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Schrodinger: Life and Thought
In the first comprehensive biography of Erwin Schrödinger--a brilliant and charming Austrian, a great scientist, and a man with a passionate interest in people and ideas--the author draws upon recollections of Schrödinger's friends, family and colleagues, and on contemporary records, letters and diaries. Schrödinger led a very intense life, both in his research and in the personal realm. This book portrays his life against the backdrop of Europe at a time of change and unrest. His best known scientific work was the discovery of wave mechanics, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1933. In Dublin, he wrote his most famous and influential book What is Life?, which attracted some of the brightest minds of his generation into molecular biology. This highly readable biography of a fascinating and complex man will appeal to anyone interested in the history of our times, and in the life and thought of one of the great men of twentieth-century science.
528 pages, Hardcover
First published July 28, 1989
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April 27, 2016
Many people probably think that a famous scientist's life is rather unlikely to be as interesting and exciting as, say, that of a famous artist or celebrity. They would be wrong, at least about Erwin Schrödinger. Of course, there are a few other notable exceptions, such as Albert Einstein and Richard Feynman. However, the fame of these two is, at least in small part, based on their personal lives as well as their science. Einstein, for instance, is known for many famous quotations on all sorts of topics, as well as a turbulent personal life (which included two failed marriages, one of which was with a first cousin).
Schrödinger's personal life was, if anything, rather more colorful and turbulent than Einstein's, These two men, who were personal friends for many years, had much more in common, as well. Though Schrödinger fell slightly short of Einstein's - and also Feynman's - eminence as a physicist, all three men certainly occupied similar positions at the top of their field - all won Nobel prizes in physics. Both Einstein and Schrödinger were born and lived many years in German-speaking countries - Germany and Austria, respectively. The lives of both were severely disrupted by the two World Wars - Schrödinger's far more than Einstein's.
Even though Schrödinger made what was probably the most important contribution of anyone to the new science of quantum mechanics (the Schrödinger equation), both were in a small but prominent minority of physicists regarding how the theory should be interpreted. And both spent much of their last years in futile pursuit of a "unified field theory" based on the same mathematics (Einstein's general relativity). Both also thought deeply about philosophical questions that ranged far beyond physics and science, and they both distanced themselves from conventional monotheistic religions - quite strongly in Schrödinger's case.
Walter Moore's biography of Schrödinger, first published in 1989, is the definitive work, and probably among the best biographies of a scientist ever. Although it doesn't give a general technical presentation of quantum mechanics, there is much technical material. A reader who doesn't know a lot of both mathematics and physics shouldn't expect to follow the technical discussions. Simply having read popular, nonmathematical accounts of quantum mechanics won't suffice for the task. Even the underlying philosophical nuances will not be well appreciated. Fortunately, however, it's not at all necessary to understand the science in order to enjoy the rest of the biography. (Moore has also published an abridged version of the book (A Life of Erwin Schrödinger), which nonscientific readers will probably prefer, that leaves out most of the technical science.)
In addition to the extensive personal information on Schrödinger, there's much about his philosophical beliefs. These have little direct relevance to his scientific interests and in fact he disclaimed a connection. But the philosophy is itself somewhat esoteric and abstruse. Why would one expect any less from a person of Schrödinger's intellect? Or the likes of Einstein, Feynman, etc., for that matter?
Scientifically, Schrödinger was something of a late-bloomer. He was just 8 years younger than Einstein. But he was 14 years older than Werner Heisenberg, the other principal contributor to "modern" quantum mechanics. Heisenberg and Schrödinger published their independent original discoveries almost simultaneously, in 1925-6. Schrödinger was close to 40 at the time. Their mathematical approaches were quite different, but quickly found to be equivalent. However, Schrödinger's approach has proven to be the most useful for practical computation.
Schrödinger received his graduate degree in physics in 1910 from the University of Vienna, having been a top student from his earliest years. But in the following 15 or so years he drifted through various scientific pursuits -including statistical mechanics, meteorology, and the physics of color vision - without publishing anything of really "breakthrough" quality. Consequently, he was unable to obtain a satisfactory faculty position at a first-rate university - even after receiving a Nobel Prize for his physics work. Therefore he and his first (and only official) wife drifted from place to place, including Vienna, Jena, Zürich, Breslau (Poland), and Berlin. On top of that, he served in the Austrian military during W.W. I - far from the worst fighting, fortunately. All the moving around, of course, made for a rather unsettled life.
