Instruments and Experiences

A wide-ranging collection of essays tracing the evolution of measurement instrumentation design and performance over the past fifty years. Written by one of the foremost authorities in optical devices, these papers stress the importance of mechanical detail in the development of devices capable of sensitive detection and precise measurement, including lasers and microcircuitry. Topics discussed include optical levers, elastic movements, microbarographs, capacitance micrometers, and radiation pressure and ``aether drag,'' all with introductory commentaries describing the author's approach to these problems. Also discussess the roles various instruments have played in the advancement of learning, the history and philosophy of instrument design, and current trends in the field.