Evolving a coherent understanding of physics.

List of original chapters : full text

I: The rise of the mechanical view:

• The great mystery story
• The first clue
• Vectors
• The riddle of motion
• One clue remains
• Is heat a substance?
• The roller-coster
• The rate of exchange
• The philosophical background
• The kinetic theory of matter

II: The decline of the mechanical view:

• The two electric fluids
• The magnetic fluids
• The first serious difficulty
• The velocity of light
• Light as a substance
• The riddle of color
• That is a wave?
• The wave theory of light
• Longitudinal or transverse light waves?
• Ether and the mechanical view

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