From 1927 to 1934 Schrödinger did have a good faculty position in Berlin. However, although he was not Jewish, he was quite upset by Hitler's rise in Germany. While that's hardly surprising, in fact Schrödinger despised politics in all forms. That, too, is quite understandable, but he was also dangerously naive about politics. As a result he was quite outspoken about his distaste for German politics, which eventually made him persona non grata to the Nazis. The more immediate result of his political feelings was that he chose to leave Berlin for Graz (Austria), yet another disruptive move. His political naïveté soon put him in an even more perilous position after the Anschluss in Austria in 1938, which his disdain for politics had prevented him from foreseeing. He, at the age of 51, and his wife were forced to flee, with neither money nor possessions, winding up eventually in Dublin.
From 1938 to 1956 Schrödinger and his wife lived comparatively peacefully in Dublin. Although he found some aspects of Irish life agreeable, the Irish climate was not among them, and besides Ireland was just too unlike his native Austria, so he was finally able to return for the last 5 years of his life. But he and his wife were both then in precarious health, so he was unable to fully enjoy some of what he liked most about Austria, such as the spectacular scenery and the opportunity for hiking and skiing.
Because of the recurrent need to relocate and his age when he made his first great scientific achievement, Schrödinger (unlike Einstein) never surpassed the first achievement. Yet in spite of the turmoil in his life, he managed to cope pretty well. This is because of an aspect of his life not yet mentioned. In the words of his biographer "He believed that everything beautiful in life and art is a consequent of sex." And he lived that belief to the fullest, in a way that would make almost any prominent celebrity envious.
Over the course of his adult life until his early 60s Schrödinger engaged in a continual series of sexual relationships with women other than his wife of 41 years Anny. It seems that both Erwin (primarily) and Anny (to some extent) were (or became) believers in the ideas now called "open marriage" and "polyamory". The most important of these relationships were not at all secret. Close friends of both the Schrödingers were quite aware of the goings-on. In fact, this was, apparently, not considered particularly scandalous in the intellectual circles of society to which Erwin and Anny belonged. (According to Moore, "Extramarital affairs were not only condoned, they were expected, and they seemed to occasion little jealous anxiety.") One of Anny's boyfriends was the eminent mathematician and good friend of Erwin, Hermann Weyl, whose wife, in turn, had a lover of her own. These were not brief affairs, either. In some cases, the relationships lasted many years. It's not entirely clear how Anny felt about all this. However, she and Erwin continued to live together except for brief periods until his death, and she took affectionate care of him, as much as her health permitted, in his last years.
We know a lot of the facts, in part, because those involved were so open about things with their friends and even casual acquaintances. Erwin often went on long trips with his girlfriends, with Anny's full knowledge and (apparent) approval. Erwin fathered (at least, as far as known) only three children during his life, all girls. None of these were with Anny, though she was fully aware of them and even sometimes became the child's primary caregiver. In one case the mother was actually the wife of a very close friend of Erwin's, and she even lived for years in Dublin with Erwin and Anny some of the time the child was growing up. As though such an arrangement were perfectly normal.
Another reason we know a lot about Erwin's amorous adventures is that he kept detailed journals of what was happening in his life. A lot of his sex life was recorded in the journals. In addition to the long-term relationships, other liaisons - one-night stands or filles de joie - were noted, usually without the partner being named. However, according to Moore, who studied the journals, "Erwin was not, or not usually, a libertine. He speaks the authentic language of romantic love, seeking transcendence in the person of his beloved."
As already mentioned, Schrödinger also had deep philosophical beliefs. When he was 38, just before his groundbreaking results in quantum mechanics, he wrote, but did not publish, an account of his philosophy of life. He firmly rejected the worldview of Western monotheistic religion, being greatly influenced by the works of Arthur Schopenhauer, all of which he'd read. Consequently he warmly embraced Eastern philosophy and religion, especially Vedanta. At the very end of his life, as described in his book, My View of the World, his beliefs had certainly evolved and deepened, but not substantially changed.
