anyone to appreciate the significance of the ether. A reader who doesn't already know basic classical physics will miss out on part of the story, but there is still plenty for him to appreciate. And books that describe the science better usually skimp on the social context.

There is a lot more I could say about the book, but it would be much too long for an Amazon review. To sum up: this is an excellent picture of how people saw physics during an important era of its history. I recommend it highly.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 19th Century History of Physics, November 10, 2008

By 

C. A. Funkhouser (Indiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When Physics Became King (Paperback)

Let me just say that people need to realize what book they're getting into. This is not a Philosophy of Physics, but a history of its evolution during the 19th Century (because as this author feels that is when physics became "king"). This approach, then, can make reading it a bit difficult, especially chapters 4-6. The author largely takes for granted that the reader understand the philosophy of basic physics. If you don't, then this book, particularly in chapters 4-6, will seem like a dry uncorrelated mesh of historical successions, which is exactly what the author doesn't want to happen. However, I read the book before learning the philosophy of physics and still greatly enjoyed the book.

Morus's approach to the History and Philosophy of Science is agreeable. He shows you that there is no absolute truth, only ingrown habits that have been commonly accepted throughout the scientific community that become truth. Therefore, history shouldn't be seen as a build up to modern knowledge, as if our models of the universe are absolutely true and won't ever be updated, amended, or even discarded; but rather, the history of science should concern itself with the study of certain controversies and how and why certain theories won out or became consolidated.

There is a lot of overlap between chapters because the author doesn't cover material chronologically, but thematically (this can also make it difficult for the reader to bring together ideas from each chapter to see them contextualize). Chapter 2 covers the rise of mathematical physics. Chapter 3 provides a brief over-view of the movements of the 19th century that incorporated physics, like the Romantic movement. Chapter 4 focuses on electricity. Chapter 5 focuses on heat. Chapter 6 focuses on the idea of "forces, energy, and the ether." Chapter 7 looks at astronomy. Chapter 8 looks at the rise of research institutions and Chapter 9 looks at Physics on the eve of WWI.