When it comes to the spread of knowledge – particularly the communication of some of the most paradigm-shifting ideas of all time – it is Émilie Du Châtelet and Mary Somerville whose names should not only be familiar to anyone who would call her or himself educated, they should leap to mind as two of the most significant authors in the history of mathematics and physics.
Written after he completed the final version of his General Theory of Relativity, Dr. Einstein wrote Relativity as a book that would explain both his special and general theories of relativity to a wide-ranging, non-specialist audience. Quite simply, it was intended to be a popular book.
Indeed, dear reader. Much as we may wish it were not so, long gone are the days of natural history being written in elegant Victorian prose. Delve into any serious journal, examine any research touching upon the subject, and far from contemplating a tangled bank, you’ll instead be puzzling over various numbers, Greek letters, and assorted cryptic squiggles that to the uninitiated may have as well have been copied from the gold embroidery on a wizard’s pointy purple hat. If you’re going to pursue any studies in the field, lest you remain on the most genteel margins, an understanding – at least at a basic level – of statistics is required.
When the advance reading copy of Robyn Arianrhod’s forthcoming “Thomas Harriot; A Life in Science” arrived from Oxford University Press last month, I’ll admit the first thought that entered my mind was “Who?” But after delving into it, I’m increasingly of the opinion that that is really the reason behind why Dr. Arianrhod likely wrote the book in the first place.