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This article discusses the importance of studying the history of physics and its relevance to contemporary physics. It emphasizes the need for historical analysis to be independent and not influenced by current research agendas or biases. The article also describes the concept of "History for Physics," which aims to bridge contemporary physics topics with their historical context. The authors organized symposia and published a special issue on this theme, featuring tandem articles written by both physicists and historians of physics. The article concludes by highlighting the positive response from physicists and the potential for further collaboration between physicists and historians in studying the history of physics. Additionally, the article mentions the challenges faced by tandems in completing their papers, resulting in multiple deadline extensions, but expresses excitement and pride in featuring six tandem papers in the special issue. [Extracted from the article]

The case of a pioneering woman physicist and philosopher illustrates that we must look beyond hagiography to gain an accurate picture of the history of quantum physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What kind of people make good scientists? What personal qualities do scholars say their peers should exhibit? And how do they express these expectations? This article explores these issues by mapping the kinds of virtues discussed by American scientists between 1945 and 2000. Our wide-ranging comparative analysis maps scientific virtue talk across three distinct disciplines – physics, psychology, and history – and across sources that typify those disciplines' scientific ethos – introductory textbooks, book reviews, and codes of ethics. We find that, when inducting students into a discipline, evaluating peers, or codifying their professional standards, postwar American scientists routinely named virtues like carefulness, objectivity, and honesty. They applied such virtues not only directly to scholars' characters, minds, and attitudes (thereby equating virtues with personal qualities), but also to their methods, modes of reasoning, and working habits (in the form of what we call virtue-qualifiers). Strikingly, we find that physicists, psychologists, and historians drew upon largely similar repertoires of virtue. For all of them, scientific work required carefulness, thoroughness, and accuracy. Not all virtues, however, were equally important in all disciplines (notably objectivity), nor did each ethos-forming genre place equal emphasis on the directly personal nature of such virtues. All in all, our research establishes an extended framework for understanding the ways virtues remained present in postwar American scientific discourse writ large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss the apparent paradox that the energy released in a fission bomb explosion is independent of the energy ϵ liberated by each fissioning nucleus. The paradox is resolved by noting that a larger value of ϵ results in a shorter "burn time"; this stops the chain reaction sooner and results in fewer nuclei being fissioned. Editor's Note: Both awe-inspiring and terrifying, a nuclear explosion is a spectacular display of microscopic physics profoundly affecting the human scale. This paper explores the physics of nuclear explosions and addresses the counter-intuitive fact that the total energy released by a fission bomb is independent of the energy released in a single fission. While this was known to the scientists who developed the atomic bomb, much of their work is classified and their knowledge remains inaccessible to the general public. With only a few historical documents to go on, the authors of this article attempt to recreate a calculation by Manhattan Project scientists and clearly show why the total energy yield is independent of the energy released by each fissioning nucleus. This article will be of interest to readers interested in nuclear physics or in the history of the Manhattan Project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Einstein's expression 'Drama of Ideas' to describe the history of fundamental physics is especially suitable for the problem of quantum gravity (QG). The problem was identified by Einstein in 1916 based on an empirico-cosmological argument that was cosmologically flawed and empirically immeasurable. In 1929, the problem was strikingly underestimated by prominent figures in quantum theory, W. Heisenberg and W. Pauli. In 1929, Bohr, basing on the puzzling results of recent nuclear experiments and theoretical quantum limitations, hypothesized that the law of conservation of energy does not hold in nuclear physics. The young Russian physicist Landau enthusiastically supported Bohr's 'beautiful idea' and in 1931 proposed its theoretical justification, which, however, was rejected by Bohr. In late 1932, Landau realized that Bohr's hypothesis was incompatible with Einstein's theory of gravity. This meeting of two fundamental theories prompted Matvei Bronstein to investigate the quantization of gravity in-depth. In 1935, he proposed the first physical theory of QG for the weak gravity and revealed how deep the QG problem was for strong gravity. He showed that the gravitational field at a point in space–time is in principle unobservable and concluded that a complete theory of QG would require the 'rejection of a Riemannian geometry... and perhaps also the rejection of our ordinary concepts of space and time, replacing them by some much deeper and non-evident concepts'. Until now, despite thousands of publications on QG, the problem remains a great challenge in theoretical physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1730, the Dutch cartographer and meteorological observer Nicolaas Samuel Cruquius constructed a spectacular map of the river Merwede. Cruquius's map is celebrated as one of the earliest to use lines of equal depth—or indeed any type of contour lines. So far, however, the secondary literature has paid no attention to why Cruquius created these lines or to the knowledge involved in his innovation. This essay makes three related points. First, Cruquius intentionally used lines representing equal depth in an entirely new way: whereas earlier maps had used similar lines to represent a river's navigability, for Cruquius they visualized river flow. Second, different technical and epistemic practices grounded the making of the map: Cruquius built on his expertise in surveying but also on practices from both natural history and mathematical physics, with which he was familiar through contacts at Leiden University and the Royal Society of London. Third, Cruquius's case does not fit with the way work cutting across different fields of expertise is usually conceptualized. Cruquius did not just straddle different fields. Instead, he gave new meaning to lines of equal depth by integrating specific practices from different fields of expertise and omitting others; through this integration, Cruquius created a way to visualize water flows and gave shape to possible new ways of acting on the river and its environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This obituary is a tribute to Roger H. Stuewer, a respected physicist and historian of science. Born in Shawano, Wisconsin, to German immigrant grandparents, Stuewer had a challenging upbringing marked by his father's strict discipline and his mother's health issues. Despite these difficulties, Stuewer excelled academically and pursued a career in physics and history of science. He made significant contributions to the field, including his work on the history of nuclear physics and his efforts to bridge the gap between historians and physicists. Stuewer was also known for his dedication to teaching and his love of travel and culture. He passed away in 2022, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the scientific community. [Extracted from the article]

