Unit:
Τομέας Φιλοσοφίας και Θεωρίας της Επιστήμης και της ΤεχνολογίαςLibrary of the School of Science
Author:
Κοπακάκης Πελοπίδας
Supervisors info:
Γαβρόγλου Κ. Καθηγητής, Αραμπατζής Θ. Καθηγητής (Επιβλέπων), Αραποστάθης Ε. Λέκτορας
Original Title:
“Ο θάνατος της ύλης” - Η πολιτισμική ιστορία της θεωρίας της ηλεκτρομαγνητικής μάζας
Translated title:
The death of matter- Cultural history of the theory of electromagnetic mass
Summary:
In the early 20th century the pressure that was exercised in the scientific
community on the category of materialism, turned some scientists to develop a
number of theories that emphasized on the downgrading of the importance of the
concept of mass over aether or energy. One of these theories was the theory of
the electromagnetic mass. This theory traversing a path that would start from
the theory of the atom-vortex that Lord Kelvin suggested, and played a key role
in the discovery of the electron; facing the electron as a "disturbance of the
ether" and not as a material particle. Defining moments in the history of
electromagnetic mass are the experiments of W. Kaufmann in which the
electromagnetic theory and the relativity of Einstein clashed.
This paper examines the history of the theory of electromagnetic mass from a
cultural and a social point of view. At the end of the paper this view over the
fin de siecle era will be compared to the Forman thesis.
Keywords:
Electron aether, fin de siecle, W. Kaufmann, Forman thesis, Electromagnetic mass
