Non-Fiction

eppur_se_muova

(37,391 posts)

5. "The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom"

Reply to DisgustipatedinCA (Original post)

Wed Dec 21, 2011, 04:53 PM

Dec 2011

http://www.powells.com/biblio/91-9780465019922-0#product_details

It's long been an open question to me whether Dirac's "prediction" of the existence of anti-matter was anything of the sort. Although he won a Nobel Prize, in large part for predicting the existence of the positron, the story turns out to be more complicated than that, and it's hard to reach a yes-or-no conclusion.

Dirac was certainly the prizewinner for introverted personalities, and this bio would probably be a little shocking to anyone who hadn't already heard a few "Dirac stories".

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

61 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

What's the best nonfiction you've read this year? (bonus if it was published in 2011) [View all] DisgustipatedinCA Dec 2011 OP

America's Quarterback: Bart Starr and the Rise of the National Football League ScreamingMeemie Dec 2011 #1

Cool. I'm not much of a sports book reader, so the disclaimer... DisgustipatedinCA Dec 2011 #2

Justice for Hedgehogs - Ronald Dworkin. Jim__ Dec 2011 #3

that's really interesting DisgustipatedinCA Dec 2011 #6

Dance of Dragons Viva_La_Revolution Dec 2011 #4

You know what makes me happy? DisgustipatedinCA Dec 2011 #7

"The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom" eppur_se_muova Dec 2011 #5

this is now on my Goodreads list of books to read DisgustipatedinCA Dec 2011 #8

I have been wanting to purchase a book like this truedelphi Dec 2011 #21

It's much more of a biography than a physics book, so it probably won't anwer your questions. eppur_se_muova Dec 2011 #22

2 titles: Green is the New Red and Black Flags and Windmills idiotgardener Dec 2011 #9

John Dos Passos "The Americans" jerseyjack Dec 2011 #10

"Life" by Keith Richards... RevStPatrick Dec 2011 #11

Unbroken mgc1961 Dec 2011 #12

Yep, Unbroken iamjoy Dec 2011 #44

Vultures picnic by Greg Palast... prairierose Dec 2011 #13

Sounds like a good read. And did you know that truedelphi Dec 2011 #25

+1 RoccoR5955 Dec 2011 #28

I tried to read Vulture's Picnic NJCher Dec 2011 #30

Yes, I found his style in this book annoying but... prairierose Dec 2011 #40

"With Liberty and Justice For Some", by Glenn Greenwald. russspeakeasy Dec 2011 #14

The Disappearing Spoon (nt) usrname Dec 2011 #15

I read that, too secondvariety Dec 2011 #24

Jeffrey Sachs - Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet Lucky 13 Dec 2011 #16

Also Lester Brown - Plan B 4.0 Lucky 13 Dec 2011 #17

I am reading The Price of Civilization ashling Dec 2011 #46

Biopunk: DIY Scientists Hack the Software of Life. That young jtuck004 Dec 2011 #18

History of the Alphabet zipplewrath Dec 2011 #19

Who is the author, pls? dixiegrrrrl Aug 2012 #54

Sorry zipplewrath Aug 2012 #55

you might like Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea dixiegrrrrl Sep 2012 #58

Better Angels of Our Nature by Stephen Pinker mainer Dec 2011 #20

Isaacson's "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life." MADem Dec 2011 #23

The only other book I have read here. It was very infomative. What a diverse and talented person. efhmc Dec 2011 #27

I enjoyed it immensely--was sad to have it end! MADem Dec 2011 #42

Making Haste from of Babylon: The Mayflower Pilgrims and Their World: A New History by Nick Bunker efhmc Dec 2011 #26

The Information by James Gleick pscot Dec 2011 #29

Chaos chervilant Dec 2011 #33

It's on my list pscot Dec 2011 #41

Stauffenberg, by Peter Hoffman. provis99 Dec 2011 #31

I'm working on the Steve Jobs bio DissedByBush Dec 2011 #32

Richard Hofstadter chervilant Dec 2011 #34

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks hoosierspud Dec 2011 #35

A good one. man4allcats Dec 2011 #37

I first read about HeLa cells in the 1970's when I was going through training for my job. hoosierspud Dec 2011 #43

A People's History Of The United States man4allcats Dec 2011 #36

"Crazy Like Us: the globalization of the american psyche" tomp Dec 2011 #38

I'm mostly through "The Crash Course", scary stuff... drynberg Dec 2011 #39

A Primate's Memoir by Robert M. Sapolsky Neoma Dec 2011 #45

23 things they don't tell you lwo Jan 2012 #47

Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class by Owen Jones TomClash Jan 2012 #48

Wrongfully accused and the reality of prison life xrayvision2005 May 2012 #49

interesting post... fe6252fes Jun 2012 #50

"Life" by Keith Richards Teamster Jeff Jun 2012 #51

Willful Blindness by Margaret Hefferman. PDJane Jul 2012 #52

Incognito: The secret lives of the brain. Yavapai Jul 2012 #53

One I just started reading that seems like it will be interesting is white_wolf Aug 2012 #56

The Goldilocks Planet: The 4 Billion Year Story of Earth's Climate Odin2005 Sep 2012 #57

Treasure Islands, by Nicholas Shaxson - closeupready Oct 2012 #59

Le Freak, Nile Rodgers trailmonkee Nov 2012 #60

A Journey In to Divine Love Michelle311 Nov 2012 #61