物理学史与哲学
We analyze the evolution of cumulative national shares of Nobel Prizes since 1901, properly taking into account that most prizes were divided among several laureates. We rank by citizenship at the moment of the award, and by country of…
This is a pedagogical discussion of the foundations of the quantum theory.
Throughout the early history of Science the heliocentric world model was refused because it contradicted the thoughts of Aristotle and the medieval "Impetus" theory of movement. Even Galileo's sky observations did not lead to any acceptance…
We present a history and analysis of this experiment.
We review, in a historical perspective, developments in physics which led to the emergence of unifying ideas and theories. Some attention is paid to the theoretical programme that started in the second decade of the XXth century and whose…
An account of some of the life and work of John Bell
Many theoretical predictions derived from quantum mechanics have been confirmed experimentally during the last 80 years. However, interpretative aspects have long been subject to debate. Among them, the question of the existence of hidden…
Georg de Buquoy, Lord de Vaux, lived in Nove Hrady, Prague and Cerveny Hradek for most of his productive life. From his extensive scientific contributions, both theoretical and experimental, we expand here the discussion of his…
How the fundamental and purely quantum mechanical concept of space quantization and intrinsic spin led to totally unanticipated practical improvements to the Quality of Life such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging, atomic clocks, etc. This is…
Scientific education and divulgation not only amplify people's vocabulary and repertory of scientific concepts but, at the same time, promote the diffusion of certain conceptual and cognitive metaphors. Here we make some hypothesis about…
This article shows the importance that has had the scientific research, the technological development and the innovation processes in increasing the lethality of the available weapons during the last century. A set of initiatives promoted…
A forgotten experiment by Andr\'e Blondel (1914) proves, as held on the basis of theoretical arguments in a previous paper, that the time variation of the magnetic flux is not the cause of the induced $emf$: the physical agent is instead…
In [Eur. J. Phys. {\bf 25} (2004) 123-126], Dragan V. Red{\v z}i\'c is led to the FitzGerald-Lorentz contraction by comparing electromagnetic images of a moving point charge and a moving conducting sphere. We wish to point out that much…
This paper appeared in a collection of papers titled "Scientific Papers Presented to Max Born on his retirement from the Tait Chair of Natural Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh", published in 1953 (Oliver and Boyd).
The direct and indirect relationship between the British physicist originally from Austria, Sir Hermann Bondi, and Venezuelan physics are presented. Special emphasis is made of his more remarkable human qualities, nobility and humbleness,…
This study is based on Roman wooden force pumps. It appears that they were used in small numbers to raise water from wells, and more commonly as portable pumps to fight fires. The force pump is attributed to Ctesibius of Alexandria (fl.…
In this paper we discuss the impact of the last Landau paper on physics and mathematics to date and make some predictions about its likely impact on sciences in new millennium.
A brief survey of the author's works on the fundamental conceptual ideas of quantum statistical physics developed by N. N. Bogoliubov and his school was given. The development and applications of the method of quasiaverages to quantum…
G. B. Riccioli's 1651 Almagestum Novum contains a table of diameters of stars measured by Riccioli and his associates with a telescope. These telescopically measured star diameters are spurious, caused by the diffraction of light waves…
A recollection of special moments spent with Yakov Borisovich Zeldovich and with the scientists of Soviet Union and abroad.