Graham Farmelo – författare

Paul Dirac was among the greatest scientific geniuses of the modern age. One of Einstein's most admired colleagues, he helped discover quantum mechanics, and his prediction of antimatter was one of the greatest triumphs in the history of physics. In 1933 he became the youngest theoretician ever to win the Nobel Prize in Physics. Dirac's personality, like his achievements, is legendary. The Strangest Man uses previously undiscovered archives to reveal the many facets of Dirac's brilliantly original mind.

'A monumental achievement - one of the great scientific biographies.' Michael FraynThe Strangest Man is the Costa Biography Award-winning account of Paul Dirac, the famous physicist sometimes called the British Einstein. He was one of the leading pioneers of the greatest revolution in twentieth-century science: quantum mechanics. The youngest theoretician ever to win the Nobel Prize for Physics, he was also pathologically reticent, strangely literal-minded and legendarily unable to communicate or empathize. Through his greatest period of productivity, his postcards home contained only remarks about the weather.Based on a previously undiscovered archive of family papers, Graham Farmelo celebrates Dirac's massive scientific achievement while drawing a compassionate portrait of his life and work. Farmelo shows a man who, while hopelessly socially inept, could manage to love and sustain close friendship.The Strangest Man is an extraordinary and moving human story, as well as a study of one of the most exciting times in scientific history.'A wonderful book . . . Moving, sometimes comic, sometimes infinitely sad, and goes to the roots of what we mean by truth in science.' Lord Waldegrave, Daily Telegraph

'A superbly written, riveting book.'MARTIN REES, Astronomer Royal'I am overcome with admiration for its range and profundity. An amazing achievement.'MICHAEL FRAYN'A wonderful book.'TOM STOPPARDA groundbreaking exploration of how the interplay of physics and mathematics has enriched our understanding of the universe - essential reading for anyone who wants to grasp how physicists are attempting, in Stephen Hawking's words, to 'know the mind of God'.Searching for the fundamental laws of the universe, physicists have found themselves developing ambitious mathematical ideas. But without observation and experiment as their guide, are they now doing 'fairy-tale physics' as their detractors claim?In The Universe Speaks in Numbers, Graham Farmelo argues that today's greatest scientific minds are working in a tradition that dates back to Newton. He takes us on an adventure, from the Enlightenment to the breakthroughs of Einstein and Dirac, to the work of modern physicists and mathematicians shedding light on each other's disciplines, to their mutual surprise and excitement. This blossoming relationship is responsible for huge advances in our understanding of space and time - and as Farmelo explains, could redefine reality as we know it.LISTEN TO THE ACCOMPANYING PODCAST featuring interviews with leading scientists at www.grahamfarmelo.com

Science museums are in the business of making science accessible to the public—a public constantly bombarded with new information and research results. How the public understands this information will affect what they expect and take away from a museum's exhibits and programs. Creating Connections looks at the public understanding of research (PUR) and how it affects what science museums do. What are the opportunities and critical issues in PUR? What strategies are working and what are some pitfalls? What can be learned from the media's experiences with PUR? Creating Connections will be an invaluable resource for science museum professionals who want to guide their institutions and their visitors toward a new understanding of and appreciation for current research.

Science museums are in the business of making science accessible to the public—a public constantly bombarded with new information and research results. How the public understands this information will affect what they expect and take away from a museum's exhibits and programs. Creating Connections looks at the public understanding of research (PUR) and how it affects what science museums do. What are the opportunities and critical issues in PUR? What strategies are working and what are some pitfalls? What can be learned from the media's experiences with PUR? Creating Connections will be an invaluable resource for science museum professionals who want to guide their institutions and their visitors toward a new understanding of and appreciation for current research.

Der seltsamste Mensch ist der mit dem Costa-Buchpreis ausgezeichnete Bericht über Paul Dirac, den berühmten Physiker, der manchmal als der englische Einstein bezeichnet wird. Er war einer der führenden Pioniere der großen Revolution in der Wissenschaft des zwanzigsten Jahrhunderts: der Quantenmechanik. Und er war 1933 der jüngste Theoretiker, der den Nobelpreis für Physik erhalten hatte. Dirac war seltsam wortkarg, nahm alles wörtlich und seine gehemmte Art zu kommunizieren und seine mangelnde Empathiefähigkeit wurden legendär. Während seiner erfolgreichsten Schaffensperiode bestanden seine Postkarten ins Elternhaus nur aus Berichten über das Wetter. Auf der Basis zuvor nicht entdeckter Unterlagen aus dem Familienarchiv verbindet Graham Farmelo eine kenntnisreiche Schilderung der wissenschaftlichen Leistungen mit einem einfühlsamen Portrait des Individuums Paul Dirac. Er zeigt einen Menschen, der trotz extremer sozialer Gehemmtheit fähig ist zur Liebe und zu treuer Freundschaft.Der seltsamste Mensch ist eine außerordentliche menschlich berührende Story ebenso wie ein fesselnder Bericht über eine der aufregendsten Zeiten der Wissenschaftsgeschichte.