How long did it take to prove Aristotle's ideas about falling objects wrong? How did science evolve

from Democritus, the first philosopher to talk about the existence of atoms, to today's theories

concerning the universe? Can the world now be explained in the form of equations?

This volume - articulated in three parts: I. Classical Physics II. Modern Physics and III. Questions

about the universe - answers all basic questions concerning the history of physics and physics. The

approach chosen here is the one adopted by Franscico Chinesta for his Ecole Centrale de Nantes

course. Although the content is targeted at top-level engineering students, this volume also addresses

a non-scientific audience, giving everyone a chance to marvel at scientific research.

Chinesta's chronological approach allows readers to understand how the world has gradually

revealed its secrets through scientific observation, hypotheses, counterhypotheses and

experimentation. Meanwhile a whole range of scientific phenomena is explained, from why the sky

is blue to what is a black hole.

Because of the simple language of the volume and thanks to hundreds of illustrations, physics

becomes accessible to non-specialists and the latest research development available to all.