Book Description

The ultimate reference to the worlds beyond.

The Firefly Guide to the Universe is an encyclopedic examination of the stars, planets, and universe with the latest, most comprehensive information currently available. The book features the latest images from the Hubble Space Telescope which are put into context with clear and detailed text.

In seven extensive sections, the book illustrates and explains:- Exploring the Universe: the history and current state of astronomy and space exploration - The Solar System: Earth and other planets, mapped and imaged using data from the most recent mission probes - The Sun: astrophysical phenomena from sunspots to eclipses - The Stars: movements and life cycles, novae and supernovae, black holes, and more - The Universe: the origin and nature of the universe, our galaxy, local and remote galaxies, quasars, the question of alien life - Star Maps: whole sky maps with 22 alphabetized chapter listings of stars and constellations, and seasonal charts for north and south - The Practical Astronomer: Tips for beginner and advanced astronomers including equipment selection and how to build a backyard observatory.

The Firefly Guide to the Universe is a lively and useful reference illustrated with spectacular color photographs and illustrations. It is the ideal guide for discovering the vast richness of the universe. ... Read more

Book Description

In The Life Era, Eric Chaisson continues telling the scenario of cosmic evolution begun with his award winning Cosmic Dawn. Stressing the time-honored concept of change, he articulates three grand eras in universal history: the radiation era, starting with the big bang; the matter era, when organized structures emerged; and the life era, when technologically sentient beings take control of their destiny. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

as interesting for its philosophy as for its science.
Like Carl Sagan, Eric Chaisson has dedicated his professional life as an astrophysicist to educating the interested lay-public in the arcaneries of his field.Beyond Sagan, he has also attempted to formulate a philosophy of cosmic evolution based on the natural evolutionary processes of nature itself.The author starts with the basic theories of thermodynamics, chaos, and self-organizing criticality.With these basic tenets he follows the process from the origin of the universe to the evolution of intelligent life.As he writes, "In the words of biology's Nobel laureate George Wald, 'Matter has reached the point of beginning to know itself.'We are, he continues, 'a star's way of knowing about stars.'This, for me, is life's purpose and meaning, its raison d'etre--to act as an animated conduit for the Universe's self-reflection.In short, we sentient humans are now among the purveyors of cosmic consciousness.Above all else, this is what grants us, not individually but as a species, a magnanimous worth and dignity among all creatures on planet Earth, indeed, among all known structures in the Universe (p. 229)."

The book has a final chapter on the ethics of world and universal order, taking the issue of evolution of intelligent life from simply technologically competent life to ethically competent life.While he sees the former as capable of global dominance, he only sees the latter as capable of surviving its own self-destructive tendencies.

In general I felt that the author's narrative style was very approachable and informative.He discusses everything from the early Greek philosopher's cogitations on the nature of things to the scientific advances of the '60s, giving a very good appraisal of each.Among the great minds discussed are Anaximander, Plato, Aristotle, Heraclitus,Empedocles, Francis Bacon, Decartes, Darwin, and Shapley.

I found Chaisson's ability to put scientific concepts into word pictures very impressive. One of my favorites was the concept of the universe as a giant chandelier with the individual lights being instances of planetary life that rose to a level of use of radioastronomy.His description of the various patterns of light that might arise were helpful.It clarified the oft stated criticism of the search for extra terestrial life, "where are they?"He showed that the chandelier might be full of life/light, empty of life/light, or turning on one bulb at a time so that while life was common overall, no two instances existed at the same time. I would say that any one from junior high up would be fully able to understand the content.

I'm not certain I agree with the author's optimistic observations on the future of life in the universe.His vision of an interconnected cosmos wide civilization seems a little far fetched.So much has happened socially and politically in recent years, that one finds it difficult to believe that intelligent life can manage to outlive its tendency toward individual struggle at the expense of other living things and even of the planet itself.As the author notes, however, the push of intelligent life beyond the solar system and into the rest of the universe need not start here!

An interesting book; as interesting for its philosophy as for its science. ... Read more

Book Description

From Aristotle to Newton, Einstein and quantum mechanics, this book recounts the revolutions in physics and astronomy that underlie the present-day scientific picture of the Universe. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Only a few years ago, astronomers were uncertain whether planets might orbit stars other than the sun. In the past few years, though, the experimental data has practically rushed in. In Worlds Unnumbered, Donald Goldsmith explains exactly how astronomers reached their conclusions, what their findings imply for the model that predicts formation of our own solar system, and whether the new findings give us any further data on the probability that life exists elsewhere in the universe (or its preponderance if it does). Goldsmith succeeds not only in describing the search for extrasolar planets, but also in conveying a feel for all the factors that contribute to the enormously complex, yet clock-like, motions of the bodies in the universe. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good book
This was a good book, but the part about how they find planets was too confusing.

