Physicist and Science Writer. Author of 19 books, most recently THE GREAT ATOM DEBATE: ERNST MACH, LUDWIG BOLTZMANN, AND THE BATTLE FOR THE ESSENCE OF REALITY
Joined January 2009
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10,660 Photos and videos
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May 22
Announcing my new book THE GREAT ATOM DEBATE.
Journey back in time and witness an epic struggle between two scientific geniuses over the very nature of reality. History of physics at its most riveting!
Now available for preorder:
amazon.com/gp/product/154160…
barnesandnoble.com/w/the-gre…
booksamillion.com/p/97815416…
bookshop.org/p/books/the-gre…
target.com/s?searchTerm=9781…
walmart.com/search?q=9781541…
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Paul Halpern retweeted
May 22
Announcing my new book THE GREAT ATOM DEBATE.
Journey back in time and witness an epic struggle between two scientific geniuses over the very nature of reality. History of physics at its most riveting!
Now available for preorder:
amazon.com/gp/product/154160…
barnesandnoble.com/w/the-gre…
booksamillion.com/p/97815416…
bookshop.org/p/books/the-gre…
target.com/s?searchTerm=9781…
walmart.com/search?q=9781541…
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Jun 13
The Two Alberts
Since the time of the ancient Greeks, scholars have debated whether or not light has a finite speed
Albert Michelson (L) determined the speed of light using a device he constructed
Albert Einstein (R) showed the implications of the speed of light being constant
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Paul Halpern retweeted
Jun 10
Icons of 20th century science and cinema, Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin, attend the world premiere of Chaplin's brilliant silent film City Lights.
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Paul Halpern retweeted
Jun 12
'Einstein was ambling down Princeton’s Nassau Street one day when a Greek restaurateur .. asked him what lay outside the bounds of the known universe.
The professor grinned and said: “Ja, do not worry; you don’t go out there!”'
time.com/archive/6780445/sci…
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Paul Halpern retweeted
Jun 5
The secret bookshelf of Nobel Prize winning quantum physicist Wolfgang Pauli, full of books about eastern religion, mysticism, telepathy, psychology, and mythology.
(CERN: Wolfgang Pauli Room)
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Paul Halpern retweeted
Jun 8
The Evil Zingers Hurled by Physicist Wolfgang Pauli
Nicknamed "the scourge of God," Nobel laureate physicist Wolfgang Pauli had a propensity for launching cruel insults at other scientists
New Substack Article:
paulhalpern.substack.com/p/t…
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Paul Halpern retweeted
Jun 9
The Outrageous Costumes of Richard Feynman
How the Nobel laureate physicist was brilliant at masquerade, as well as science
New on Substack!
paulhalpern.substack.com/p/t…
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Paul Halpern retweeted
Jun 7
In 1947, Albert Einstein thanked activist Helen Keller for her contributions to international relations and world peace:
afb.org/about-afb/history/he…
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Jun 5
'Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no control...
Human beings, vegetables or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper.'
-Albert Einstein
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Paul Halpern retweeted
Jun 5
The epic battle that shaped the very future of physics.
THE GREAT ATOM DEBATE
History of science at its most riveting!
New book now available for preorder:
greatatomdebate.com
The Great Atom Debate: Boltzmann vs. Mach ✍️
In the late 19th century, physicist Ludwig Boltzmann fiercely defended the reality of atoms, using them to explain entropy and thermodynamics. Ernst Mach, a prominent philosopher and physicist, opposed the idea, arguing that atoms were just theoretical constructs without direct evidence.
This heated debate highlighted the divide between empiricism and theoretical physics at the time. Boltzmann's work laid the foundation for atomic theory, but the opposition took a toll on his mental health. Ultimately, the discovery of atomic structure in the 20th century vindicated Boltzmann’s views, cementing his legacy as a pioneer in modern physics.
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Jun 9
RT @Thievesbook: Wonderful new piece by Paul where I can retweet some pix of these great people - I still pinch myself that I knew Feynman…
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Jun 4
'The meaning of relativity has been widely misunderstood.
Philosophers play with the word, like a child with a doll...
It does not mean that everything in life is relative and that we have the right to turn the whole world mischievously topsy-turvy.'
-Albert Einstein
#Science
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Paul Halpern retweeted
Jun 7
Advice for the Musical at Heart:
An Interview with Musician Curt Smith of Tears for Fears about Psychology and Philosophy in the Music He Sings, Writes, and Values:
medium.com/@phalpern/advice-…
#CurtSmith #TearsForFears
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Paul Halpern retweeted
Jun 7
A great modern physics book—please share it so more friends can see it.
May 22
Announcing my new book THE GREAT ATOM DEBATE.
Journey back in time and witness an epic struggle between two scientific geniuses over the very nature of reality. History of physics at its most riveting!
Now available for preorder:
amazon.com/gp/product/154160…
barnesandnoble.com/w/the-gre…
booksamillion.com/p/97815416…
bookshop.org/p/books/the-gre…
target.com/s?searchTerm=9781…
walmart.com/search?q=9781541…
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