Book · 1940 · Quantum theory
Mr. Tompkins in Wonderland
Or, Stories of C, G, and H
- mentions
- 12
- people
- 2
- podcast
- 1
- episodes
- 10
- critical mentions
- 0
So maybe you were familiar with George Gammo's Mr. Tommpkins and Wonderland. I don't know if you I'm a little older than you, so I don't know if this was around in your day, but George Gammo Mr. Wonderland was a place where the laws of physics were different simply by the physical constants being different.
Neil deGrasse Tyson · StarTalk Radio · Jul 2026 Listen at 32:13 What they say about it
- Written by George Gamow“written by George Gamow”3
- Illustrated book series“illustrated book series”3
- Physics constants are different“physical constants are different”2
The best things said about it
It's a whole series, very clever, and he illustrated it, has fun little cartoons in it too.
Neil deGrasse Tyson StarTalk Radio · Dec 2023 Did you read Mr. Tompkins in Wonderland where he, where George Gamow changed the, the constants of physics? In one of them he changed Planck's constant, if, if memory serves. So that it, so that you'd walk through a doorway and you would, like refract. Oh, y- oh, yes. Uh, my uh, I did not read the book, but Michelle.
Neil deGrasse Tyson StarTalk Radio · Jan 2026 Now that being said there's a book series called Mr Tomkins in Wonderland written by a physicist George gamma the mid 20th century physicist brilliant yeah he first calculated that after the big bang you would have a cosmic microwave background okay made very important calculation anyhow he wrote A series he wrote for the public so he's after my.
Neil deGrasse Tyson StarTalk Radio · Dec 2024 I'm reminded of the the the Charming illustrated book series by George cam uh Mr Tomkins in I guess Wonderland.
Neil deGrasse Tyson StarTalk Radio · Jul 2024 There's a book called oh what's the guy's name oh George gammast physicist wrote a book called Mr Tomkins in Wonderland and it's a series and one of the stories is the physical constants are different in his world.
Neil deGrasse Tyson StarTalk Radio · Dec 2023 Where and when it comes up
Mentions per year
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How it comes up
Why people recommend it
Mr. Tompkins in Wonderland by George Gamow is a classic mid-twentieth-century science book that uses whimsical fiction and clever illustrations to explain complex physics concepts by altering physical constants in imaginary worlds. Neil deGrasse Tyson frequently referenced the work across multiple episodes of StarTalk Radio, praising its educational cartoons and storytelling approach. Tyson recommended the book to inspire a listener writing science fiction and brought it up to illustrate hypothetical scenarios where the speed of light or Planck's constant differ from our own. During an interview on the show, Nobel laureate John Martinis noted that fellow physicist Michel Devoret had similarly been inspired by Gamow's imaginative exploration of physics. Tyson consistently highlighted the series as a charming and effective tool for making abstract scientific principles accessible to everyday readers, demonstrating how the playful alteration of natural laws can illuminate the actual structure of the universe.
Every mention
Neil deGrasse Tyson He had a fictional series called Mr. Tommpkins in Wonderland. Okay. Right. And we talked about this. 11
Discussed
“So maybe you were familiar with George Gammo's Mr. Tommpkins and Wonderland. I don't know if you I'm a little older than you, so I don't know if this was around in your day, but George Gammo Mr. Wonderland was a place where the laws of physics were different simply by the physical constants being different.”
Discussed
“Did you read Mr. Tompkins in Wonderland where he, where George Gamow changed the, the constants of physics? In one of them he changed Planck's constant, if, if memory serves. So that it, so that you'd walk through a doorway and you would, like refract. Oh, y- oh, yes. Uh, my uh, I did not read the book, but Michelle”
Recommended
“He had a fictional series called Mr. Tommpkins in Wonderland. Okay. Right. And we talked about this.”
Discussed
“And so he had a series of books called Mr. Tommpkins in Wonderland.”
Discussed
“now that being said there's a book series called Mr Tomkins in Wonderland written by a physicist George gamma the mid 20th century physicist brilliant yeah he first calculated that after the big bang you would have a cosmic microwave background okay made very important calculation anyhow he wrote A series he wrote for the public so he's after my”
Discussed
“I'm reminded of the the the Charming illustrated book series by George cam uh Mr Tomkins in I guess Wonderland”
Discussed
“that's Mark Twain doing it in Mr Tomkins in Wonderland what made it entertaining”
Discussed
“there's a book called oh what's the guy's name oh George gammast physicist wrote a book called Mr Tomkins in Wonderland and it's a series and one of the stories is the physical constants are different in his world”
Recommended
“it's called Mr Tomkins in Wonderland it's a whole series very clever and he Illustrated it has fun little cartoons in it too”
Recommended
“but he wrote a series of books called mr tompkins the mr tompkins series and this is he mr tompkins uh i think that the root name of the series is mr tompkins in wonderland”
Discussed
“So the Tompkins in Wonderland series. Did you know the Tompkins and Wonderland? - No, - Written by George Gamow.”
Brian Greene - Oh you mean "Mr. Tompkins Wonderland." - Yeah, "Mr. Tompkins Wonderland." 1
Discussed
“- Oh you mean "Mr. Tompkins Wonderland." - Yeah, "Mr. Tompkins Wonderland."”
