Features
- Cover Type: Hard Cover with 272 pages
- Published by: Research Studies Pre
- Edition: 1st Edition March 23, 2001
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 086380232X
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0863802324
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Book Dimensions:
9.5 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
- Weighs: 1.4 pounds
Product Description
This book promotes a novel approach, by emphasising the physical concept of action, to complement that of energy. It aims to show that too much attention may have been devoted to energy in biothermodynamics and insufficient attention to action. This relative neglect may now be limiting our capacity to understand how ecosystems function, how they evolved and if they can be sustained, as human demands for food, shelter and transport increase. Ivan Kennedy introduces the concept of 'action', a thermodynamic property related to entropy, resulting from impulses of energy on matter producing force, based on the sole principle of the conservation of momentum. The significance of action was implied by Max Planck and Albert Einstein early in the 20th Century when they defined the quantum of action, h. The action resonance theory (ART) transcends disciplines and may reverse the alienation pointed to by C. P. Snow in 'The Two Cultures'. Originally designed to solve specific biological problems, such as ATP synthesis, its role in muscle function and nitrogenase activity, ART has universal significance for sustaining the earth's ecosystems in the face of global problems such as the greenhouse effect. Using an elementary mathematical treatment only, this book proposes that action resonance is valid from microcosm to macrocosm, providing a valid version of the unified field theory sought by Einstein and others.
Reader ReviewsI was teaching thermodynamics for students in biology when I learned about this book searching for new materials for my course. The subtitle of the book was appealing, the background of the author was also appealing and his claim that he had arrived to a new point of view based in his long experience were decisive for my decision. There was just one worry, the last sentence in the back cover: "The author... proposes that action theory is valid from microcosm to macrocosm, providing a congent version of unified field theory sought by Einstein and others". Sounds too ambitious! and reminds me of a repeated pattern of illuminated individuals that pop-up at our University-offices to point out where Einstein was wrong or made the wrong choice. After reading several chapters of the book I came to the following conclusions: 1. there is no useful material for teaching 2. the author has great difficulties explaining which his ideas are. All what I can see is vague intuition never made precise, much less translated into formulae. 3. The author leaves aside physical facts that contradict his ideas. A big (also expensive) dissapointement!
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