Mormon Scientist: The Life and Faith of Henry Eyring
Encyclopedia
Mormon Scientist: The Life and Faith of Henry Eyring is a book about Henry Eyring
, who from 1930 to 1980 made substantial contributions to theoretical chemistry
while also speaking and writing extensively about the compatibility of science and religion. The book, written twenty-six years after Eyring’s death by his grandson Henry J. Eyring, explores Eyring’s contributions to science and religion, his family heritage, and his paradoxical way of thinking. The book was published in January 2008.
’s Marriott Library, as well as from two of his books, The Faith of a Scientist and Reflections of a Scientist. It is divided into four sections: Legacy; Heritage; Paradoxes; and Testament.
) and paternal grandparents, respectively. The fourth chapter, Fear, recounts the Eyring family’s forced exodus from Mexico
during the Mexican Revolution
.
Henry Eyring
Henry Eyring was a Mexican-born American theoretical chemist whose primary contribution was in the study of chemical reaction rates and intermediates....
, who from 1930 to 1980 made substantial contributions to theoretical chemistry
Theoretical chemistry
Theoretical chemistry seeks to provide theories that explain chemical observations. Often, it uses mathematical and computational methods that, at times, require advanced knowledge. Quantum chemistry, the application of quantum mechanics to the understanding of valency, is a major component of...
while also speaking and writing extensively about the compatibility of science and religion. The book, written twenty-six years after Eyring’s death by his grandson Henry J. Eyring, explores Eyring’s contributions to science and religion, his family heritage, and his paradoxical way of thinking. The book was published in January 2008.
Overview
Mormon Scientist draws from Eyring’s 88-box archive at the University of UtahUniversity of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
’s Marriott Library, as well as from two of his books, The Faith of a Scientist and Reflections of a Scientist. It is divided into four sections: Legacy; Heritage; Paradoxes; and Testament.
Legacy
Legacy comprises three chapters:- Science: a summary of Eyring’s scientific career achievements, including the discovery of the Eyring equationEyring equationThe Eyring equation also known as Eyring–Polanyi equation in chemical kinetics relates the reaction rate to temperature. It was developed almost simultaneously in 1935 by Henry Eyring, M.G. Evans and Michael Polanyi...
and the publication of more than 600 scientific papers. - Faith: the story of Eyring’s efforts to reconcile scriptural accounts of the Creation with modern scientific findings.
- Friendship: which includes personal correspondence and accounts of much-publicized annual footraces with his graduate students.
Heritage
Heritage is four chapters. The first three, Love, Ambition, and Believe, tell the stories of Eyring’s parents, maternal grandparents (including Miles Park Romney, great-grandfather of Mitt RomneyMitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
) and paternal grandparents, respectively. The fourth chapter, Fear, recounts the Eyring family’s forced exodus from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
during the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
.
Paradoxes
Paradoxes comprises seven chapters. The first, Master of Contradictions, introduces Eyring’s paradoxical way of thinking, which is explored in each of the following six chapters:- Humility and Confidence
- Creativity and Discipline
- Freedom and Obedience
- Reasoning, More Than Reasoning
- Fundamentals, Not Conventions
- People, Not Public Opinion