david kaiser

The life and work of Freeman Dyson―renowned scientist, visionary, and iconoclast―and his particular way of thinking about deep questions.Freeman Dyson (1923–2020)―renowned scientist, visionary, and iconoclast―helped invent modern physics. Not bound by disciplinary divisions, he went on to explore foundational topics in mathematics, astrophysics, and the origin of life. General readers were introduced to Dyson’s roving mind and heterodox approach in his 1979 book Disturbing the Universe, a poignant autobiographical reflection on life and science. “Well, Doc, You’re In” (the title quotes Richard Feynman’s remark to Dyson at a physics conference) offers a fresh examination of Dyson’s life and work, exploring his particular way of thinking about deep questions that range from the nature of matter to the ultimate fate of the universe. The chapters―written by leading scientists, historians, and science journalists, including some of Dyson’s colleagues―trace Dyson’s formative years, his buddi

Recent advances in baseball statistical analysis have made it possible to assess the totality of contribution of each player to team success or failure. Using the metric Wins Above Average (WAA)—the n

While Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s first hundred days may be the most celebrated period of his presidency, the months before the attack on Pearl Harbor proved the most critical. Beginning as early as 1

An acclaimed historian reveals how Roosevelt and his cabinet engineered America's entry into--and ultimate victory in--World War II.

How did MIT become MIT? The Massachusetts Institute of Technology marks the 150thanniversary of its founding in 2011. Over the years, MIT has lived by its motto, "Mens etManus" ("Mind and Hand"), dedi

In the 1970s, an eccentric group of physicists in Berkeley, California, banded together to explore the wilder side of science. Dubbing themselves the “Fundamental Fysiks Group,” they pursued an audaci

Today, quantum information theory is among the most exciting scientific frontiers, attracting billions of dollars in funding and thousands of talented researchers. But as MIT physicist and historian D

"Becoming MIT is a gem for anyone interested in American science, technology, history, or higher education. By exploring eight critical moments of institutional decision, this brief but eloquent book

Neither a random event nor the act of a lone madman—the assassination of President John F. Kennedy was an appalling and grisly conspiracy. This is the unvarnished story.With deft investigative skill,

Winner of the 2007 Pfizer Prize from the History of Science Society. Feynman diagrams have revolutionized nearly every aspect of theoretical physics since the middle of the twentieth century. Introduc

Winner of the 2007 Pfizer Prize from the History of Science Society. Feynman diagrams have revolutionized nearly every aspect of theoretical physics since the middle of the twentieth century. Introduc

Pedagogy and the Practice of Science provides the first sustained examination of howscientists' and engineers' training shapes their research and careers. The wide-ranging essays movepedagogy to the c

David Kaiser looks at four hundred years of modern European history to find the political causes of general war in four distinct periods (1559–1659, 1661–1713, 1792–1815, and 1914–1945). He shows how

: A physicist's efforts to understand the enigma that is quantum mechanics.Quantum mechanics is one of the glories of our age. The theory lies at the heart of modern society. Quantum mechanics is one

The surprising story of eccentric young scientists who stood up to convention—and changed the face of modern physicsIn the 1970s, amid severe cutbacks in physics funding, a small group of underemploye

Describes how a quirky band of misfit science students at Berkeley in the 1970s altered the course of modern physics while studying quantum theory alongside Eastern mysticism and psychic mind reading

Describes how a quirky band of misfit science students at Berkeley in the 1970s altered the course of modern physics while studying quantum theory alongside Eastern mysticism and psychic mind reading

The twentieth century was one of astonishing change in science, especially as pursued in the United States. Against a backdrop of dramatic political and economic shifts brought by world wars, intermit

In his 1969 book The Making of a Counterculture, Theodore Roszak described the youth of the late 1960s as fleeing science “as if from a place inhabited by plague,” and even seeking “subversion of the

In his 1969 book The Making of a Counterculture, Theodore Roszak described the youth of the late 1960s as fleeing science “as if from a place inhabited by plague,” and even seeking “subversion of the