Re: Langevin's paradox again

Am Montag000015, 15.07.2024 um 09:51 schrieb Athel Cornish-Bowden:
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Anyway, in 50 years of research I have frequently cited work in books and jounals of which  I don't own personal copies. Research would be impossible otherwise. The thing is, though, that unlike you I know about libraries and how to use them. That was surely true of Einstein as well. If you belong to an appropriate institution that's not expensive, it's free.
 I have never worked in a patent office, but I feel sure that the work would include studying what had already been described. For that, access to a library would be essential.

Sure, that is certainly possible.
But 'work' usually meens 'work' in those days and not private studies.

>
It was also a lot to write, but without any kind of aid. Usual tools were pens (or ocasionally feathers and ink).
>
Since only nights were left over for free thinking, he had to write his masterpieces at the kitchen table, lit by candle light

 Are you serious? Electric lighting was widespread by the beginning of the 20th century, and had probably reached Switzerland by then.

No, of course.
That was a 'dramatisation' to express the difficulties, that Einstein had to overcome.
(iow: more or less a yoke)
But the 'time problem' was obvious, anyhow, even if he had electric lighting at home.
Also the use of a library would not make a huge difference, because you need to read a book, too, even if that is from the library.
I personally write on a computer and kind of 'stepwise'.
This is an iterative process, were I start with some kind of rough sketch and stepwise refine that.
This could have been the method of Einstein, too, but would produce tons of wasted papers.
These paper piles need to be somewhere, but were apparently lost.
TH