Biographies in the History of Physics Actors, Objects, Institutions

This book sheds new light on the biographical approach in the history of physics by including the biographies of scientific objects, institutions, and concepts. What is a biography? Can biographies also be written for non-human subjects like scientific in

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Biographies in the History of Physics Actors, Objects, Institutions

Biographies in the History of Physics

Christian Forstner Mark Walker •

Editors

Biographies in the History of Physics Actors, Objects, Institutions

123

Editors Christian Forstner Ernst-Haeckel-Haus Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Germany

Mark Walker Union College Schenectady, NY, USA

ISBN 978-3-030-48508-5 ISBN 978-3-030-48509-2 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-48509-2

(eBook)

© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland

Contents

1

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christian Forstner and Mark Walker

Part I 2

3

4

5

6

1

Individuals

The ‘Invisible Hand’ of Carl Friedrich Gauß—Retracing the Life of Moritz Meyerstein, a 19th century Instrument Maker and Universitäts-Mechanicus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Klaus Hentschel

13

The Personal is Professional: Margaret Maltby’s Life in Physics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joanna Behrman

37

Erwin Schrödinger in the Second Spanish Republic, 1934–1935 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enric Pérez

59

Ludwig Prandtl: Pioneer of Fluid Mechanics and Science Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Eckert

75

Rudolf Tomaschek—An Exponent of the “Deutsche Physik” Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Va