Leonardo

Einstein for Beginners by Joseph Schwartz; Michael McGuinnessReview by: Nan ConklinLeonardo, Vol. 16, No. 1 (Winter, 1983), p. 63Published by: The MIT PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1575052 .

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Leonardo, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 63-78, 1983 Pergamon Press Ltd. Printed in Great Britain

BOOKS

Leonardo, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 63-78, 1983 Pergamon Press Ltd. Printed in Great Britain

BOOKS

Readers are invited to recommend books to be reviewed. In general, only books in English and in French can be reviewed at this stage.

Those who would like to be added to Leonardo's panel of reviewers should write to the Editor, indicating their particular interests.

Readers are invited to recommend books to be reviewed. In general, only books in English and in French can be reviewed at this stage.

Those who would like to be added to Leonardo's panel of reviewers should write to the Editor, indicating their particular interests.

Einstein for Beginners. Joseph Schwartz and Michael McGuinness. Pantheon Books, New York, 1979. 173 pp., illus. Paper, $2.95. ISBN: 0- 394-73801-2. Reviewed by Nan Conklin*

A curious book. It is one of a 'documentary comic-book series', the others being Marx for Beginners, The Anti-Nuclear Handbook, and Lenin for Beginners. Both the drawing and the words have a distinctly comic- book flavor, sometimes terribly cute. About half the book is devoted to recounting Einstein's (referred to as Albert) early life and the influences on him, both personal and scientific. It is only when the authors set out to explain Einstein's theories that the use of the peculiar mode of presentation seems justified.

The explanation of the Special Theory of Relativity, complete with the usual moving railway cars, is cleverly done, and the drawings in this case are a help. In the thick of it there appears the statement: 'Don't get worried. Among physicists there's a saying, "You never really understand a new theory. You just get used to it."' Since I am more or less used to the Special Theory and not at all used to the General Theory of Relativity, I was disappointed to find that the authors only mention its existence on the last page. It is surely much more difficult to explain in non-mathematical terms and might also yield to the book's somewhat flippant approach.

There are, throughout the book, quotations from Einstein and other physicists, and they are often apt and amusing. My favorite forms the caption for the frontispiece photograph of Einstein: 'If relativity is proved right the Germans will call me a German, the Swiss will call me a Swiss citizen, and the French will call me a great scientist. If relativity is proved wrong the French will call me a Swiss, the Swiss will call me a German and the Germans will call me a Jew.'

The somewhat strange tone of the book is perhaps best illustrated by the bibliography. Under Magazines: 'Science magazine in the U.S. has some decent muckraking journalism.' Science 'muckraking'? 'Nature in the U.K. (is) shot through with the conventional view of science as a neutral activity propelled along the paths of logic by the force of special genius.' Surely not a bad view to be shot through with. Perhaps Einstein is included in the series because of his belief in 'the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals.' This is, then, not simply a book explaining Einstein's scientific work, but a mixture of history, politics and science.

Extraterrestrial Civilizations. Isaac Asimov. Crown Publishers, New York, 1979. 282 pp. $10.00. Reviewed by Ralph J. Turner**

The subject is evocative. Our information is minuscule. But explorative space probes and intellectual development have brought us to a point where we must think about intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. Is such life possible or probable? Is it within reach? Most of our activity is in the form of deduction. We know a few facts about stars and planets; we assume some reasonable possibilities and then we project some conservative action.

Asimov's book is certainly not the first on this subject in the last 20 years. Walter Sullivan's We Are Not Alone (1964) recorded the basic

Einstein for Beginners. Joseph Schwartz and Michael McGuinness. Pantheon Books, New York, 1979. 173 pp., illus. Paper, $2.95. ISBN: 0- 394-73801-2. Reviewed by Nan Conklin*

A curious book. It is one of a 'documentary comic-book series', the others being Marx for Beginners, The Anti-Nuclear Handbook, and Lenin for Beginners. Both the drawing and the words have a distinctly comic- book flavor, sometimes terribly cute. About half the book is devoted to recounting Einstein's (referred to as Albert) early life and the influences on him, both personal and scientific. It is only when the authors set out to explain Einstein's theories that the use of the peculiar mode of presentation seems justified.

