I will occasionally add to this page references to outside reading material that may be of interest to some in the class. In general, these will be semipopular books and articles intended for a scientifically-informed lay audience.
The Unconscious Quantum: Metaphysics in Modern Physics and Cosmology,
by Victor J. Stenger.
Prometheus Books, 1995.
A readable presentation of the conceptual problems associated with quantum physics, particularly measurement, and some modern cosmological puzzles. The author is concerned to demystify modern physics, and particularly to show that it does not support any paranormal ideas, which makes for an interesting book.
The Principle of Relativity,
Dover Publications, Inc., 1952.
A reprint collection of original papers on the special and general theories of relativity by authors such as Einstein, Lorentz, and others. These papers are considered classics in the field (but not "classical"!); they are, for the most part, very well-written and clearly presented, and should be understandable to students familiar with the basics of relativity. It includes Lorentz' original derivation of the length-contraction as an explanation of the null result of the Michelson-Morley experiment, and Einstein's famous 1905 paper introducing "E=mc**2."
Night Thoughts of a Classical Physicist, by Russell McCormmach.
1983, Avon Books (paperback).
A fictional account from the perspective of a hypothetical German classical physicist who, during the closing months of the First World War, comes to the realization that the "modern" physics of relativity and quantum mechanics will soon replace the "classical" physics that he has labored on his entire professional life. This book was widely praised when it appeared; recommended for those with an interest in the history and philosophy of science.
Six Not-So-Easy Pieces: Einstein's Relativity, Symmetry,
and Space-Time,
by Richard P. Feynman.
1997, Helix Books, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc.
This book is a collection of lectures by the late Nobel-prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman of Cal Tech on the topic of Einstein's theory of relativity. (It is a sequel to an earlier series of popular lectures by Feynman entitled "Six Easy Pieces.") Feynman was well known for the clarity of his lectures, and for his ability to explain physical concepts in simple and understandable terms.