Historian of physics Roger H. Stuewer (1934–2022), co-founder of Physics in Perspective, passed away on July 28, 2022. His loss is greatly felt in the discipline. To commemorate his considerable contribution to the history of physics, the editorial team at Physics in Perspective have elected to publish his autobiographical recollections, which cover both his esteemed academic career and many of his personal thoughts and reflections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial discusses the EPJE Topical Issue "Festschrift in honor of Philip (Fyl) Pincus," which pays tribute to a renowned theoretical physicist specializing in soft condensed matter, polymer physics, and biological physics. Pincus has had a significant impact on the polymer and soft matter communities, particularly through his work on polymers in confined geometries and the physical properties of polyelectrolytes. He has also made contributions to understanding interfacial problems in soft condensed matter and the role of electrostatic interactions in bio-membranes. The topical issue includes 49 contributions from over 200 scientists, covering a wide range of topics related to soft and biological matter systems. [Extracted from the article]

This paper provides a conceptual history of the development of early universe particle physics in the 1970s, focusing on the development of more sophisticated tools for constructing gauge-theories at finite-temperature. I start with a focus on early investigations into spontaneous symmetry restoration, and continue through the development of functional methods up to equilibrium finite-temperature field theory. I argue that the early universe provides an ideal setting for integrated modelling of thermal, gravitational, and particle physics effects due to its relative simplicity. I further argue that the development of finite-temperature field theory played an important secondary role in the rise of the effective field theory worldview, and investigate the status of the analogies between phase transitions in particle physics and condensed matter physics. I find that the division into "formal" versus "physical" analogies is too coarse-grained to understand the important physical developments at play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perturbative expansions have played a peculiarly central role in quantum field theory, not only in extracting empirical predictions but also in investigations of the theory's mathematical and conceptual foundations. This paper brings the special status of QFT perturbative expansions into focus by tracing the history of mathematical physics work on perturbative QFT and situating a contemporary approach, perturbative algebraic QFT, within this historical context. Highlighting the role that perturbative expansions have played in foundational investigations helps to clarify the relationships between the formulations of QFT developed in mathematical physics and high-energy phenomenology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the groundbreaking contributions of Hermann von Helmholtz and Erwin Schrödinger to the geometry of color space ‐a 3D space that correlates color distances with perceptual differences. Drawing upon his expertise in non‐Euclidean geometry, physics, and psychophysics, Helmholtz introduced the first Riemannian line element in color space between 1891 and 1892, inaugurating a new line of research known as higher color metric, a term coined by Schrödinger in 1920. During his tenure at the University of Vienna, Schrödinger extensively worked on color theory and rediscovered Helmholtz's forgotten line element. In his 1920 papers titled "Grundlinien einer Theorie der Farbmetrik im Tagessehen," published in the Annalen der Physik, Schrödinger elucidated certain shortcomings in Helmholtz's model and proposed his refined version of the Riemannian line element. This study delves into this captivating chapter in the history of color science, emphasizing the profound impact of Helmholtz's and Schrödinger's work on subsequent research in color metrics up to the present day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

