简介

I am a historian of physics studying conceptual developments in the late 19th and early 20th century. I got a Master's in theoretical physics at the University of Amsterdam (1988) and a Ph.D. in History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Pittsburgh (1995). I wrote my dissertation on the emergence of special relativity, paying special attention to the role of my countryman, H. A. Lorentz. I then worked for several years for the Einstein Papers Project, annotating various documents (published papers, research manuscripts, and correspondence) related to the genesis of general relativity. I have written extensively on the history of both special and general relativity. In special relativity, my main interest has been the transition from Newtonian particle mechanics to relativistic continuum mechanics. In general relativity, my focus has been on Einstein's struggle to find satisfactory gravitational field equations and on his quest to eliminate absolute motion and absolute space(-time) from physics. More recently, I have turned to the history of quantum theory, looking specifically at the transition from quantum dispersion theory to matrix mechanics. Guiding my research in general are broader philosophical questions about scientific methodology and scientific explanation. I have long been interested in making the results of my work accessible to larger audiences. I have been offering a Freshman seminar called "Einstein for Everyone" and I am co-editor of The Cambridge Companion to Einstein.