Professor Maxwell's Duplicitous Demon: The Life and Science of James Clerk Maxwell

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title Professor Maxwell's Duplicitous Demon: The Life and Science of James Clerk Maxwell
Authors and Contributors      By (author) Brian Clegg
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:304
Dimensions(mm): Height 198,Width 129
Category/GenrePhysics
Electricity, electromagnetism and magnetism
ISBN/Barcode 9781785785702
ClassificationsDewey:530.092
Audience
Tertiary Education (US: College)
Professional & Vocational

Publishing Details

Publisher Icon Books
Imprint Icon Books
Publication Date 5 December 2019
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

Asked to name a great physicist, most people would mention Newton or Einstein, Feynman or Hawking. But ask a physicist and there's no doubt that James Clerk Maxwell will be near the top of the list. Maxwell, an unassuming Victorian Scotsman, explained how we perceive colour. He uncovered the way gases behave. And, most significantly, he transformed the way physics was undertaken in his explanation of the interaction of electricity and magnetism, revealing the nature of light and laying the groundwork for everything from Einstein's special relativity to modern electronics. Along the way, he set up one of the most enduring challenges in physics, one that has taxed the best minds ever since. 'Maxwell's demon' is a tiny but thoroughly disruptive thought experiment that suggests the second law of thermodynamics, the law that governs the flow of time itself, can be broken. This is the story of a groundbreaking scientist, a great contributor to our understanding of the way the world works, and his duplicitous demon.

Author Biography

Brian Clegg's most recent books are The Reality Frame (Icon, 2017) and Enigma (Icon, 2018). His Dice World and A Brief History of Infinity were both longlisted for the Royal Society Prize for Science Books. He has written for Nature, BBC Focus, Physics World, The Times and The Observer.

Reviews

Clegg doesn't make science delightful. He delights in science. -- Simon Ings, Spectator