Faust in Copenhagen A Struggle for the Soul of Physics

A fascinating look at the landmark 1932 gathering of the biggest names in physics Known by physicists as the miracle year, 1932 saw the discovery of the neutron and the first artificially induced nuclear transmutation. However, while physicists celebrated these momentous discoverieswhich presaged the era of big science and nuclear bombsEurope was moving inexorably toward totalitarianism and war. In April of that year, about forty of the worlds leading physicistsincluding Werner Heisenberg, Lise Meitner, and Paul Diraccame to Niels Bohrs Copenhagen Institute for their annual informal meeting about the frontiers of physics. Physicist Gino Segr brings to life this historic gathering, which ended with a humorous skit based on Goethes "Faust"a skit that eerily foreshadowed events that would soon unfold. Little did the scientists know the Faustian bargains they would face in the near future. Capturing the interplay between the great scientists as well as the discoveries they discussed and debated, Segr evokes the moment when physicsand the worldwas about to lose its innocence.Segre, Gino is the author of 'Faust in Copenhagen A Struggle for the Soul of Physics', published 2007 under ISBN 9780670038589 and ISBN 067003858X.