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Origin of life on earth and elsewhere
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Nuclear Physics 25 (1961) 698---700; (~) North-Holland Publishing Co., Amsterdam
BOOK REVIEWS H. G. JERRARD a n d D. B. McNEILL, Theoretical and Ezperimental Physics ( C h a p m a n a n d Hall, L o n d o n , 1960. v - - 6 1 1 p. 75 s.) U n d e r a r a t h e r m i s l e a d i n g title, t h i s v e r y useful t e x t b o o k p r e s e n t s , in a series of c h a p t e r s s u r v e y i n g t h e v a r i o u s b r a n c h e s of classical p h y s i c s , a t h e o r e t i c a l a n d p r a c t i c a l discussion of basic e x p e r i m e n t a l t e c h n i q u e s . T h e level of t r e a t m e n t is a d a p t e d to t h e n e e d s of s t u d e n t s , w h o a r e helped to f u r t h e r r e a d i n g b y e x t e n d e d lists of original p a p e r s a n d books a p p e n d e d to each c h a p t e r . A c o m m e n d a b l e f e a t u r e of t h e s e lists is t h a t t h e y i n c l u d e references of g r e a t historical i n t e r e s t to t h e earliest l i t e r a t u r e of t h e topics t r e a t e d . L.R.
M. CALVIN. Origin o/ li[e on earth and elsewhere ( U C R L - - 9 0 0 5 , Office of t e c h n i c a l services, U. S. D e p a r t m e n t of C o m m e r c e , W a s h i n g t o n 25, D.C. $ 1.25) T h i s r e p o r t f r o m t h e E. O. L a w r e n c e R a d i a t i o n L a b o r a t o r y of t h e U n i v e r s i t y of California d a t e s f r o m D e c e m b e r 1959 a n d h a s d e s e r v e d l y r e a c h e d t h e s t a n d a r d of best-seller as t h e c o p y received for review is a 15th edition. It is n o t too late to call a t t e n t i o n to t h i s s t i m u l a t i n g lecture on a f a s c i n a t i n g topic: it p r e s e n t s in a n u t - s h e l l t h e v a r i o u s e l e m e n t s of a v a s t p r o b l e m , in a v e r y clear a n d s o b e r way. M o s t i n f o r m a t i v e r e s p e c t i n g t h e c h e m i c a l aspects, t h e a u t h o r t o u c h e s p e r h a p s too cursorily u p o n o t h e r q u e s t i o n s , s u c h as t h e possibility of o t h e r f o r m s of o r g a n i c d e v e l o p m e n t t h a n t h e one we k n o w n on e a r t h . T h e list of references is also too s u m m a r y to be m o r e t h a n a help to general o r i e n t a t i o n : it w o u l d be useful to h a v e a m o r e c o m p l e t e c o m p i l a t i o n of p a p e r s , b o t h b i o p h y s i c a l a n d a s t r o n o m i c a l , c o n t a i n i n g detailed a n d q u a n t i t a t i v e d i s c u s s i o n s of special p o i n t s ; one would t h i n k t h e r e a r e n o t so m a n y of t h e m yet. L.R.
JEAN ROSSEL, Physique g~nJrale (Dunod, Paris, 1960. x i i - - 4 8 1 p.) I1 s ' a g i t ici d ' u n apergu tr~s condens~ de ce q u i e o n s t i t u e la c h a r p e n t e de la p h y s i q u e m o d e r n e , bas~ s u r la c o n c e p t i o n a t o m i q u e de la mati~re. Le livre s ' a d r e s s e a u x ~ t u d i a n t s a r r i v e s ~t u n s t a d e i n t e r m 6 d i a i r e de leur initiation b. la p h y s i q u e , et i l l e s a i d e r a c e r t a i n e m e n t b, m e t t r e de l'ordre d a n s les i d l e s q u ' i l s o n t p u t a n t bien q u e real (et s o u v e n t p l u t S t m a l q u e bien) acqu~rir d a n s les c o u r s dits de p r o p ~ d e u t i q u e . O n p e u t ne p a s t o u j o u r s ~tre d ' a c c o r d a v e c le p o i n t de r u e de l ' a u t e u r , m a i s il f a u t r e c o n n a l t r e q u ' i l a abord~ la t ~ c h e fort i n g r a t e et difficile qu'il s ' e s t donn~e a v e c b e a u c o u p de v i g u e u r d ' e s p r i t et d'originalitd. L. JR.