EXCELLENT strong case on conditions for planetary systems
This book takes the reader through a clear systematic explanation of the basics about extrasolar planets and the conditions for their development and survival as well as the fundimentals for the development of any form of life. Now missing latest discoveries this is still a must read for anyone interested in the nature of possible life in the universe or those who like to debate the probabilities of life on other planets without a full picture of the issues for planetary formation let alone the those for possible life. This book fulfilled all my expectations and gives an excellent range of general information and science surrounding the whole topic of extrasolar planets

Excellent, readable explanation of the search for planets
A good read, explaining the current search for planets around other suns. Goldsmith takes on the questions most people ask, and carries you along the journey in a chatty, readable manner that maintains your interest. This book has a good balance between technical explanation, and simple prose, that should satisfy anyone looking for an all round explanation of the search for other planets. It leaves you positively excited about what will come up in the future. ... Read more

Book Description

Eminent Harvard astrophysicist David Layzer offers readers a unified theory of natural order and its origins, from the permanence, stability, and orderliness of sub-atomic particles to the evolution of the human mind. Cosmogenesis provides the first extended account of a controversial theory that connects quantum mechanics with the second law of thermodynamics, and presents novel resolutions of longstanding paradoxes in these theories, such as those of Schroedinger's cat and the arrow of time. Layzer's main concerns in the second half of the book are with the philosophical issues surrounding science.He develops a highly original reconciliation of the conflict between traditional scientific determinism and the intuitive notion of individual freedom.He argues that although the elementary processes underlying biological evolution and human development are governed by physical laws, they are nevertheless genuinely creative and unpredictable. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Alan Boss is a theoretical planetologist: he imagines how and where planets might form. Looking for Earths is his account of the first discoveries of planets around other stars, which he rightly calls "a step as significant as Neil Armstrong's first step onto the Moon."Because Boss is a leading theoretician and a member of various committees and advisory bodies, he had a trackside seat for the race but is free from the bias that comes from actually running. He is better (and much more honest) than most astronomers at describing the infighting, boredom, professional feuds, bad donuts, and hard work that go into doing Big (i.e. astronomically expensive) Science. Boss includes an acronym glossary, so you can wrap your brain around sentences such as "The SISWG agreed that Michael Shao's design for OSI met the requirements for AIM." And he proves that you can consult for the government and still maintain a sense of humor, as when he says that "51 Pegasi's planet must have formed more or less at its predicted location, and then been dragged kicking and screaming inward toward its star."

The late 1990s have seen the start of one of the great ages of discovery, and Boss's excitement is palpable. "In the distant future, a thousand years or two from now, aliens will reach an Earth-like planet orbiting a star in the Sun's neighborhood.... Our descendents will be those aliens." --Mary Ellen Curtin ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Extrasolar Enterprise
If you're content to have your view of the universe stop right where it is, don't read this book. But if you want to know the planetary exploration history and latest information about the search for planets beyond our solar system, then pick up "Looking for Earths."

Alan Boss, a NASA adviser at the Carnegie Institution, has presented us with an extremely well written, smart and well-informed account of the search for "extrasolar planets", those beyond our solar systems. Just in case anyone thinks that's an easy step-you know, just pull up the telescope and point it at the stars, here is his description of the difficulty:

"Trying to see an extrasolar planet right next to its star is akin to trying to see a tiny mirror being held by a person standing next to a powerful carbon-arc searchlight that is pointed right at you-you can't see the light from the mirror because you are blinded by the far brighter light from the
searchlight itself. Human beings could start at the sky until
their eyes popped without ever seeing a planet belonging to another star."

What Boss does is quickly but clearly tell us the history of planetary exploration, tracing thoughts and discoveries,
starting with Pythagoras in the sixth century B.C.E., who thought the Earth was fixed an unmoving, then explaining the brilliance of Copernicus and then Kepler, Brahe, Giordano Bruno, Kant and other early giants.

Then he moves on to such contemporary heroes as Peter van de Kamp, Daniel Goldin and George Gatewood as they come up, rapid-fire, it seems, relatively speaking, with proof of the extrasolar planets' existence, some coming so quickly that scientists joked about subscribing to "Planet of the Week".

What Boss does especially well, besides writing in utterly understandable language, is connect the dots, as it were.

If you read this book, you'll get a wonderful look at scientific thinking and development, instead of getting science piecemeal.

Boss has a rather interesting approach: starting with
Chapter 3, he dates events as he opens the chapter, so that each chapter, and often sub-chapters start with the date of the discovery or event that led to a discovery. It's a neat way of encompassing history and allows us to see how quickly ideas can move along. Most obvious to me was the sense that discoveries are speeding up-each development happens a little more quickly and closely to its predecessor, feeding yet the next discovery.

The science outlined in this book is totally comprehensible to most teenagers and adults and probably some pre-teens as well, if they're reasonably aware of astronomical issues. You may want to skip some of the deeper science and just read about the discoveries and who made them. Charts and photos accompany
several chapters to help explain who did what and why it was important.

