Freedom of Science

Arun at Not Even Wrong comments that “Maxwell’s treatise on electricity and magnetism is viewable on books.google.com “

It is viewable but is it readable? Hertz tried to decipher Maxwell’s book for years then he gave up saying it made no sense. Hertz then studied Helmholtz’ treatise based on practical observations devoid of theoretical physics elegance in order to make his discoveries. Physics mythology still repeats that it was the genius of Maxwell and this book on which electomagnetism is based on. Why are physicists so fond of praising books they never read? Like Newton’s Principia? Like Maxwell’s Electromagnetism?

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