E=mc2

In 1905, Albert Einstein, a promising young scientist working full time as a patent clerk in Bern, Switzerland, had what historians came to call a 'miracle year'. He produced five historic papers that shattered many cherished scientific beliefs and established him as the world's leading physicist. One of those papers introduced the theory of special relativity and, in what is now famous supplement, presented his legendary equation, E=mc². Generations have grown up knowing the equation changed the shape of our world, but never understanding what it actually means and why it is so significant. In this fascinating 'biography' David Bodanis tells the story of one of the greatest scientific discoveries in history. He looks at the equation's 'ancestors', the elements 'e', 'm' and 'c'; and honours the scientists whose landmark discoveries paved the way for Einstein. He plots the course of the equation through the twentieth century, showing how our lives have been revolutionized by its applications, and looks far ahead to the future. But as with any biography, it is the human stories that really ignite the subject - the stories of love, courage and tragedy, of near misses, disappointments and disasters that, brought together by Bodanis in this remarkable book, turn Einstein's seemingly impenetrable theory into a dramatic and accessible human achievement.