Professor, Department of History
Alberto Martinez is originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Alberto Martinez is originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico. He specializes on the history of physics and other sciences, as seen in his books: Science Secrets: The Truth About Darwin's Finches, Einstein's Wife, and Other Myths (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2011), and Kinematics: The Lost Origins of Einstein's Relativity (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009). He has also published two books on the history of mathematics: The Cult of Pythagoras: Math and Myths (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2012), analyzing the evolution of myths in the history of math, and Negative Math: How Mathematical Rules Can Be Positively Bent (Princeton University Press, 2005).
His research on the evolution of myths also led him to write a book about political news: The Media Versus the Apprentice: The Devil Mr. Trump (2019).
Professor Martinez has also authored books on the history of astronomy and religion: Burned Alive: Giordano Bruno, Galileo & the Inquisition (2018), Pythagoras or Christ? Christians against Pagans (2022), and in Spanish, Giordano Bruno y Galileo: La Inquisición en Terror de la Luna (2024).
He has also published articles in journals and periodicals including The American Journal of Physics, Annals of Science, Archive for History of Exact Sciences, Physics in Perspective, The American Mathematical Monthly, Physics Today, School Science Review, Metascience, Physics World, and Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics.
Also, Alberto Martinez also writes articles for newspapers and online magazines such as The Austin American-Statesman, The Hill, SALON, the USA Today newspapers, Scientific American, The Houston Chronicle, The Daily Texan, Latina, New Standard Press, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Sloan Science & Film, Texas Perspectives, and Not Even Past. Martinez is presently writing a historical novel about Albert Einstein.
- Fellow of the American Physical Society 2020 - present
- Public Voices Fellow, The OpEd Project 2017-18
- Fellow of the Institute for Historical Studies, 2016-17
- Weisman Instructor in History of Science, Caltech, 2004–05
- Fellow, Center for Einstein Studies, Boston University, 2003-04
- Fellow, Dibner Institute for History of Science and Technology, M.I.T., 2001-03
- Postdoctoral Fellow, History of Science, Harvard University, 2001-03
- Smithsonian Fellow, National Museum of American History, 2001