John L. Heilbron, a renowned scholar and historian of science, passed away in 2023 at the age of 89. He was known for his vast knowledge and expertise in various fields, ranging from the Scientific Revolution to the 20th century. Heilbron was born in San Francisco in 1934 and completed his education at the University of California, Berkeley. Throughout his career, he held positions at various universities and received numerous awards for his scholarly works. He authored over 20 books and made significant contributions to the history of physics and astronomy. Notably, he challenged the notion of a conflict between religion and science, arguing that the Catholic Church played a significant role in promoting astronomy. Heilbron's work on Galileo and his research on cathedrals as solar observatories were particularly influential. Heilbron's impact extended beyond his research, as he also organized and promoted research projects and mentored many scholars. His dedication to intellectual work and pursuit of truth will be greatly missed. [Extracted from the article]

In the academic world, there are also gender inequalities, which are especially visible in certain masculinized STEM areas, such as physics and mathematics. An essential factor in correcting these inequalities is the involvement of men, who should act as "allies" in the university setting. Likewise, as the literature shows us, we must offer models with gender-incongruent roles to break down stereotypes and promote non-traditional behaviors. However, to date, these actions have been especially directed toward women, who generally do not hold power and therefore have less possibility of promoting change. For the first time, this work compiles, in a single document, important male physicists and mathematicians who acted as allies of women throughout history. These examples can be presented to provide male references in the teaching of physics and mathematics at university (and high school). With this initiative, we intend to contribute to incorporating the gender perspective in university teaching, since, in practice, university professors are unaware of references of alternative masculinities in the academic world. We hope that this article will be the seed to recover hidden male allies in these and other scientific fields. This can help break down stereotypes, and contrary to previous actions, this work is especially directed toward men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early history of string theory is marked by a shift from strong interaction physics to quantum gravity. The first string models and associated theoretical framework were formulated in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the context of the S -matrix program for the strong interactions. In the mid-1970s, the models were reinterpreted as a potential theory unifying the four fundamental forces. This paper provides a historical analysis of how string theory was developed out of S -matrix physics, aiming to clarify how modern string theory, as a theory detached from experimental data, grew out of an S -matrix program that was strongly dependent upon observable quantities. Surprisingly, the theoretical practice of physicists already turned away from experiment before string theory was recast as a potential unified quantum gravity theory. With the formulation of dual resonance models (the "hadronic string theory"), physicists were able to determine almost all of the models' parameters on the basis of theoretical reasoning. It was this commitment to "non-arbitrariness", i.e., a lack of free parameters in the theory, that initially drove string theorists away from experimental input, and not the practical inaccessibility of experimental data in the context of quantum gravity physics. This is an important observation when assessing the role of experimental data in string theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting from the perspective of reports published in Brazilian newspapers at the time, as well as letters exchanged between scientists who worked in Brazil and North American colleagues, and documents from the symposium on cosmic rays, a chronological sequence of how the so-called Compton mission in Brazil took place and was perceived by the literate public will be presented. For a better understanding of the article, research on cosmic rays in Brazil and around the world is contextualized and the reasons for the creation of the mission and its coming to Brazil are discussed.

The late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries have long been considered as a formative period for modern Irish political traditions such as nationalism, republicanism and unionism. For Europe it was the time of a turnover in science moving from observation to experiment and from speculation to fact. Richard Kirwan was a well known natural philosopher in Europe and a respected man of science in his time. Throughout all the wars, he was connected with his colleagues in a network reaching across Europe and even to America. Using a few examples, this article is intended to provide an insight how the network worked in a time that was marked by political conflicts and revolutionary events in both science and social life.

