Overview

A prismatic look at the meeting of Marie Curie and Albert Einstein and the impact these two pillars of science had on the world of physics, which was in turmoil.  In 1911, some of the greatest minds in science convened at the First Solvay Conference in Physics, a meeting like no other.  Almost half of the attendees had won or would go on to win the Nobel Prize.  Over the course of those few days, these minds began to realize that classical physics was about to give way to quantum theory, a seismic shift in our history and how we understand not just our world, but the universe.  At the center of this meeting were Marie Curie and a young Albert Einstein.  In the years preceding, Curie had faced the death of her husband and soul mate, Pierre.  She was on the cusp of being awarded her second Nobel Prize, but scandal erupted all around her when the French press revealed that she was having an affair with a fellow scientist, Paul Langevin.  The subject of vicious misogynist and xenophobic attacks in the French press, Curie found herself in a storm that threatened her scientific legacy. Albert Einstein proved a supporter in her travails. They had an instant connection at Solvay.  He was young and already showing flourishes of his enormous genius. Curie had been responsible for one of the greatest discoveries in modern science (radioactivity) but still faced resistance and scorn.  Einstein recognized this grave injustice, and their mutual admiration and respect, borne out of this, their first meeting, would go on to serve them in their paths forward to making history. Curie and Einstein come alive as the complex people they were in the pages of The Soul of Genius.  Utilizing never before seen correspondance and notes, Jeffrey Orens reveals the human side of these brilliant scientists, one who pushed boundaries and demanded equality in a man’s world, no matter the cost, and the other, who was destined to become synonymous with genius. 

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9781643137148

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Reviews

Imagine you could gather the world's most brilliant minds to debate the fundamental nature of reality - this was the opportunity seized a century ago by the Belgian industrialist Ernest Solvay, wrangling Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, and a mountain of Nobel Prize winners to solve the mysteries of quantum physics. The Soul of Genius takes us through these epochal Solvay Conferences, focusing on the scientific ideas and personal lives of Curie and Einstein. In compelling stories, we see how they changed the world against a backdrop featuring the Mona Lisa, a fair bit of swordplay, and a world war. A marvelous tale of how science actually works. -- Matthew Stanley, New York University, author of EINSTEIN'S WAR The Soul of Genius is the engaging story of science at a crossroads, a telling of how the world was transformed from the long-held ideas of Newton to those of Einstein and Curie that define modern physics. Deeply researched and masterfully told, The Soul of Genius is a ground-breaking book that delves deep into the story of how an 'assembly of genius' led to how we perceive the physical world today. -- John Dvorak, author of The Last Volcano and Mask of the Sun Jeffery Orens' insightful work exploits the Age of Information as a marvelous time for deep research, uncovered details, unexpected cross-connections, and scandalous gossip. The Soul of Genius is a new examination of how the Solvay Conferences of Physics, beginning in 1911, brought together people who would turn science upside down and change our view of reality. Two participants, Marie Curie and Albert Einstein, were key influencers in this revolution, and Orens' analysis of their collision at Solvay is thorough and revealing. Read all about it, and soak yourself in the details. -- James Mahaffey, author of Atomic Accidents and Atomic Adventures

Imagine you could gather the world's most brilliant minds to debate the fundamental nature of reality - this was the opportunity seized a century ago by the Belgian industrialist Ernest Solvay, wrangling Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, and a mountain of Nobel Prize winners to solve the mysteries of quantum physics. The Soul of Genius takes us through these epochal Solvay Conferences, focusing on the scientific ideas and personal lives of Curie and Einstein. In compelling stories, we see how they changed the world against a backdrop featuring the Mona Lisa, a fair bit of swordplay, and a world war. A marvelous tale of how science actually works. -- Matthew Stanley, New York University, author of EINSTEIN'S WAR

Author Information

Jeffrey Orens is a former chemical engineer and business executive with Solvay Chemical who has written for several history publications and has an exceptional eye for overlooked gems in history.  He lives in Fairfield, New Jersey. 

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