Le informazioni nella sezione "Riassunto" possono far riferimento a edizioni diverse di questo titolo.
"Ferreira (Astrophysics/Univ. of Oxford; The State of the Universe: A Primer in Modern Cosmology, 2006, etc.) writes an enthusiastic and comprehensible popular account of how Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity continues to generate new knowledge as well as hints of more secrets to be revealed.
Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity may be the greatest discovery in science. It’s the key to understanding the history of the universe, the nature of time, stars, galaxies and matter itself. With the dramatic 1919 announcement confirming the theory’s prediction that gravity bends light rays, Einstein became a media superstar, and physicists began a search for other predictions that continues to this day. Everyone during that time, Einstein included, assumed that stars and galaxies drifted at random. Several physicists pointed out that his equations indicated an expanding universe. Reluctantly, Einstein finally agreed. Others calculated that when a large, aging star collapses, gravity shrinks it into an infinitely dense point outside of time and space: a black hole. However, Einstein never accepted that. During the 1920s, many physicists turned their attention to quantum mechanics and nuclear physics, which, unlike relativity, had vivid consequences. Only with the 1950s did a new generation return to the research. Simultaneously, astronomers began discovering phenomena that required relativity, including quasars, neutron stars, gravitational lenses, dark matter, energy and black holes. The perfection of Einstein’s theory remains; none of its predictions have been proven wrong, but the stubborn refusal of gravity to unite with all other natural forces remains a frustrating problem.
Ferreira does not downplay relativity’s complexity and avoids the easy route of oversimplifying it into a cosmic magic show. The result is one of the best popular accounts of how Einstein and his followers have been trying to explain the universe for decades."--Kirkus Reviews, STARRED
"Einstein pulled no punches when he met Belgian theorist Georges Lemaître in 1927: “Your physics,” the German titan told his colleague, “is abominable.” But Ferreira highlights the irony in this confrontation: Lemaître only starts the parade of geniuses mining Einstein’s theory for unanticipated cosmological insights. Of course, the history of this fertile theory begins with Einstein himself, the lowly patent clerk whose daring thought-experiments lead to a radically new space-time physics in which gravity bends light. Though eclipsed for decades by quantum mechanics, Einstein’s theory—crystallized in 10 elegant field equations—ultimately enthralls a phalanx of conceptual pioneers. Whether capturing the echoes of the Big Bang, glimpsing the phantom shadows of dark matter and dark energy, plumbing neutron stars, pondering possibilities for time travel, or testing the limits of string theory, these pioneers take Einstein’s formulas as their sure guide. Predictably, strong-willed scientists clash over their reading of these fiendishly entangled formulas: Eddington versus Chandrasekhar over black holes, Hawking versus Bekenstein over cosmic entropy, Oppenheimer versus Wheeler over stellar-collapse singularities, Gödel versus Robertson over rotating space-time. More such clashes seem certain in a twenty-first century poised for yet more audacious thinking about relativity. No book better prepares armchair physicists for the intellectual excitement ahead!" — Booklist
Praise for The State of the Universe:
"An intellectually exciting and eminently readable tour of cosmology."
-Joseph Silk, Savilian Professor of Astronomy, University of Oxford
"Deeply interesting."
-The Guardian
"Ferreira does a good job of balancing the likely with the improbable."
-Financial Times
"It is a clear, no-frills introduction to cosmology, just as Ferreira intended."
-Sky and Telescope
"Pedro Ferreira gives an expert tour of the universe we know and, even more fascinating, of the universe we don’t: a cosmos of unknown dark energy and dark matter, even dark dimensions. Beneath taut, economical prose, is warmth and charm. The result is a lovely and engaging book."
-Janna Levin, Professor of Physics at Columbia University and Barnard College.
Le informazioni nella sezione "Su questo libro" possono far riferimento a edizioni diverse di questo titolo.
Spese di spedizione:
EUR 3,77
In U.S.A.
Descrizione libro Condizione: Used - Very Good. 2014. Paperback. Very Good. Codice articolo Z0232601
Descrizione libro paperback. Condizione: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Codice articolo S_396288052
Descrizione libro paperback. Condizione: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Codice articolo S_387840469
Descrizione libro paperback. Condizione: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Codice articolo S_397091675
Descrizione libro Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 0.8. Codice articolo G0544264088I4N00