Mr. Tompkins

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Mr. Tompkins is the hero of a popular book series by the atomic physicist and astronomer George Gamow , in which he introduced physical and cosmological phenomena to a wide audience. In the first book, Gamov describes a (dream) world in which the speed of light c is only 30 miles per hour. He describes the effects of length contraction and other relativistic effects on a cyclist .

The series began in 1938 with a sequel in the English magazine " Discovery " and was first published in book form in 1940, and further episodes from 1945

  1. Mr. Tompkins in Wonderland (1940)
  2. Mr. Tompkins Explores the Atom (1944)
  3. Mr. Tompkins Learns the Facts of Life (1953)
  4. Mr. Tompkins in Paperback (1965), reprinted in 1993 with a foreword by Roger Penrose
  5. Mr. Tompkins Inside Himself (1967), revision of (3) including molecular biology

In these books Tompkins is called "CGH Tompkins", which indicates the desired unification of physics ( cGh physics).

Transfers into German:

  • Mr. Tompkins in Wonderland or dreams of c, g and h , Paul Zsolnay, Vienna 1954
  • Mr. Tompkins' strange journey through cosmos and microcosm , Vieweg 1980, ISBN 3-528-08419-7

See also: