The Fly in the Cathedral: How a Group of Cambridge Scientists Won the International Race to Split the Atom
Cathcart, Brian
ISBN 10: 0374157162 ISBN 13: 9780374157166
Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005
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Bay State Book Company, North Smithfield, RI, U.S.A.
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About this Item
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Synopsis:
"Cathcart tells this exhilarating story with both verve and precision" --The Sunday Telegraph
Recreating the frustrations, excitements and obsessions of 1932, the 'miracle year' of British physics, Brian Cathcart reveals in rich detail the astonishing story behind the splitting of the atom. It was the most celebrated scientific experiment of its time, and would lead to one of mankind's most devastating inventions--the atomic bomb.
All matter is made mostly of empty space. Each of the billions of atoms which make it up is hollow, its true mass concentrated in a tiny nucleus which, if the atom were a cathedral, would be no bigger than a fly. Discovering its existence three quarters of a century ago was Lord Rutherford's greatest scientific achievement but even he caught only a glimpse. Almost at the point of despair, John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton, two young researchers in a grubby basement room at the famous Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, grappled with the challenge. Racing against their American and German counterparts-a colorful cast of Nobel prize-winners-they would change everything. With paper-and-pencil calculations, a hand-made apparatus, the odd lump of plasticine, and some revolutionary physics, Cockroft and Walton raised the curtain on the Atomic Age.
The Fly in the Cathedral is a riveting and erudite narrative inspired by the dreams that lead the last true gentlemen scientists to the very essence of the universe: the heart of matter.
Recreating the frustrations, excitements and obsessions of 1932, the 'miracle year' of British physics, Brian Cathcart reveals in rich detail the astonishing story behind the splitting of the atom. It was the most celebrated scientific experiment of its time, and would lead to one of mankind's most devastating inventions--the atomic bomb.
All matter is made mostly of empty space. Each of the billions of atoms which make it up is hollow, its true mass concentrated in a tiny nucleus which, if the atom were a cathedral, would be no bigger than a fly. Discovering its existence three quarters of a century ago was Lord Rutherford's greatest scientific achievement but even he caught only a glimpse. Almost at the point of despair, John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton, two young researchers in a grubby basement room at the famous Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, grappled with the challenge. Racing against their American and German counterparts-a colorful cast of Nobel prize-winners-they would change everything. With paper-and-pencil calculations, a hand-made apparatus, the odd lump of plasticine, and some revolutionary physics, Cockroft and Walton raised the curtain on the Atomic Age.
The Fly in the Cathedral is a riveting and erudite narrative inspired by the dreams that lead the last true gentlemen scientists to the very essence of the universe: the heart of matter.
About the Author:
A former reporter for Reuters and the Independent, Brian Cathcart is the author of: Test of Greatness: Britain's Struggle for the Atom Bomb, among other books. He lives in North London.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Bibliographic Details
Title: The Fly in the Cathedral: How a Group of ...
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication Date: 2005
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: very_good
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The Fly in the Cathedral: How a Group of Cambridge Scientists Won the International Race to Split the Atom
Published by
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005
ISBN 10: 0374157162
ISBN 13: 9780374157166
Used
Hardcover
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The Fly in the Cathedral: How a Group of Cambridge Scientists Won the International Race to Split the Atom
Published by
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005
ISBN 10: 0374157162
ISBN 13: 9780374157166
Used
Hardcover
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The Fly in the Cathedral: How a Group of Cambridge Scientists Won the International Race to Split the Atom
Published by
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005
ISBN 10: 0374157162
ISBN 13: 9780374157166
Used
Hardcover
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The Fly in the Cathedral: How a Group of Cambridge Scientists Won the International Race to Split the Atom
Published by
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005
ISBN 10: 0374157162
ISBN 13: 9780374157166
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The Fly in the Cathedral: How a Group of Cambridge Scientists Won the International Race to Split the Atom
Published by
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005
ISBN 10: 0374157162
ISBN 13: 9780374157166
Used
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The Fly in the Cathedral: How a Group of Cambridge Scientists Won the International Race to Split the Atom
Published by
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005
ISBN 10: 0374157162
ISBN 13: 9780374157166
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Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. Recalls one of the most startling scientific moments of the twentieth century--the splitting of the atom--a feat accomplished by a team of Cambridge physicists in a race with American and German scientists. Former library book. Solid binding. Please note the image in this listing is a stock photo and may not match the covers of the actual item. Ex-Library. Seller Inventory # 123521716
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The Fly in the Cathedral: How a Group of Cambridge Scientists Won the International Race to Split the Atom
Published by
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005
ISBN 10: 0374157162
ISBN 13: 9780374157166
Used
Hardcover
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The Fly in the Cathedral: How a Group of Cambridge Scientists Won the International Race to Split the Atom
Published by
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005
ISBN 10: 0374157162
ISBN 13: 9780374157166
Used
Hardcover
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
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Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0374157162I4N00
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The Fly in the Cathedral: How a Group of Cambridge Scientists Won the International Race to Split the Atom
Published by
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005
ISBN 10: 0374157162
ISBN 13: 9780374157166
Used
Hardcover
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Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0374157162I3N00
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The Fly in the Cathedral: How a Group of Cambridge Scientists Won the International Race to Split the Atom
Published by
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005
ISBN 10: 0374157162
ISBN 13: 9780374157166
Used
Hardcover
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Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Former library book; May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0374157162I4N10