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Book ID: CBB940348567

Solid State Insurrection: How the Science of Substance Made American Physics Matter (2018)

Martin, Joseph D. (Author)

University of Pittsburgh Press

ISBN: 9780822945383

Publication Date: 2018
Physical Details: 312 pp.
Language: English

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Pure science as a concept Science and politics Cold War Science and economics Physics Molecular and solid state physics 20th century, late United States

Solid state physics—the study of the physical properties of solid matter—was far and away the most populous subfield of Cold War American physics. But despite prolific contributions to consumer and medical technology, such as the transistor and magnetic resonance imaging, it garnered much less professional prestige and public attention than nuclear and particle physics. Solid State Insurrection argues that solid state physics was nonetheless essential to securing the vast social, political, and financial capital Cold War physics enjoyed. Solid state’s technological bent, and its challenge to the “pure science” ideal many physicists cherished, helped physics as a whole respond more readily to Cold War social, political, and economic pressures. Solid state research kept physics economically and technologically relevant, sustaining its lofty cultural standing and policy influence long after the sheen of the Manhattan Project had faded. By placing solid state at the center of the story of twentieth century science, this book brings a new perspective to some of the most enduring questions about the role of physics in American history.

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Reviewed By

Review Catherine Westfall (2020) Review of "Solid State Insurrection: How the Science of Substance Made American Physics Matter". Historical Studies in the Natural Sciences (pp. 209-216). unapi

Review Lillian Hoddeson (2019) Review of "Solid State Insurrection: How the Science of Substance Made American Physics Matter". Endeavour: Review of the Progress of Science (p. 38). unapi

Review Klaus Hentschel (2019) Review of "Solid State Insurrection: How the Science of Substance Made American Physics Matter". British Journal for the History of Science (pp. 379-381). unapi

Review Mary Jo Nye (2019) Review of "Solid State Insurrection: How the Science of Substance Made American Physics Matter". Isis: International Review Devoted to the History of Science and Its Cultural Influences (pp. 854-857). unapi

Citation URI

https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB940348567/

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