The explanation of the Special Theory of Relativity, complete with the usual moving railway cars, is cleverly done, and the drawings in this case are a help. In the thick of it there appears the statement: 'Don't get worried. Among physicists there's a saying, "You never really understand a new theory. You just get used to it."' Since I am more or less used to the Special Theory and not at all used to the General Theory of Relativity, I was disappointed to find that the authors only mention its existence on the last page. It is surely much more difficult to explain in non-mathematical terms and might also yield to the book's somewhat flippant approach.

There are, throughout the book, quotations from Einstein and other physicists, and they are often apt and amusing. My favorite forms the caption for the frontispiece photograph of Einstein: 'If relativity is proved right the Germans will call me a German, the Swiss will call me a Swiss citizen, and the French will call me a great scientist. If relativity is proved wrong the French will call me a Swiss, the Swiss will call me a German and the Germans will call me a Jew.'

The somewhat strange tone of the book is perhaps best illustrated by the bibliography. Under Magazines: 'Science magazine in the U.S. has some decent muckraking journalism.' Science 'muckraking'? 'Nature in the U.K. (is) shot through with the conventional view of science as a neutral activity propelled along the paths of logic by the force of special genius.' Surely not a bad view to be shot through with. Perhaps Einstein is included in the series because of his belief in 'the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an educational system which would be oriented toward social goals.' This is, then, not simply a book explaining Einstein's scientific work, but a mixture of history, politics and science.

Extraterrestrial Civilizations. Isaac Asimov. Crown Publishers, New York, 1979. 282 pp. $10.00. Reviewed by Ralph J. Turner**

The subject is evocative. Our information is minuscule. But explorative space probes and intellectual development have brought us to a point where we must think about intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. Is such life possible or probable? Is it within reach? Most of our activity is in the form of deduction. We know a few facts about stars and planets; we assume some reasonable possibilities and then we project some conservative action.

Asimov's book is certainly not the first on this subject in the last 20 years. Walter Sullivan's We Are Not Alone (1964) recorded the basic

*Clay Road, North Thetford, VT 05054, U.S.A. **Rock Creek Experimental Station, Rt. 2, Box 167, Sheridan, OR

97378, U.S.A.

*Clay Road, North Thetford, VT 05054, U.S.A. **Rock Creek Experimental Station, Rt. 2, Box 167, Sheridan, OR

97378, U.S.A.

statistics. Carl Sagan and the Russian Shklovskii jointly wrote Intelligent Life in the Universe (1966), a disjointed but rich introduction. Sagan continues to write from different starting points. A recent example is The Dragons of Eden (1977).

If a work deals with material that has already been discussed, then it should do one of two things. It should organize the old material in a new way, perhaps refining or extending it as well, in order that difficult matter can more easily be grasped. Or the new work must touch on new ground. Asimov's book is highly structured and digresses less than Sagan's. But the new ground is limited.

At the end of chapter five a countdown is begun to maintain some suspense about the likelihood of life on other worlds. As each consideration of what would limit the number of possible civilizations is completed, stock is taken of the remaining potential intelligent worlds. We start with an estimated 300 billion stars in our galaxy and end with a projected 530 thousand civilizations existing now in this galaxy. (We dare not think of the number of civilizations possible in other myriad galaxies because there are more galaxies than there are stars in our galaxy!) Asimov's figure may differ from what others project but as long as there are thousands of worlds out there that we can imagine, the effect is the same.

The review of astronomical history in chapter six and the historical review of the appearance of life in chapter nine are succinct and sufficient. UFO's are put on the shelf. In these sections the acquisition of evidence of planets orbiting other stars, and how life emerges on our planet sets the basis for what we can expect on other worlds.

Three-quarters of the stars belong to multiple star systems. Can there be planets in multiple star systems? Asimov makes some effort to tackle this crucial question. He concludes that where the multiple star system is only binary and where both stars are similar to the sun, or one is less massive, then some of their planets would have useful ecospheres. A useful ecosphere is assumed throughout the book to resemble Earth's. Asimov comes upon a serious hurdle when he considers the possibility of travel to or communication with other civilizations in the universe. He finds an average separation for two civilizations of 630 light years! This after all is really a spatial stumbling block. One answer is to evade the problem: 'Let us consider that perhaps there is some way of beating the speed of light limit.' But, after some sorties into disassembly of bodies into light, laser riding, and black hole sleight of mind, Asimov faces the problem: 'The vast majority of civilizations, conceivably all of them, may simply remain in their own planetary systems.'

