Einstein for the 21st Century

More than fifty years after his death, Albert Einstein´s vital engagement with the world continues to inspire others, spurring conversations, projects, and research, in the sciences as well as the humanities. Einstein for the 21st Century shows us why he remains a figure of fascination. In this wide-ranging collection, eminent artists, historians, scientists, and social scientists describe Einstein´s influence on their work, and consider his relevance for the future. Scientists discuss how Einstein´s vision continues to motivate them, whether in their quest for a fundamental description of nature or in their investigations in chaos theory; art scholars and artists explore his ties to modern aesthetics; a music historian probes Einstein´s musical tastes and relates them to his outlook in science; historians explore the interconnections between Einstein´s politics, physics, and philosophy; and other contributors examine his impact on the innovations of our time. Uniquely cross-disciplinary, Einstein for the 21st Century serves as a testament to his legacy and speaks to everyone with an interest in his work.
The contributors are Leon Botstein, Lorraine Daston, E. L. Doctorow, Yehuda Elkana, Yaron Ezrahi, Michael L. Friedman, Jürg Fröhlich, Peter L. Galison, David Gross, Hanoch Gutfreund, Linda D. Henderson, Dudley Herschbach, Gerald Holton, Caroline Jones, Susan Neiman, Lisa Randall, Jürgen Renn, Matthew Ritchie, Silvan S. Schweber, and A. Douglas Stone.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction ix
PART 1: Solitude and World
Chapter 1: Who Was Einstein? Why Is He Still So Alive? by Gerald Holton 3
Chapter 2: A Short History of Einstein´s Paradise beyond the Personal by Lorraine Daston 15
Chapter 3: Einstein´s Jewish Identity by Hanoch Gutfreund 27
Chapter 4: Einstein and God by Yehuda Elkana 35
Chapter 5: Einstein´s Unintended Legacy: The Critique of Common-Sense Realism and Post-Modern Politics by Yaron Ezrahi 48
Chapter 6: Subversive Einstein by Susan Neiman 59
Chapter 7: Einstein and Nuclear Weapons by Silvan S. Schweber 72

PART 2: Art and World

Chapter 8: Einstein and 20th-Century Art: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Linda Dalrymple Henderson 101
Chapter 9: Rendering Time by Caroline A. Jones 130
Chapter 10: Into the Bleed: Einstein and 21st-Century Art by Matthew Ritchie 150
Chapter 11: Einstein and Music by Leon Botstein 161
Chapter 12: Seeing the Unseen by E. L. Doctorow 176

PART 3: Science and World

Chapter 13: The Assassin of Relativity by Peter L. Galison 185
Chapter 14: Space, Time, and Geometry: Einstein and Logical Empiricism by Michael L. Friedman 205
Chapter 15: Einstein as a Student by Dudley Herschbach 217
Chapter 16: Learning from Einstein: Innovation in Science by Jürgen Renn 239
Chapter 17: Einstein and ´h: Advances in Quantum Mechanics by Jürg Fröhlich 257
Chapter 18: Einstein´s Unknown Contribution to Quantum Theory by A. Douglas Stone 270
Chapter 19: Einstein and the Quest for a Unified Theory by David Gross 287
Chapter 20: Energy in Einstein´s Universe by Lisa Randall 299