The Character of Physical Law

Front Cover
Penguin Adult, 1992 - Science - 192 pages

Collecting legendary lectures from freewheeling scientific genius Richard P. Feynman, The Character of Physical Law is the perfect example of Feynman's gift for making complex subjects accessible and entertaining.

Here Richard Feynman gives his own unique take on the puzzles and problems that lie at the heart of physics, from Newton's Law of Gravitation to mathematics as the supreme language of nature, from the mind-boggling question of whether time can go backwards to the exciting search for new scientific laws.

Using simple everyday illustrations to bring out the essence of a complicated principle - for example the surprising parallels between the law of conservation of energy and drying yourself with wet towels -- these lectures are a brilliant example of Feynman's mind in action.

'The greatest physicist of the twentieth century'
Sunday Times

'It is unlikely that the world will see another Richard Feynman ... his style inspired a generation of scientists. This volume remains the best record I know of his exhilarating vision'
Paul Davies

'Fascinating ... an insight into the thought processes of a great physicist ... the acknowledged master of clear explanation'
The Times Literary Supplement

'One of the most enjoyable books written by a major scientist'
Observer

Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988) was one of this century's most brilliant theoretical physicists and original thinkers. Feynman's other books, also available in Penguin, include QED, Six Easy Pieces, Six Not-so-Easy Pieces, Don't You Have Time to Think, The Pleasure of Finding Things Out, What Do You Care What Other People Think? and The Meaning of it All.

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About the author (1992)

Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988) was one of this century's most brilliant theoretical physicists and original thinkers. Books by Feynman in Penguin include QED (1990 - 58,000 copies), Six Easy Pieces (1998 - 27,000 copies), and Six Not-so-Easy Pieces (1999 - 10,000 copies). Paul Davies is an internationally acclaimed physicist, writer and broadcaster. He received degrees in physics from University College, London. He was Professor of Natural Philosophy in the Australian Centre for Astrobiology at Macquarie University, Sydney and has held previous academic appointments at the Universities of Cambridge, London, Newcastle upon Tyne and Adelaide. Most of his research has been in the area of quantum field theory in curved spacetime. Davies has also has written many books for the general reader in the fascinating fields of cosmology and physics. He is the author of over twenty-five books, including The Mind of God, Other Worlds, God and the New Physics, The Edge of Infinity, The Cosmic Blueprint, Are We Alone?, The Fifth Miracle, The Last Three Minutes, About Time, and How to Build a Time Machine. His awards include an Advance Australia Award for outstanding contributions to science, two Eureka Prizes, the 2001 Kelvin Medal and Prize by the Institute of Physics, and the 2002 Faraday Prize by The Royal Society for Progress in religion. He also received the Templeton Prize for his contributions to the deeper implications of science. In April 1999 the asteroid 1992 OG was officially named (6870) Pauldavies in his honour.

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