Note: this novel is also available in Italian as “Un pensiero abbagliante. Niels Bohr e la fisica dei quanti”
Suspended in Language
Age(s): Post-Secondary, Secondary
When Niels Bohr disagreed with you -- and not just mildly, but when he really thought you were nuts -- he would express it in the strongest possible terms. / We agree much more than you think.
Synopsis
This Graphic Novel gives a biographical summary of Niels Bohr's life. Starting with his work on surface tension, through the award-winning Bohr model of the atom, until his contributions to the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, and finally ending with the founding of CERN. The book is heavy on anecdotes about Bohr's life, particular in the first half, and points out Bohr's eccentric ways of communicating at many points.
Why should I read this book?
The book is a good example of a less charismatic approach to physics than the heavily lauded R. Feynman. Excerpts could be used as examples of each of the various models of the atom, the collaborative nature of "Gendanken Experiments" as a medium for theory calculations, or even as a primer to the ethical implications of science.
Who is this book best for?
High school and post-secondary students who are looking for explanations of various atomic models (Bohr, Rutherford, Quantum, etc.). would enjoy this book. It would also be useful to draw students into science or physics. There is a sequence int he back relating a probably apocryphal story about how Bohr passed an early set of exams that is an excellent example of creative scientific thinking at its best.
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