In a nutshell, this worldview rejected any real distinction between "self" and "the real world". Instead there is just the "oneness" of everything - physical reality as well as individual selves. In this, Schrödinger shared not only a sexual lifestyle resembling that of 1960s hippies, but also their kind of mysticism and "spirituality". Of course, both the lifestyle and the beliefs of the hippies existed in the West long before the 1960s. Certainly before Schrödinger too. Interestingly, although various new-agey physicists in the last few decades have proclaimed that quantum mechanics embodies and justifies Eastern philosophical ideas, Schrödinger himself denied any influence either way between quantum mechanics and Eastern mysticism.
Moore's excellent biography of Schrödinger lays out in great detail much of the expectable complexity of its highly intelligent subject: The brilliance of his mind and the naïveté of his politics. The rigor of his science and the other-worldliness of his mysticism. His suitably honored intellectual accomplishments and the unorthodoxy of his lifestyle.
Schrödinger's personal life was, if anything, rather more colorful and turbulent than Einstein's, These two men, who were personal friends for many years, had much more in common, as well. Though Schrödinger fell slightly short of Einstein's - and also Feynman's - eminence as a physicist, all three men certainly occupied similar positions at the top of their field - all won Nobel prizes in physics. Both Einstein and Schrödinger were born and lived many years in German-speaking countries - Germany and Austria, respectively. The lives of both were severely disrupted by the two World Wars - Schrödinger's far more than Einstein's.
Even though Schrödinger made what was probably the most important contribution of anyone to the new science of quantum mechanics (the Schrödinger equation), both were in a small but prominent minority of physicists regarding how the theory should be interpreted. And both spent much of their last years in futile pursuit of a "unified field theory" based on the same mathematics (Einstein's general relativity). Both also thought deeply about philosophical questions that ranged far beyond physics and science, and they both distanced themselves from conventional monotheistic religions - quite strongly in Schrödinger's case.
Walter Moore's biography of Schrödinger, first published in 1989, is the definitive work, and probably among the best biographies of a scientist ever. Although it doesn't give a general technical presentation of quantum mechanics, there is much technical material. A reader who doesn't know a lot of both mathematics and physics shouldn't expect to follow the technical discussions. Simply having read popular, nonmathematical accounts of quantum mechanics won't suffice for the task. Even the underlying philosophical nuances will not be well appreciated. Fortunately, however, it's not at all necessary to understand the science in order to enjoy the rest of the biography. (Moore has also published an abridged version of the book (A Life of Erwin Schrödinger), which nonscientific readers will probably prefer, that leaves out most of the technical science.)
In addition to the extensive personal information on Schrödinger, there's much about his philosophical beliefs. These have little direct relevance to his scientific interests and in fact he disclaimed a connection. But the philosophy is itself somewhat esoteric and abstruse. Why would one expect any less from a person of Schrödinger's intellect? Or the likes of Einstein, Feynman, etc., for that matter?
Scientifically, Schrödinger was something of a late-bloomer. He was just 8 years younger than Einstein. But he was 14 years older than Werner Heisenberg, the other principal contributor to "modern" quantum mechanics. Heisenberg and Schrödinger published their independent original discoveries almost simultaneously, in 1925-6. Schrödinger was close to 40 at the time. Their mathematical approaches were quite different, but quickly found to be equivalent. However, Schrödinger's approach has proven to be the most useful for practical computation.
Schrödinger received his graduate degree in physics in 1910 from the University of Vienna, having been a top student from his earliest years. But in the following 15 or so years he drifted through various scientific pursuits -including statistical mechanics, meteorology, and the physics of color vision - without publishing anything of really "breakthrough" quality. Consequently, he was unable to obtain a satisfactory faculty position at a first-rate university - even after receiving a Nobel Prize for his physics work. Therefore he and his first (and only official) wife drifted from place to place, including Vienna, Jena, Zürich, Breslau (Poland), and Berlin. On top of that, he served in the Austrian military during W.W. I - far from the worst fighting, fortunately. All the moving around, of course, made for a rather unsettled life.
From 1927 to 1934 Schrödinger did have a good faculty position in Berlin. However, although he was not Jewish, he was quite upset by Hitler's rise in Germany. While that's hardly surprising, in fact Schrödinger despised politics in all forms. That, too, is quite understandable, but he was also dangerously naive about politics. As a result he was quite outspoken about his distaste for German politics, which eventually made him persona non grata to the Nazis. The more immediate result of his political feelings was that he chose to leave Berlin for Graz (Austria), yet another disruptive move. His political naïveté soon put him in an even more perilous position after the Anschluss in Austria in 1938, which his disdain for politics had prevented him from foreseeing. He, at the age of 51, and his wife were forced to flee, with neither money nor possessions, winding up eventually in Dublin.
