The Einstein Papers project’s general inbox March 13, 2020 The pace and atmosphere of an academic research project does not always match that of contemporary day-to-day life. Steeped decades back in time, the Einstein Papers Project’s current research for our next two volumes covers June 1927 through June 1931. Read More
Beware the Ides of March March 13, 2020 Imagine a rogue general, assigned only to guard the frontiers of his country’s remote provinces – but the authorities back in the capital tacitly approve of some adventurism. He goes on a rampage through neighboring territories, allying himself with certain ethnic groups in the region against others. Read More
Hanoch Gutfreund on Einstein and the revelation of relativity March 12, 2020 Hanoch Gutfreund is professor emeritus of theoretical physics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he is also the academic director of the Albert Einstein Archives. This is the story about how Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity revolutionized his teaching, understanding, and career. Read More
The final days of Albert Einstein March 11, 2020 Albert Einstein’s time on earth ended on April 18, 1955, at the Princeton Hospital. In April of 1955, shortly after Einstein’s death, a pathologist removed his brain without the permission of his family, and stored it in formaldehyde until around 2007, shortly before dying himself. Read More
Jim Al‑Khalili on The World According to Physics March 10, 2020 Shining a light on the most profound insights revealed by modern physics, Jim Al‑Khalili invites us all to understand what this crucially important science tells us about the universe and the nature of reality itself. Read More
Katherine Freese on how relativity rejuvenated her career March 10, 2020 Katherine Freese is director of Nordita, the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics, in Stockholm, and author of The Cosmic Cocktail, which tells of the epic quest to solve one of the most compelling enigmas of modern science—what is the universe made of? This is the story of how one of today’s foremost pioneers in the study of dark matter came back from the brink of burnout because of Relativity. Read More
Was Einstein the first to discover general relativity? March 09, 2020 On November 25, 1915, Einstein submitted one of the most remarkable scientific papers of the twentieth century to the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin. The paper presented the final form of what are called the Einstein Equations, the field equations of gravity which underpin Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. Read More
Women in the gentleman’s career of publishing March 06, 2020 Since March is Women’s History Month in the US, we thought it a great opportunity to take a look back at the story of women in the field of publishing. Read More
The short, sad, and expensive life of mayors on the presidential campaign trail March 06, 2020 Mike Bloomberg and Pete Buttigieg each made a big bet on the 2020 presidential campaign. The voters, each believed, thought they could step past partisan bickering to with a pledge to deliver programs that worked better. Who better to do that than a mayor with proven experience? Read More
A leadership class from the ancient world March 03, 2020 For the ancient Greeks and Romans, leadership was studied through examples. One of the best books ever written on the subject, Xenophon’s Education of Cyrus, appears to be a biography of the Persian king Cyrus the Great. In fact, it is a manual of statecraft and strategy. Read More
Books for understanding today’s politics March 02, 2020 Super Tuesday, when a third of all delegates are up for grabs in fourteen states, will no doubt be a game changer in clarifying the true frontrunners in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Need help riding out this nail-biter? Delve into this list of books for understanding today's politics as voters head to polls across the country, from California to Texas, Tennessee to Massachusetts. Read More
Deaths of despair strike women too March 01, 2020 When Angus Deaton and I began to document the dramatic increases in mortality from drug overdose, alcoholic liver disease and suicide—the deaths of despair that we describe in our new book—we found many things that surprised us. Read More
Books to read during Women’s History Month March 01, 2020 A key component of Princeton University Press’s mission is to increase the representation of women across our publishing disciplines. Throughout Women’s History Month in March, we will be taking time to highlight the books by and about women who have pushed boundaries, affected change, redefined roles, or who have complicated our understanding of what it means to be powerful. Read More
The roots of Black political unity February 27, 2020 On December 12, 2017, the state of Alabama held a special general election for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The race, which had Republican Roy Moore running against Democrat Doug Jones, had already captured national attention. Read More
Soul Searching February 25, 2020 Do you think you have a soul? The modern scientific impulse is to dispense with supposedly occult or “spooky” notions like souls and spirits, and to understand ourselves instead as wholly and completely part of the natural world, existing and operating through the same physical, chemical and biological processes that we find anywhere else in the environment. Read More