The article discusses the advancements in atomic and molecular physics that have allowed scientists to gain control over single atoms. While traditional physics experiments in the classroom have focused on indirect measurements of atoms, this experiment allows students to directly observe and interact with single atoms using an ion trap. The experiment involves exciting barium ions with different wavelengths of light and observing their quantum states. The article also describes a pilot project in which students and teachers successfully performed the experiment and measured the lifetime of the dark state of the ions. The experiment is currently housed in the Swiss Science Center Technorama, and an online platform has been created to allow access to the experiment remotely. [Extracted from the article]

The very outer solar atmosphere (corona) is very hot with temperatures over a million degrees K, while the photosphere is of the order of 5000 K. Embedded in this hot outer corona are cool, =10,000 K, magnetic structures called solar prominences. As seen on the disk, they are long filamentary structures while on the solar limb they look like intricate loops. In this paper, we present the development of our understanding of solar prominences, which have played a central role in the development of solar science. Solar prominences were first observed during the few minute episodes of total eclipses. The introduction of spectroscopy allowed continuous observations, which also led to information on temperatures, temporal variations and dynamics of the associated plasma. The discovery of strong magnetic fields in sunspots provided a breakthrough in our understanding of the physics of the Sun. Weaker magnetic fields formed both the large and small-scale structures of prominences, their time-variable shapes, and explained why they could remain floating high above the solar surface in the less dense corona. Appearing as dark, thin, elongated filaments against a brighter solar disk, they provided further information through their interaction with and dependence on how magnetic fields are distributed on the solar surface, in the chromosphere and corona. Access to X-ray and short-wavelength ultraviolet radiation in prominences from spacecraft revealed large ranges of temperature in thin layers between the 10,000-degree prominence cores and the surrounding million-degree corona. The advent of increasingly more powerful computers has led to advanced modelling of prominence plasma based on radiative transfer and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) calculations. Theoretical and observational progress has opened up new possible formation mechanisms. The spectacular eruptions of solar prominences have led to a considerable amount of observational and theoretical work on possibly similar events on other stars, which could affect the existence of life on their orbiting planets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 70 years, Feynman diagrams have played an essential role in the development of many theoretical predictions derived from the standard model Lagrangian. In fact, today they have become an essential and seemingly irreplaceable tool in quantum field theory calculations. In this article, we propose to explore the development of computational methods for Feynman diagrams with a special focus on their automation, drawing insights from both theoretical physics and the history of science. From the latter perspective, the article particularly investigates the emergence of computer algebraic programs, such as the pioneering SCHOONSCHIP, REDUCE, and ASHMEDAI, designed to handle the intricate calculations associated with Feynman diagrams. This sheds light on the many challenges faced by physicists when working at higher orders in perturbation theory and reveal, as exemplified by the test of the validity of quantum electrodynamics at the turn of the 1960s and 1970s, the indispensable necessity of computer-assisted procedures. In the second part of the article, a comprehensive overview of the current state of the algorithmic evaluation of Feynman diagrams is presented from a theoretical point of view. It emphasizes the key algorithmic concepts employed in modern perturbative quantum field theory computations and discusses the achievements, ongoing challenges, and potential limitations encountered in the application of the Feynman diagrammatic method. Accordingly, we attribute the enduring significance of Feynman diagrams in contemporary physics to two main factors: the highly algorithmic framework developed by physicists to tackle these diagrams and the successful advancement of algebraic programs used to process the involved calculations associated with them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ludwig Boltzmann's move in his seminal paper of 1877, introducing a statistical understanding of entropy, was a watershed moment in the history of physics. The work not only introduced quantization and provided a new understanding of entropy, it challenged the understanding of what a law of nature could be. Traditionally, nomological necessity, that is, specifying the way in which a system must develop, was considered an essential element of proposed physical laws. Yet, here was a new understanding of the Second Law of Thermodynamics that no longer possessed this property. While it was a new direction in physics, in other important scientific discourses of that time—specifically Huttonian geology and Darwinian evolution, similar approaches were taken in which a system's development followed principles, but did so in a way that both provided a direction of time and allowed for non-deterministic, though rule-based, time evolution. Boltzmann referred to both of these theories, especially the work of Darwin, frequently. The possibility that Darwin influenced Boltzmann's thought in physics can be seen as being supported by Boltzmann's later writings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial from the journal "Notes & Records: The Royal Society Journal of the History of Science" that pays tribute to Professor James (Jim) Arthur Bennett, who passed away in October 2023. The editorial highlights Bennett's significant contributions to the field of the history of science, including his research on Sir Christopher Wren and his work as a curator and director of various museums. Bennett's interdisciplinary approach, leadership, and dedication to mentoring younger scholars are also acknowledged. The editorial concludes with a personal anecdote about Bennett's retirement and his love for reading and walking. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents a profile of J. Robert Oppenheimer, a prominent scientist who led the Manhattan Project to develop nuclear bombs during World War II. Oppenheimer came from a cultured and privileged Jewish family, and stood out for his intelligence and leadership. Although he was a complex and tragic figure, Oppenheimer left an important legacy in the history of physics and the nuclear era. The article also mentions the development of the first fusion bombs by the United States and the Soviet Union, as well as the ethical dilemmas and concerns about the use of these weapons. The importance of establishing non-proliferation treaties and reducing the number of stored nuclear weapons is emphasized. [Extracted from the article]