From 1938 to 1956 Schrödinger and his wife lived comparatively peacefully in Dublin. Although he found some aspects of Irish life agreeable, the Irish climate was not among them, and besides Ireland was just too unlike his native Austria, so he was finally able to return for the last 5 years of his life. But he and his wife were both then in precarious health, so he was unable to fully enjoy some of what he liked most about Austria, such as the spectacular scenery and the opportunity for hiking and skiing.
Because of the recurrent need to relocate and his age when he made his first great scientific achievement, Schrödinger (unlike Einstein) never surpassed the first achievement. Yet in spite of the turmoil in his life, he managed to cope pretty well. This is because of an aspect of his life not yet mentioned. In the words of his biographer "He believed that everything beautiful in life and art is a consequent of sex." And he lived that belief to the fullest, in a way that would make almost any prominent celebrity envious.
Over the course of his adult life until his early 60s Schrödinger engaged in a continual series of sexual relationships with women other than his wife of 41 years Anny. It seems that both Erwin (primarily) and Anny (to some extent) were (or became) believers in the ideas now called "open marriage" and "polyamory". The most important of these relationships were not at all secret. Close friends of both the Schrödingers were quite aware of the goings-on. In fact, this was, apparently, not considered particularly scandalous in the intellectual circles of society to which Erwin and Anny belonged. (According to Moore, "Extramarital affairs were not only condoned, they were expected, and they seemed to occasion little jealous anxiety.") One of Anny's boyfriends was the eminent mathematician and good friend of Erwin, Hermann Weyl, whose wife, in turn, had a lover of her own. These were not brief affairs, either. In some cases, the relationships lasted many years. It's not entirely clear how Anny felt about all this. However, she and Erwin continued to live together except for brief periods until his death, and she took affectionate care of him, as much as her health permitted, in his last years.
We know a lot of the facts, in part, because those involved were so open about things with their friends and even casual acquaintances. Erwin often went on long trips with his girlfriends, with Anny's full knowledge and (apparent) approval. Erwin fathered (at least, as far as known) only three children during his life, all girls. None of these were with Anny, though she was fully aware of them and even sometimes became the child's primary caregiver. In one case the mother was actually the wife of a very close friend of Erwin's, and she even lived for years in Dublin with Erwin and Anny some of the time the child was growing up. As though such an arrangement were perfectly normal.
Another reason we know a lot about Erwin's amorous adventures is that he kept detailed journals of what was happening in his life. A lot of his sex life was recorded in the journals. In addition to the long-term relationships, other liaisons - one-night stands or filles de joie - were noted, usually without the partner being named. However, according to Moore, who studied the journals, "Erwin was not, or not usually, a libertine. He speaks the authentic language of romantic love, seeking transcendence in the person of his beloved."
As already mentioned, Schrödinger also had deep philosophical beliefs. When he was 38, just before his groundbreaking results in quantum mechanics, he wrote, but did not publish, an account of his philosophy of life. He firmly rejected the worldview of Western monotheistic religion, being greatly influenced by the works of Arthur Schopenhauer, all of which he'd read. Consequently he warmly embraced Eastern philosophy and religion, especially Vedanta. At the very end of his life, as described in his book, My View of the World, his beliefs had certainly evolved and deepened, but not substantially changed.
In a nutshell, this worldview rejected any real distinction between "self" and "the real world". Instead there is just the "oneness" of everything - physical reality as well as individual selves. In this, Schrödinger shared not only a sexual lifestyle resembling that of 1960s hippies, but also their kind of mysticism and "spirituality". Of course, both the lifestyle and the beliefs of the hippies existed in the West long before the 1960s. Certainly before Schrödinger too. Interestingly, although various new-agey physicists in the last few decades have proclaimed that quantum mechanics embodies and justifies Eastern philosophical ideas, Schrödinger himself denied any influence either way between quantum mechanics and Eastern mysticism.
