Physicist and Science Writer. Author of 19 books, most recently THE GREAT ATOM DEBATE: ERNST MACH, LUDWIG BOLTZMANN, AND THE BATTLE FOR THE ESSENCE OF REALITY
Philadelphia
Joined January 2009
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Final few days to win a free book or bookplate!
Preorder The Great Atom Debate greatatomdebate.com
Post preorder proof with hashtag #GreatAtomDebate
First 20 entries get free autographed bookplate
On Nov 1, five winners randomly chosen to get free autographed book
Contest ends Oct 31
Paul Halpern retweeted
Painting of Albert Einstein on violin and Paul Ehrenfest on piano.
Ehrenfest was a student of Ludwig Boltzmann, an extraordinary physicist in his own right, and a dear friend of Einstein.
Original watercolor by Marijke Kamerlingh-Onnes, courtesy AIP Emilio Segrè Visual Archives
Paul Halpern retweeted
"The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible."
- Albert Einstein
Paul Halpern retweeted
Win a free autographed book or bookplate!
Follow @phalpern
Preorder The Great Atom Debate greatatomdebate.com
Post preorder proof with hashtag #GreatAtomDebate
First 20 entries get free autographed bookplate
On Nov 1, five winners randomly chosen to get free autographed book
Contest ends October 31, 2026
Painting of Albert Einstein on violin and Paul Ehrenfest on piano.
Ehrenfest was a student of Ludwig Boltzmann, an extraordinary physicist in his own right, and a dear friend of Einstein.
Original watercolor by Marijke Kamerlingh-Onnes, courtesy AIP Emilio Segrè Visual Archives
Paul Halpern retweeted
Using the Uncertainty Principle to Shield a Shy Quantum Physicist
Heisenberg and Dirac were on a trip to Japan, when a reporter wanted to interview both of them.
Knowing that Dirac was very shy, Heisenberg pretended not to know where he was, when he was actually standing close!
Using the Uncertainty Principle to Shield a Shy Quantum Physicist
Heisenberg and Dirac were on a trip to Japan, when a reporter wanted to interview both of them.
Knowing that Dirac was very shy, Heisenberg pretended not to know where he was, when he was actually standing close!
Paul Halpern retweeted
Carve your Halloween pumpkins into scary versions of scientists (Symmetry Magazine):
Paul Dirac-ula
Mummy Noether
Albert Frank-Einstein
Werewolfgang Pauli
Scary Curie
(Photo for Symmetry by Reidar Hahn, Fermilab with Sandbox Studios)
Paul Halpern retweeted
Dr. Paul Halpern on his new book The Great Atom Debate
youtu.be/ajNhO4-30cs?si=rBd0…
#greatatomdebate #sciencebooks #science #physics
Paul Halpern retweeted
In the golden age of Vienna, two brilliant thinkers vied to shape the future of physics. Their passionate struggle led directly to the quantum and relativity revolutions. History of science at its most gripping!
THE GREAT ATOM DEBATE
Preorder now: amazon.com/gp/product/154160…
hachettebookgroup.com/titles…
Paul Halpern retweeted
Albert Einstein moved to the United States on 17 October 1933.
Two weeks later, Halloween arrived.
When a group of girls knocked on his door that evening and shouted 'Trick or Treat,' Einstein came to the front porch and played the violin for them:
capitalcentury.com/1933.html
Paul Halpern retweeted
Check out my new official TikTok account for fun video posts:
tiktok.com/@paulhalpern5
Paul Halpern retweeted
Ghostly astronomy for the #Halloween season:
Edgar Allan Poe and the Riddle of Darkness at Night:
cosmoquest.org/x/365daysofas…
Paul Halpern retweeted
'Nationalism is an infantile disease.
It is the measles of mankind.'
-Albert Einstein
(Saturday Evening Post, 26 October 1929):
saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-c…
#histSTM #nationalism #AlbertEinstein #Einstein
Paul Halpern retweeted
The epic battle that shaped the very future of physics.
THE GREAT ATOM DEBATE
History of science at its most riveting! New book now available for preorder:
amazon.com/gp/product/154160…
greatatomdebate.com
The Great Atom Debate: Boltzmann vs. Mach ✍️
In the late 19th century, physicist Ludwig Boltzmann fiercely defended the reality of atoms, using them to explain entropy and thermodynamics. Ernst Mach, a prominent philosopher and physicist, opposed the idea, arguing that atoms were just theoretical constructs without direct evidence.
This heated debate highlighted the divide between empiricism and theoretical physics at the time. Boltzmann's work laid the foundation for atomic theory, but the opposition took a toll on his mental health. Ultimately, the discovery of atomic structure in the 20th century vindicated Boltzmann’s views, cementing his legacy as a pioneer in modern physics.
Dr. Paul Halpern on his new book The Great Atom Debate
youtu.be/ajNhO4-30cs?si=rBd0…
#greatatomdebate #sciencebooks #science #physics
Paul Halpern retweeted
Albert Einstein moved to the United States on 17 October 1933.
Two weeks later, Halloween arrived.
When a group of girls knocked on his door that evening and shouted 'Trick or Treat,' Einstein came to the front porch and played the violin for them:
capitalcentury.com/1933.html
Paul Halpern retweeted
'You know I am in disagreement with most of my colleagues on the quantum theory.
They are not facing the facts [and] have abandoned reason!
Bohr's thinking is clear but when he begins to write he becomes very obscure and he thinks of himself as a prophet.'
-Albert Einstein
#science #quantum
