The Dance of Lights and Atoms: Ten Narratives in Physical Sciences

About the Author:

Professor Gorur Govnda Raju has presented in the book ten narratives in physical sciences. On various manifestations of energy including electricity, magnetism, nuclear interactions and light. The narrative begins with the epochal researches of Chandrasekhar, Saha and Raman that were carried out during 1930s. They continue to be of great practical importance even today. The earliest researches of Michael Faraday in energy conversion in its domains are explained in a simply way. James Clerk Maxwell gave a mathematical backbone to these researches and developed equations which students find it hard to understand even today. The author has taken the challenge of explaining these difficult concepts in a easy to understand manner. Edison and Tesla duelled on the best possible mode of using electrical energy and the latter won. The quest for the coldest possible temperature, absolute zero, has almost, but not exactly, reached that goal. A colorful scientist, Richard Feynman of the latter part of the twentieth century explained the possibility of time travel in a brilliant, but easily understandable way, providing a glance into future possibilities. The narrative on lightning provides nature’s ingenious way of maintaining the electrical charge of the universe at a near constant value so that life exists in the planet we call Mother Earth.

Professor Govinda Raju is an acknowledged researcher and he has supervised many students towards Master and Doctoral degree. He is currently and Emeritus Professor at the University of Windsor in Canada.