Moore's excellent biography of Schrödinger lays out in great detail much of the expectable complexity of its highly intelligent subject: The brilliance of his mind and the naïveté of his politics. The rigor of his science and the other-worldliness of his mysticism. His suitably honored intellectual accomplishments and the unorthodoxy of his lifestyle.
July 4, 2010
Moore's account of Erwin Schrödinger's life isn't a bad read at all. For those unacquainted with the mathematical rigor of quantum mechanics, it is a little difficult to follow. The flow is somewhat choppy, and the mix of equations and technical descriptions might sidetrack the lay-reader. More emphasis could have been placed on simplification, but realistically, QM is a difficult concept to grasp even without the math.
For those who are curious to know what Schrödinger's work is all about, I wrote a brief explanation of the Schrödinger equation, and, with my limited knowledge in this area, attempted to describe some of its applications to the world (one might recall a certain experiment where a cat is placed in a 'quantum' box rigged with hydrocyanic acid - A purely hypothetical one of course.)
When it comes to sucessful theories which explain the behaviour of microscopic particles, quantum mechanics stands alone. It was developed in the 1920s by Erwin Schrödinger, Werner Heisenberg, Wolfgang Pauli, Paul Dirac, and many others. The practical implication of this theory is that it allows us to understand a host of phenomena involving atoms, molecules, nuclei, and solids. Technologies directly resulting from the development of quantum mechanics include scanning tunnelling microscopes, nanoscale machines, and quantum computers.
In 1926, Schrödinger developed the appropriate wave equation for particles. When mathematically explaining a quantum system, one must take the solution related to the behaviour of this system and apply certain boundary conditions to it. This tells us the allowed 'wavefunctions' and energy levels of the system. Reworking a wavefunction provides one with all the measurable characteristics of that system.
{For those familiar with the work of James Clerk Maxwell, recall that electromagnetic radiation is described by a wave equation (electromagnetic waves). Since particles such as atoms and molecules can also be expressed in terms of waves (wave-particle duality), the waves associated with particles also satisfy a wave equation.}
The Schrödinger equation provides the most complete description that can be given to a physical system. Its wavefunction (or state vector) describes possible points in space which are mapped by complex numbers called probability amplitudes. In a nutshell, these amplitudes are the values of wavefunctions. By squaring the absolute value of these complex numbers (looks like |ψ(x)|^2 ), one can determine the probability density (or probability distribution) of momentary states of particles, telling us where things are and how they are interacting. Schrödinger's wavefunctions can also be transformed into Heisenberg’s matrix mechanics.
The actual equation (or a 1-dimensional, time-independent variation of it), given a particle of mass m confined to moving along the x-axis and interacting with its environment through a potential energy function U(x), is something of the form
-(hbar^2/2m)[(d^2ψ)/dx^2:] + Uψ = Eψ
(where hbar^2 = Plank's constant squared)
Generally, time-dependent Schrödinger equations describe systems evolving with time, whereas time-independent ones are of a stationary state. These equations can take on several different forms, depending on the physical situation. Also, the equation doesn't break the principle of conservation of mechanical energy of a system. In fact, the first term in the above-mentioned Schrödinger equation reduces to the kinetic energy of the particle multiplied by the wave function, indicating that the total energy of a system is K + U = E = constant. Where total energy (E) is the sum of the kinetic energy (K) and the potential energy (U) - and the total energy is constant.
--
Erwin Schrödinger had unconventional relationships with women. His American colleagues at Princeton were not impressed when the Austrian tried to secure a professorship with them, simply because he had 2 wives.
Schr��dinger was an only child, and his mom was a chemistry professor. He died of tuberculosis in 1961. Upon realizing how fundamentally unintuitive quantum mechanics is, he is said to have proclaimed 'Verdammte Quantumspringerei!' (This damn quantum jumping!)
For those who are curious to know what Schrödinger's work is all about, I wrote a brief explanation of the Schrödinger equation, and, with my limited knowledge in this area, attempted to describe some of its applications to the world (one might recall a certain experiment where a cat is placed in a 'quantum' box rigged with hydrocyanic acid - A purely hypothetical one of course.)
When it comes to sucessful theories which explain the behaviour of microscopic particles, quantum mechanics stands alone. It was developed in the 1920s by Erwin Schrödinger, Werner Heisenberg, Wolfgang Pauli, Paul Dirac, and many others. The practical implication of this theory is that it allows us to understand a host of phenomena involving atoms, molecules, nuclei, and solids. Technologies directly resulting from the development of quantum mechanics include scanning tunnelling microscopes, nanoscale machines, and quantum computers.
