Physics Curiosities: Oddities and Novelties - John Kimball [pdf]

Physics Curiosities, Oddities, and Novelties highlights unusual aspects of physics and gives a new twist to some fundamental concepts. The book covers both classical and modern physics in an engaging, straightforward style.

The author presents perplexing questions that often lack satisfying answers. He also delves into the stories of famous and eccentric past scientists. Many examples reveal interesting ideas, including how:
* Newton had trouble determining the mass of the moon
* An electric motor is an electric generator run in reverse
* Time travel that violates causality is not possible
* Schrödinger’s cat may be both dead and alive, and there may be two of each one of us to observe the two possibilities
* Particle physics and the basic laws of thermodynamics can appear simple yet are very complicated

Accessible to nonspecialists and beginning students, this book provides insight into physics using minimal mathematics and jargon. It summarizes many fascinating aspects of physics employing only essential formulas. Some familiar formulas are written in standard form while other equations are written in words for greater clarity.