The Theory of Relativity traces Albert Einstein's groundbreaking ideas, special and general relativity, from the discoveries in physics that laid their foundation to relativity's application to today's world. The book presents scientific formulas, in-depth explanations of abstract concepts, and a detailed look at how Einstein's theories influence everyday technology, like television and GPS. Along the way, the text demonstrates the importance of theoretical...

Over time, Benjamin Franklin's kite and key experiment has taken on mythic proportions. Franklin's experiment established the relationship between lightning and electricity, but it would take the research of Alessandro Volta to discover how humans can generate electrical currents without relying on weather systems. Electricity establishes the history of a scientific discovery that fundamentally changed the way people live their lives. Tracing the...

In 1895, a German scientist named Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovered the existence of X-rays. His work led to the 1901 Nobel Prize in Physics, and X-rays would come to play a prominent role in the research of Marie Curie, Henri Bequerel, Thomas Edison, and other towering figures in science and medicine. X-Rays examines how Roentgen used the scientific method to achieve his aims and the applications of his discovery. The book also explains how Roentgen...