In 1926, Schrödinger developed the appropriate wave equation for particles. When mathematically explaining a quantum system, one must take the solution related to the behaviour of this system and apply certain boundary conditions to it. This tells us the allowed 'wavefunctions' and energy levels of the system. Reworking a wavefunction provides one with all the measurable characteristics of that system.
{For those familiar with the work of James Clerk Maxwell, recall that electromagnetic radiation is described by a wave equation (electromagnetic waves). Since particles such as atoms and molecules can also be expressed in terms of waves (wave-particle duality), the waves associated with particles also satisfy a wave equation.}
The Schrödinger equation provides the most complete description that can be given to a physical system. Its wavefunction (or state vector) describes possible points in space which are mapped by complex numbers called probability amplitudes. In a nutshell, these amplitudes are the values of wavefunctions. By squaring the absolute value of these complex numbers (looks like |ψ(x)|^2 ), one can determine the probability density (or probability distribution) of momentary states of particles, telling us where things are and how they are interacting. Schrödinger's wavefunctions can also be transformed into Heisenberg’s matrix mechanics.
The actual equation (or a 1-dimensional, time-independent variation of it), given a particle of mass m confined to moving along the x-axis and interacting with its environment through a potential energy function U(x), is something of the form
-(hbar^2/2m)[(d^2ψ)/dx^2:] + Uψ = Eψ
(where hbar^2 = Plank's constant squared)
Generally, time-dependent Schrödinger equations describe systems evolving with time, whereas time-independent ones are of a stationary state. These equations can take on several different forms, depending on the physical situation. Also, the equation doesn't break the principle of conservation of mechanical energy of a system. In fact, the first term in the above-mentioned Schrödinger equation reduces to the kinetic energy of the particle multiplied by the wave function, indicating that the total energy of a system is K + U = E = constant. Where total energy (E) is the sum of the kinetic energy (K) and the potential energy (U) - and the total energy is constant.
--
Erwin Schrödinger had unconventional relationships with women. His American colleagues at Princeton were not impressed when the Austrian tried to secure a professorship with them, simply because he had 2 wives.
Schr��dinger was an only child, and his mom was a chemistry professor. He died of tuberculosis in 1961. Upon realizing how fundamentally unintuitive quantum mechanics is, he is said to have proclaimed 'Verdammte Quantumspringerei!' (This damn quantum jumping!)
November 22, 2017
Good scientific biography, with few equations.
June 4, 2015
Schroedinger was one of the greats of 20th century physics. Anybody with a slight background in science will already know that he invented the quantum theory of wave mechanics, and that he had grave unease about the Copenhagen interpretation. (His famous hypothetical cat was meant as an argument against Bohr's views.) But Schroedinger was a much stranger and more interesting person than I had expected.
There's a lot else I did not know. Schroedinger was heavily influenced by Hindu mysticism, and talked about Brahama all his life. He also was something of a sex maniac -- he had a constant stream of love affairs, including with Hilde March, the wife of his assistant Arthur March. (His wife also had extra-maritcal romances, notably with the mathematician Hermann Weyl.) He was not well-behaved about it -- he would abruptly drop his partners when they got pregnant.
He also was one of the founders of modern biophysics. His early work was on the theory of color vision. Later in his career, he was one of the first and most prominent people to say "heredity must be carried as a code, embodied in an 'aperiodic crystal' -- that is, a molecule of definite structure but not built out of repeating units." This was exactly right, and Schroedinger was able to use the effect of X-rays on mutation rates to get a reasonable estimate the physical size of an individual gene, long before the discovery of DNA and the genetic code.