The remainder of the book touches on the problems of communication with extra-solar civilizations. How could we detect them? Have they noticed us? (There hasn't been sufficient time; we have been broadcasting our weak radio signals less than 100 years and with the nearest civilization possibly 630 light years away ....) How would we exchange information if we did make contact? This last question, given in a paragraph by Asimov, has been dealt with by Hans Freudenthal in a dense study: Lincos, Design of a Language for Cosmic Intercourse (1960). Between the obtuse logic of Freudenthal and the elementary introduction of Asimov there is need for philosophic discussion.

I see a niche here for artists. What geometric, numeric, graphic or glyphic form will galactic signalling take? Will we be analogous to coyotes yelping to indicate our position, preachers spreading the word, scientists searching for knowledge, or will we make celestial music? Do we really desire communication with extraterrestrial superior beings? Are our first communications already taking place as we receive and send signals to our own spacecraft? Must our present earthly squabbles

statistics. Carl Sagan and the Russian Shklovskii jointly wrote Intelligent Life in the Universe (1966), a disjointed but rich introduction. Sagan continues to write from different starting points. A recent example is The Dragons of Eden (1977).

If a work deals with material that has already been discussed, then it should do one of two things. It should organize the old material in a new way, perhaps refining or extending it as well, in order that difficult matter can more easily be grasped. Or the new work must touch on new ground. Asimov's book is highly structured and digresses less than Sagan's. But the new ground is limited.

At the end of chapter five a countdown is begun to maintain some suspense about the likelihood of life on other worlds. As each consideration of what would limit the number of possible civilizations is completed, stock is taken of the remaining potential intelligent worlds. We start with an estimated 300 billion stars in our galaxy and end with a projected 530 thousand civilizations existing now in this galaxy. (We dare not think of the number of civilizations possible in other myriad galaxies because there are more galaxies than there are stars in our galaxy!) Asimov's figure may differ from what others project but as long as there are thousands of worlds out there that we can imagine, the effect is the same.

The review of astronomical history in chapter six and the historical review of the appearance of life in chapter nine are succinct and sufficient. UFO's are put on the shelf. In these sections the acquisition of evidence of planets orbiting other stars, and how life emerges on our planet sets the basis for what we can expect on other worlds.

Three-quarters of the stars belong to multiple star systems. Can there be planets in multiple star systems? Asimov makes some effort to tackle this crucial question. He concludes that where the multiple star system is only binary and where both stars are similar to the sun, or one is less massive, then some of their planets would have useful ecospheres. A useful ecosphere is assumed throughout the book to resemble Earth's. Asimov comes upon a serious hurdle when he considers the possibility of travel to or communication with other civilizations in the universe. He finds an average separation for two civilizations of 630 light years! This after all is really a spatial stumbling block. One answer is to evade the problem: 'Let us consider that perhaps there is some way of beating the speed of light limit.' But, after some sorties into disassembly of bodies into light, laser riding, and black hole sleight of mind, Asimov faces the problem: 'The vast majority of civilizations, conceivably all of them, may simply remain in their own planetary systems.'

The remainder of the book touches on the problems of communication with extra-solar civilizations. How could we detect them? Have they noticed us? (There hasn't been sufficient time; we have been broadcasting our weak radio signals less than 100 years and with the nearest civilization possibly 630 light years away ....) How would we exchange information if we did make contact? This last question, given in a paragraph by Asimov, has been dealt with by Hans Freudenthal in a dense study: Lincos, Design of a Language for Cosmic Intercourse (1960). Between the obtuse logic of Freudenthal and the elementary introduction of Asimov there is need for philosophic discussion.

I see a niche here for artists. What geometric, numeric, graphic or glyphic form will galactic signalling take? Will we be analogous to coyotes yelping to indicate our position, preachers spreading the word, scientists searching for knowledge, or will we make celestial music? Do we really desire communication with extraterrestrial superior beings? Are our first communications already taking place as we receive and send signals to our own spacecraft? Must our present earthly squabbles

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This content downloaded from 194.29.185.251 on Thu, 12 Jun 2014 23:24:13 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions