By Dan Ch Christensen
Oxford University Press
Hardback: £39.99 $69.95
Also available as an e-book, and at the CERN bookshop
Hans Christian Ørsted (1777–1851) is of great importance as a scientist and philosopher, far beyond the borders of Denmark and his own time. His discovery of electromagnetism revolutionized the course of physical research, and in time prompted technological inventions that changed the life of modern societies. He was also remarkable in unifying two cultures – the sciences and the arts. This first comprehensive and contextual biography of Ørsted offers cultural and sociological insights into the European network of scientists in the 19th century, when divergent national paradigms prevailed. It also illuminates Danish cultural and intellectual circles in the so-called Golden Age.
