My mind has a tendency to wander when I read novels, but it’s a nice way to try to wind down before sleep. This year I did relatively well with fiction, getting through The White Tiger, The Third Policeman and First Love and other Novellas. Back to non-fiction, last Christmas I received Cathedrals of Science as a gift, but it is quite weighty, so ended up staying in Dublin for nine months. I finally got around to reading it over the last few weeks, and it is quite wonderful: it provides simultaneous insights into the birth of physical chemistry and the personalities of the people behind the movement.
We (at least I) have become complacent about relying on the Nerst equation, computing an Arrhenius activation energy or using concepts of resonance, ignoring the history of the people behind them. I’m guessing that the case is worsened in organic chemistry where virtually everything is “named”. This book should be essential undergraduate reading, as it displays both the excitement of working in science as well as the humanity (fallibility) of scientists. There’s no shortage of egos, superegos and grudges that last decades. You also get some insights into the establishment of the Nobel prizes, and the politics involved makes you realize why Boris Yellnikov (Woody Allen’s charming quantum physicist) never won the prize.
On a related note, there is an equally interesting piece on Paul Dirac, in the latest issue of Physics Today.