author
Charles Nordmann
1881–1940
A French astronomer and science writer, he helped bring the newest ideas in physics and astronomy to a wider public while also doing original research of his own. His work ranged from the temperatures of stars to early attempts to detect radio waves from the Sun.
2 Audiobooks
Einstein et l'univers: Une lueur dans le mystère des choses
by Charles Nordmann
Einstein and the universe: A popular exposition of the famous theory
by Charles Nordmann
About the author
Born in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, in 1881, Charles Nordmann became a French astronomer who worked at the Paris Observatory. He was known as an inventive researcher: the Paris Observatory credits him with an early attempt in 1901 to detect radio waves from the Sun, and with designing a photometer in 1907 that helped determine the temperatures of stars.
Nordmann also became an important popularizer of science. Bibliographic and author records identify him not only as an astronomer and physicist, but also as a science columnist for La Revue des deux mondes. That mix of research and clear public writing helps explain why his books on astronomy, time, and Einstein reached general readers.
He died in Paris in 1940. Today he is remembered both for his scientific curiosity and for his gift for explaining difficult ideas in a way non-specialists could follow.