Symmetrie ist allgegenwärtig, in der Kunst und Architektur genauso wie im Universum, in der Natur und der Grundstruktur der Materie. In einzigartiger Vielfalt führt das Buch ihre verschiedenen Erscheinungsformen vor Augen und fragt nach ihrem Ursprung.
Exploring the concept of symmetry through a personal lens, this volume highlights six influential figures in science, each representing key areas of molecular structure research. The authors share their three-decade journey of fascination with symmetry, illustrated by icons such as Kepler, Fuller, and Curie. The text includes insights from various interviews, emphasizing the subjective nature of symmetry and its evolution from a simple interest to a deeply personal topic for the authors. Their gratitude is extended to those who contributed to this exploration.
The Diaspora of Hungarian Scientists from John Von Neumann to Katalin Kariko
The book explores the remarkable achievements of Hungarian emigrant scientists, offering a blend of scholarly analysis and engaging biographies. It examines five waves of emigration from the early 20th century to present, highlighting the push factors of intolerance and economic stagnation in Hungary, contrasted with the pull of open societies. The narrative underscores the unique circumstances that contributed to the high number of Nobel laureates among these scientists, rooted in a legacy of multicultural tolerance and a strong educational system from the Austro-Hungarian era.
The book features 36 renowned chemists, including 18 Nobel laureates, sharing their personal journeys in science, from early challenges to significant achievements. Readers will gain insights into groundbreaking discoveries and the human experiences behind them, covering topics such as NMR spectroscopy, computational chemistry, and the politics surrounding atmospheric chemistry. The narratives highlight the passion and dedication of these scientists, making complex subjects accessible through their firsthand accounts.
A Guide to Memorials
This book serves as a guide to the statues, busts, and memorial plaques of notable scientists, explorers, and inventors in London. It highlights the city's significance in trade, navigation, and science, showcasing memorials that reflect contributions to major discoveries and advancements over the past four centuries, complemented by 750 images and engaging anecdotes.
In this memoir, renowned physical chemist István Hargittai recounts his life and career, highlighting over forty influential figures in science. Spanning from the Holocaust to Hungary's current autocratic regime, he shares his educational journey and interactions with numerous Nobel laureates across various scientific fields.
" Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory is a simple technique for predicting the geometry of atomic centers in small molecules and molecular ions. This authoritative reference, written by the developer of VSEPR theory features extensive coverage of structural information as well as theory and applications. Helpful data on molecular geometries, bond lengths, and band angles appear in tables and other graphics. 1991 edition"--
This guidebook introduces the reader to the visible memorabilia of science and scientists in Budapest - statues, busts, plaques, buildings, and other artefacts. According to the Hungarian-American Nobel laureate Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, this metropolis at the crossroads of Europe has a special atmosphere of respect for science. It has been the venue of numerous scientific achievements and the cradle, literally, of many individuals who in Hungary, and even more beyond its borders, became world-renowned contributors to science and culture. Six of the eight chapters of the book cover the Hungarian Nobel laureates, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the university, the medical school, agricultural sciences, and technology and engineering. One chapter is about selected secondary schools from which seven Nobel laureates (Szent-Gyorgyi, de Hevesy, Wigner, Gabor, Harsanyi, Olah, and Kertesz) and the five Martians of Science (von Karman, Szilard, Wigner, von Neumann, and Teller) had graduated. The concluding chapter is devoted to scientist martyrs of the Holocaust. A special feature in surveying Hungarian science is the contributions of scientists that left their homeland before their careers blossomed and made their seminal discoveries elsewhere, especially in Great Britain and the United States. The book covers the memorabilia referring to both emigre scientists and those that remained in Hungary. The discussion is informative and entertaining. The coverage is based on the visible memorabilia, which are not necessarily proportional with achievements. Therefore, there is a caveat that one could not compile a history of science relying solely on the presence of the memorabilia
New York city is a world center of science and the memorabilia presented introduce the reader to a culture of learning and of creating new knowledge, venues of great medicine, and a number of exceptional schools graduating world leaders in science.
By addressing the enigma of the exceptional success of Hungarian emigrant scientists and telling their life stories, Brilliance in Exile combines scholarly analysis with fascinating portrayals of uncommon personalities. István and Balazs Hargittai discuss the conditions that led to five different waves of emigration of scientists from the early twentieth century to the present. Although these exodes were driven by a broad variety of personal motivations, the attraction of an open society with inclusiveness, tolerance, and – needless to say – better circumstances for working and living, was the chief force drawing them abroad. While emigration from East to West is a general phenomenon, this book explains why and how the emigration of Hungarian scientists is distinctive. The high number of Nobel Prizes among this group is only one indicator. Multicultural tolerance, a quickly emerging, considerably Jewish, urban middle class, and a very effective secondary school system were positive legacies of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Multiple generations, shaped by these conditions, suffered from the increasingly exclusionist, intolerant, antisemitic, and economically stagnating environment, and chose to go elsewhere. "I would rather have roots than wings, but if I cannot have roots, I shall use wings," explained Leo Szilard, one of the fathers of the Atom Bomb.