Physics and Technology for Future Presidents

An Introduction to the Essential Physics Every World Leader Needs to Know

Richard A. Muller

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Year: 2010
• Print ISBN: 9780691135045
• eBook ISBN: 9781400835317
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Physics
• Index: Physics

Physics for future world leaders

Physics and Technology for Future Presidents contains the essential physics that students need in order to understand today's core science and technology issues, and to become the next generation of world leaders. From the physics of energy to climate change, and from spy technology to quantum computers, this is the only textbook to focus on the modern physics affecting the decisions of political leaders and CEOs and, consequently, the lives of every citizen. How practical are alternative energy sources? Can satellites really read license plates from space? What is the quantum physics behind iPods and supermarket scanners? And how much should we fear a terrorist nuke? This lively book empowers students possessing any level of scientific background with the tools they need to make informed decisions and to argue their views persuasively with anyone—expert or otherwise.

Based on Richard Muller's renowned course at Berkeley, the book explores critical physics topics: energy and power, atoms and heat, gravity and space, nuclei and radioactivity, chain reactions and atomic bombs, electricity and magnetism, waves, light, invisible light, climate change, quantum physics, and relativity. Muller engages readers through many intriguing examples, helpful facts to remember, a fun-to-read text, and an emphasis on real-world problems rather than mathematical computation. He includes chapter summaries, essay and discussion questions, Internet research topics, and handy tips for instructors to make the classroom experience more rewarding.

Accessible and entertaining, Physics and Technology for Future Presidents gives students the scientific fluency they need to become well-rounded leaders in a world driven by science and technology.

Leading universities that have adopted this book include:

• Harvard
• Purdue
• Rice University
• University of Chicago
• Sarah Lawrence College
• Notre Dame
• Wellesley
• Wesleyan
• University of Colorado
• Northwestern
• Washington University in St. Louis
• University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
• Fordham
• University of Miami
• George Washington University

Some images inside the book are unavailable due to digital copyright restrictions.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Chapter 1 Energy and Power and the Physics of Explosions
• Chapter 2 Atoms and Heat
• Chapter 3 Gravity, Force, and Space
• Chapter 4 Nuclei and Radioactivity
• Chapter 5 Chain Reactions, Nuclear Reactors, and Atomic Bombs
• Chapter 6 Electricity and Magnetism
• Chapter 7 Waves Including UFOs, Earthquakes, and Music
• Chapter 8 Light
• Chapter 9 Invisible Light
• Chapter 10 Climate Change
• Chapter 11 Quantum Physics
• Chapter 12 Relativity
• Chapter 13 The Universe
• Epilogue (a poem)
• Index