I. W. BUSBRIDGE, The Mathematics o] Radiative Trans/er (Cambridge U n i v e r s i t y Press. C a m bridge, 1960. x i i - - 1 4 3 p. 30 s) T h i s " C a m b r i d g e t r a c t " is i n t e n d e d to replace t h e well-known one b y E. Hopf, w h i c h is out-ofp r i n t ; t h e a u t h o r h a s i n c o r p o r a t e d in his a c c o u n t , w i t h s o m e p a r t s of t t o p f ' s treatise, t h e r e s u l t s of m o r e r e c e n t work. As t h e title indicates, t h e t r e a t m e n t is s t r i c t l y m a t h e m a t i c a l , a l t h o u g h it u s e s t h e p h y s i c a l t e r m i n o l o g y a p p r o p r i a t e to e l e c t r o m a g n e t i c r a d i a t i o n . I n t h e d o m a i n of n u c l e a r p h y s i c s , it m a y be useful to people occupied w i t h n e u t r o n diffusion. L. R. 698
Nuclear Physics 25 (1961) 698---700; (~) North-Holland Publishing Co., Amsterdam
BOOK REVIEWS H. G. JERRARD a n d D. B. McNEILL, Theoretical and Ezperimental Physics ( C h a p m a n a n d Hall, L o n d o n , 1960. v - - 6 1 1 p. 75 s.) U n d e r a r a t h e r m i s l e a d i n g title, t h i s v e r y useful t e x t b o o k p r e s e n t s , in a series of c h a p t e r s s u r v e y i n g t h e v a r i o u s b r a n c h e s of classical p h y s i c s , a t h e o r e t i c a l a n d p r a c t i c a l discussion of basic e x p e r i m e n t a l t e c h n i q u e s . T h e level of t r e a t m e n t is a d a p t e d to t h e n e e d s of s t u d e n t s , w h o a r e helped to f u r t h e r r e a d i n g b y e x t e n d e d lists of original p a p e r s a n d books a p p e n d e d to each c h a p t e r . A c o m m e n d a b l e f e a t u r e of t h e s e lists is t h a t t h e y i n c l u d e references of g r e a t historical i n t e r e s t to t h e earliest l i t e r a t u r e of t h e topics t r e a t e d . L.R.
M. CALVIN. Origin o/ li[e on earth and elsewhere ( U C R L - - 9 0 0 5 , Office of t e c h n i c a l services, U. S. D e p a r t m e n t of C o m m e r c e , W a s h i n g t o n 25, D.C. $ 1.25) T h i s r e p o r t f r o m t h e E. O. L a w r e n c e R a d i a t i o n L a b o r a t o r y of t h e U n i v e r s i t y of California d a t e s f r o m D e c e m b e r 1959 a n d h a s d e s e r v e d l y r e a c h e d t h e s t a n d a r d of best-seller as t h e c o p y received for review is a 15th edition. It is n o t too late to call a t t e n t i o n to t h i s s t i m u l a t i n g lecture on a f a s c i n a t i n g topic: it p r e s e n t s in a n u t - s h e l l t h e v a r i o u s e l e m e n t s of a v a s t p r o b l e m , in a v e r y clear a n d s o b e r way. M o s t i n f o r m a t i v e r e s p e c t i n g t h e c h e m i c a l aspects, t h e a u t h o r t o u c h e s p e r h a p s too cursorily u p o n o t h e r q u e s t i o n s , s u c h as t h e possibility of o t h e r f o r m s of o r g a n i c d e v e l o p m e n t t h a n t h e one we k n o w n on e a r t h . T h e list of references is also too s u m m a r y to be m o r e t h a n a help to general o r i e n t a t i o n : it w o u l d be useful to h a v e a m o r e c o m p l e t e c o m p i l a t i o n of p a p e r s , b o t h b i o p h y s i c a l a n d a s t r o n o m i c a l , c o n t a i n i n g detailed a n d q u a n t i t a t i v e d i s c u s s i o n s of special p o i n t s ; one would t h i n k t h e r e a r e n o t so m a n y of t h e m yet. L.R.
JEAN ROSSEL, Physique g~nJrale (Dunod, Paris, 1960. x i i - - 4 8 1 p.) I1 s ' a g i t ici d ' u n apergu tr~s condens~ de ce q u i e o n s t i t u e la c h a r p e n t e de la p h y s i q u e m o d e r n e , bas~ s u r la c o n c e p t i o n a t o m i q u e de la mati~re. Le livre s ' a d r e s s e a u x ~ t u d i a n t s a r r i v e s ~t u n s t a d e i n t e r m 6 d i a i r e de leur initiation b. la p h y s i q u e , et i l l e s a i d e r a c e r t a i n e m e n t b, m e t t r e de l'ordre d a n s les i d l e s q u ' i l s o n t p u t a n t bien q u e real (et s o u v e n t p l u t S t m a l q u e bien) acqu~rir d a n s les c o u r s dits de p r o p ~ d e u t i q u e . O n p e u t ne p a s t o u j o u r s ~tre d ' a c c o r d a v e c le p o i n t de r u e de l ' a u t e u r , m a i s il f a u t r e c o n n a l t r e q u ' i l a abord~ la t ~ c h e fort i n g r a t e et difficile qu'il s ' e s t donn~e a v e c b e a u c o u p de v i g u e u r d ' e s p r i t et d'originalitd. L. JR.
I. W. BUSBRIDGE, The Mathematics o] Radiative Trans/er (Cambridge U n i v e r s i t y Press. C a m bridge, 1960. x i i - - 1 4 3 p. 30 s) T h i s " C a m b r i d g e t r a c t " is i n t e n d e d to replace t h e well-known one b y E. Hopf, w h i c h is out-ofp r i n t ; t h e a u t h o r h a s i n c o r p o r a t e d in his a c c o u n t , w i t h s o m e p a r t s of t t o p f ' s treatise, t h e r e s u l t s of m o r e r e c e n t work. As t h e title indicates, t h e t r e a t m e n t is s t r i c t l y m a t h e m a t i c a l , a l t h o u g h it u s e s t h e p h y s i c a l t e r m i n o l o g y a p p r o p r i a t e to e l e c t r o m a g n e t i c r a d i a t i o n . I n t h e d o m a i n of n u c l e a r p h y s i c s , it m a y be useful to people occupied w i t h n e u t r o n diffusion. L. R. 698