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slimikin's review
4.0
A little self-indulgent at the beginning and a little repetitive at the end, Empire of Light is nonetheless a thoroughly enjoyable, densely informative, and surprisingly lucid exploration of the history—and potential future—of the science of light. Perkowitz has a knack for vivid analogy and, while I would've appreciated a few diagrams here and there, he rendered the complexities of quantum physics with nuance and verve.
I am curious how the intervening 20 years since this book's publication might have impacted physicists' knowledge of the universe and perhaps further developed some of the cutting-edge research into light's uses that Perkowitz described. For that matter, I wonder if a current treatise on the topic would be quite so European- and menfolk-centric. Perhaps the science of light really was overwhelmingly shaped by European men, but 20 years might offer historical and global insights as well as scientific developments.
I am curious how the intervening 20 years since this book's publication might have impacted physicists' knowledge of the universe and perhaps further developed some of the cutting-edge research into light's uses that Perkowitz described. For that matter, I wonder if a current treatise on the topic would be quite so European- and menfolk-centric. Perhaps the science of light really was overwhelmingly shaped by European men, but 20 years might offer historical and global insights as well as scientific developments.
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