Part of the charm of a biography is that you learn not only about the subject, but about the setting. Schroedinger lived through some interesting places and times --the last days of the Hapsburg empire, inter-war Central Europe, Nazi Germany, the Anschluss, and Ireland during the war. As a result, he was forced to engage in fairly high-stakes politics. He did not acquit himself well. He had been mildly anti-nazi in the early 30s, but not enough to do anything about it. After the Anschluss, he wrote a somewhat craven letter about how he had seen the light and understood the need for a Fuehrer. He then fled to Ireland, where de Valera was happy to use him as an ornament for the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
This biography is a bit uneven. It's a little on the long and plodding side (there is an abridged version available.) The author is happy to lurch into writing down tensor equations, with minimal explanation. I have a fairly strong mathematical background and it wasn't always clear to me what point in the broader book the math was supposed to illustrate. Though I do now have a better sense what Schroedinger and Einstein were doing when they were working on "universal theories" in the 40s and 50s.
If you're interested in Schroedinger in particular, this is the book to read. If you just want a science biography and are not fussy about the subject, there are better ones.
There's a lot else I did not know. Schroedinger was heavily influenced by Hindu mysticism, and talked about Brahama all his life. He also was something of a sex maniac -- he had a constant stream of love affairs, including with Hilde March, the wife of his assistant Arthur March. (His wife also had extra-maritcal romances, notably with the mathematician Hermann Weyl.) He was not well-behaved about it -- he would abruptly drop his partners when they got pregnant.
He also was one of the founders of modern biophysics. His early work was on the theory of color vision. Later in his career, he was one of the first and most prominent people to say "heredity must be carried as a code, embodied in an 'aperiodic crystal' -- that is, a molecule of definite structure but not built out of repeating units." This was exactly right, and Schroedinger was able to use the effect of X-rays on mutation rates to get a reasonable estimate the physical size of an individual gene, long before the discovery of DNA and the genetic code.
Part of the charm of a biography is that you learn not only about the subject, but about the setting. Schroedinger lived through some interesting places and times --the last days of the Hapsburg empire, inter-war Central Europe, Nazi Germany, the Anschluss, and Ireland during the war. As a result, he was forced to engage in fairly high-stakes politics. He did not acquit himself well. He had been mildly anti-nazi in the early 30s, but not enough to do anything about it. After the Anschluss, he wrote a somewhat craven letter about how he had seen the light and understood the need for a Fuehrer. He then fled to Ireland, where de Valera was happy to use him as an ornament for the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
This biography is a bit uneven. It's a little on the long and plodding side (there is an abridged version available.) The author is happy to lurch into writing down tensor equations, with minimal explanation. I have a fairly strong mathematical background and it wasn't always clear to me what point in the broader book the math was supposed to illustrate. Though I do now have a better sense what Schroedinger and Einstein were doing when they were working on "universal theories" in the 40s and 50s.
If you're interested in Schroedinger in particular, this is the book to read. If you just want a science biography and are not fussy about the subject, there are better ones.
September 2, 2013
I started this biography curious about Schrödinger's physics and ended it curious about Schrödinger's philosophy. The book does a wonderful job outlining the life and works. It doesn't shy away from equations, but at the same time the author is careful to define his variables. It's surprising how often this isn't done. With a bit of work, one comes away with a reasonable introduction to quantum wave mechanics and other areas that Schrödinger worked on (color theory, statistical approaches to physics, the link between relativity and quantum theory).
Schrödinger's philosophical works touch on metaphysics and are an early example of the effort to understand the relationship between mind and matter via Vedāntic thought. I can't judge how successful he was without reading his writings, but the glimpses provided by this biography are intriguing.
Schrödinger's philosophical works touch on metaphysics and are an early example of the effort to understand the relationship between mind and matter via Vedāntic thought. I can't judge how successful he was without reading his writings, but the glimpses provided by this biography are intriguing.
May 15, 2008
I stopped half way through this because for some reason I stopped reading for like a year. I do recall this being an interesting read about a scientist I think is a fairly underrated and only famous to most people for a mental parlor trick. He was much more than just his cat people.
August 11, 2016
Intended for physicists. Contains equations. Goes into detail about Schrodinger's thought process leading to the wave equation.
Read
March 24, 2018I won't be rating this book as it was both frustrating and delightful at different times. The author has done an extensive research on Schrodinger and the book gives highly detailed account of his life. The frustrating part comes from the author's psychological interpretation of every single act done by Schrodinger. The delightful part comes from the treatment of physics, anecdotes and technical letters of the scientist. Further, the many affairs of Schrodinger were unbearable to read - again, the author made it worse by giving his interpretations of the same. The book treats history quite diligently and gives the great historic events of those era(the World Wars and birth of quantum mechanics).
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews