Assumption and Myth in Physical Theory
 | |
| Author | Hermann Bondi |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Philosophy of physics, relativity |
| Published | 1967 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Pages | 96 |
Assumption and Myth in Physical Theory is a short book by the cosmologist Hermann Bondi, based on the Tarner Lectures he delivered at Cambridge in November 1965 and published by Cambridge University Press in 1967.
Overview
In the lectures Bondi examines the hidden assumptions and "myths" that grow up around physical theories, aiming to provoke thought rather than to settle questions. The chapters treat the limits of theory-making, the presuppositions and myths surrounding special relativity, gravitation, and the origin of inertia and of the universe (including Mach's principle). Bondi urges a critical awareness of what is genuinely established versus what is merely customarily assumed.
About the author
Sir Hermann Bondi (1919–2005) was an Austrian-British mathematician and cosmologist, best known as a co-author (with Thomas Gold and Fred Hoyle) of the steady-state theory of the universe and for contributions to general relativity and gravitational-wave theory.
Publication details
- Author: Hermann Bondi
- Publisher: Cambridge University Press
- Published: 1967 (Tarner Lectures, delivered November 1965)
- Pages: 96
- ISBN: 0521042828