Articoli rivista
Cultura
Anno XXX - n.3 - luglio/settembre 1997 SFM: Microscopia a scansione di forza
A brief introduction to scanning probe microscopes and electron scanning microscopes is followed by a description of the scanning force microscope operating principle, of its performance and limits; some SFM images of semiconductor samples are shown as examples of the potentialities of this technique. […]
Anno XXIV - n.2 - aprile/giugno 1991 Piccoli e grandi numeri in fisica
Numbers are often viewed as a matter for end-of-chapter problems. Actually numerical estimates of physical quantities are of utmost importance: significant examples of them should always accompany the discussion of physical laws. When is the measure of a physical quantity merely conventional, […]
Anno XXXII - n.3 - luglio/settembre 1999 Quando la termodinamica incontra la meccanica: bilanci energetici di oggetti in movimento
In the study of subjects at the borderline between Thermodynamics and Mechanics, typical aspects of one of the two sciences are sometimes overlooked and incomplete, contradictory or partially erroneous descriptions are given. We find this type of difficulty in situations where there are objects in motion and, […]
Anno XLIX - n.1 - gennaio/marzo 2016 “Relatività”: le insidie di un nome
The name “relativity theory” was an unfortunate choice and Einstein was unhappy about it.Some critical aspects are briefly discussed about use and misuse of that name in epistemology, in popular culture and within the philosophical debate of the time in Italy […]
Anno XLVI - n.4 - ottobre/dicembre 2013 Scienza, Nanoscienza, Fantascienza
The term “nanoscience” is explained and illustrated by examples that can help to understand its scope and its importance for everyday life. […]
Anno XLVIII - n.1 - gennaio/marzo 2015 Sfaccettature dello spazio-tempo nella relatività generale: il calcolo di Regge
One of the most innovative and fruitful contribution to theoretical physics by Tullio Regge (1931-2014) is presented. Known as “Regge Calculus”, it consists of a formulation of the General Relativity developed in the celebrated paper “General Relativity without Coordinates”, published in 1961 in the Nuovo Cimento. […]
Anno XXXII - n.1 - gennaio/marzo 1999 Spazio, geometria e fisica. Un contributo ancora attuale di Federigo Enriques
In this paper the author describes Enriques’ ideas on the concept of space and on the relations between geometry and physics. Enriques criticized the views of Kant and Poincare, considered geometry as an empirical science and anticipated some aspects of recent Popper’s epistemology. […]
Anno XXVII - n.2 - aprile/giugno 1994 Storia di una goccia di rugiada (Traduzione da Quantum, sett.-ott. 1992, a cura di Silvano Sgrignoli)
This article deals with the very familiar phenomena in which vapour condenses, clouds are formed and, finally, it rains. It explains how this happens and why surface shape and not only temperature plays an important role in the process. […]
Anno XXIII - n.4 - ottobre/dicembre 1990 Sui quanti e la realtà
This “galilean dialogue” briefly considered the debate regarding the conceptual foundations of quantum mechanics, expecially referred to the Einstein/Bohr discussions about the interpretation of quantum formalism. In this presentation, Simplicio represents Einstein’s position, while Salviati defends Bohr. In the article, the problems arising from the so called “quantum non separability” […]
Anno XXV - n.4 - ottobre/dicembre 1992 Sui quanti e la realtà. Giornata seconda
One of the most interesting conceptual “puzzles” of theoretical physics of this century (say the quantum theory of measurement) is presented, using the technique of a galileian dialogue. After a concise description of the foundations of the problem, the most important contributions to the subject are summarized in a simple form, […]