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Copyright of Santo: Rivista Francescana di Storia Dottrina Arte is the property of Associazione Centro Studi Antoniani and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Reasoning by analogies permeates theoretical developments in physics and astrophysics, motivated by the unreachable nature of many phenomena at play. For example, analogies have been used to understand black hole physics, leading to the development of a thermodynamic theory for these objects and the discovery of the Hawking effect. The latter, which results from quantum field theory on black hole space-times, changed the way physicists approached this subject: what had started as a mere aid to understanding becomes a possible source of evidence via the research programme of "analogue gravity" that builds on analogue models for field effects. Some of these analogue models may and can be realised in the laboratory, allowing experimental tests of field effects. Here, we present a historical perspective on the connection between the Hawking effect and analogue models. We also present a literature review of current research, bringing history and contemporary physics together. We argue that the history of analogue gravity and the Hawking effect is divided into three distinct phases based on how and why analogue models have been used to investigate fields in the vicinity of black holes. Furthermore, we find that modern research signals a transition to a new phase, where the impetus for the use of analogue models has surpassed the problem they were originally designed to solve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of main sources of uncertainty in modern cosmology is the present rate of the universe's expansion, H0, called the Hubble constant. Once again, different observational techniques bring about different results, causing new "Hubble tension". In the present work, we review the historical roots of the Hubble constant from the beginning of the twentieth century, when modern cosmology originated, to the present. We develop the arguments that gave rise to the importance of measuring the expansion of the Universe and its discovery, and we describe the different pioneering works attempting to measure it. There has been a long dispute on this matter, even in the present epoch, which is marked by high-tech instrumentation and, therefore, in smaller uncertainties in the relevant parameters. It is, again, currently necessary to conduct a careful and critical revision of the different methods before one invokes new physics to solve the so-called Hubble tension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reconstructs the process of identification and understanding of an ensemble of historic physics instruments carried out between 2021 and 2022 at the Department of Physics and Astronomy "Augusto Righi" of the University of Bologna. The ensemble of 244 instruments is part of the Collection of Physics of the University and corresponds to the main core of the nineteenth-century Cabinet of Physics of the University of Bologna. After a brief recollection of the complex history of the cabinet the paper brings into light the different aspects involved in the identification and understanding of a scientific instrument. The various challenges concern the use of the resources available, the role of the experts, the study in situ and the use of original archive sources. In addition, a contextualization of the present study in the current literature on material culture studies and history of scientific instruments will bring to light the importance of the analysis of historical and trade catalogues, both for retracing the trajectories of a specific artefact and for the study of its relationships with users, donors, collectors, previous owners, and other objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the top of the trajectory, many physics students mistakenly assume that if the velocity is zero, the acceleration must be zero too. Tying these different arrows to the concepts of velocity and acceleration can reinforce that velocity and acceleration are different quantities - make these detached from the actual object, as this will be helpful to students in distinguishing them from force vectors introduced later. Here is where the realization that "gravity never turns off" and drawn-in velocity and acceleration vectors can again be helpful. Introductory physics students frequently confuse concepts of velocity and acceleration, as in the example of a projectile motion problem where an object (e.g., a ball) is tossed upward in a gravitational field and undergoes freefall. [Extracted from the article]

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