Anyone wanting to know more about what's next, and not have to get all their science from Star Trek would be well advised to read this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Our understanding of galaxies has advanced significantly in recent years. Powerful computer simulations and detailed observations from ground- and space-based telescopes have been instrumental in this. This graduate textbook provides students with a complete, accessible introduction to modern galactic dynamics. The first two parts of the book define the astrophysical problems and the methods for building sound physical models. Next, coverage examines the observational properties and models of spiral then elliptical galaxies. A selection of exciting topics from contemporary research are also reviewed, including the formation and evolution of galaxies, cooling flows, accretion disks, and galaxies at high redshift. Throughout, the volume helps students develop a clear understanding and good physical intuition of the processes involved. Full derivations are provided for key results and helpful problems are included. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An excellent review of galactic structure and dynamics
It is a difficult but inspiring book written by one of the leading world experts who, in spite of the relatively young age, has obtained an impressive record of new results in the field of galaxy dynamics. If compared to the standard reference in the field (Galactic Dynamics by Binney and Tremaine), the book stands out for conciseness, clarity and homogeneity of treatment. Bertin, in fact, puts emphasis on physics rather than phenomenology and succeeds in compressing the huge field of galaxy dynamics in a relatively short book structured in few chapters. Each chapter is focused on a different physical mechanisms which is then used to gain deeper and deeper insights into the structure of the stellar systems.The book is up to date and provides the reader with an exhaustive list of references. An excellent book to be recommended to graduate students as well as to researchers active in the field ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Thank you, Professor, for a charming book
This is a charming book, with a graceful pace and engaging illustrations. The transparency and accessibility of this book are a gift to the reader, who is brought through complex material in a gentle way. I suspect that technically advanced readers may find some of the material fairly elementary, but may still find pleasure in the beauty of this book.

I should here confess that as a math major I took a course from Professor Osserman on linear algebra about 30 years ago. His teaching style then mirrored his writing style in this book--calm, understated, confident.

Additionally, I probably never thanked him at the time for giving me a great math experience during that course. (For non-mathematicians who haven't had such an experience, let me assure you that there is exhilaration in struggling with an initially complicated mathematical idea that suddenly becomes crystal clear.)

So, belatedly, if you're reading this review, Professor, THANK YOU!

Shape and Form - Geometry and Cosmology
This is a story of shape and form. The Poetry of the Universe answers two related questions: What is the shape of the universe and what do we mean by the curvature of space?

During the great period of global exploration the Europeans placed rigorous demands on maps, demands that stretched the capabilities of mathematicians. Robert Osserman offers a striking parallel between that endeavor and our modern efforts to unravel the form and structure of the universe.

Osserman's description of the evolution of abstract geometries is fascinating. We learn about the remarkable contributions of the combined genius of Euler, Gauss, Lobachevsky, Bolyai, Riemann, Minkowski, and Einstein to our new understanding of cosmology. Gradually, Osserman brings us full circle from the problem of representing a spherical (or elliptical) earth on a Euclidian flat map to the more difficult problem of representing an expanding universe characterized as a hypersphere.

This is a good little book and I can recommend it to a wide audience. Osserman conveys the beauty and excitement of mathematics without delving into equations. In parallel, he provides expanded footnotes in an appendix for the mathematically inclined. I suggest reading the appendix after completing each chapter, mathematically inclined or not.

In keeping with his title, he offers poetic quotes: Euclid alone has looked on Beauty bare. Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas. The most distinct and beautiful statement of any truth must take at last the mathematical form.

Edna St. Vincent Millay, Albert Einstein, and Henry David Thoreau.

Perhaps Osserman bit off more than he could chew...
I had the feeling while reading this book that Osserman had simply taken upon himself something that couldn't be done: describing the entire universe in 170 pages with sufficient clarity so that any layman could understand it.

Being one of those laymen, I must admit that I learned quite a bit from this book. Nevertheless, Osserman's jumpy writing style with frequent digressions makes for a sometimes frustrating read. I also noted a certain effort to make the "story" of the book conform to the title (which should have been something along the lines of "Curvature of the Universe").

In any case, for those (like myself) with a passive interest in cosmology and very little prior knowledge, this book is not a bad starting point. Having finished the book, I at least know where to begin looking for more information about the topic.

comes up short
The hype on the back cover, from the publisher, likens this book to the "literary bestsellers" of Watson and Thomas. However, the great shame is that this book won't last. Ultimately, the book is quite exasperating, not for the conceptual challenges it poses, but for the sloppiness of the writing a key junctures: often it is impossible to understand what is meant from what is written. On at least three occasions, I am certain that Osserman used inappropriate words. I entirely blame the editors for this failure. It is a shame because it ultimately renders the book incomprehensible to the non-specialist. I would recommend Brian Greene's recent book over this one, though the subject matter differs somewhat: Greene takes in string theory and the unified field challenge, while Osserman focuses on multidimensional space and cosmogony. Maybe it is worth reading Osserman to get a sense of the art of such books, to appreciate the quiet brilliance of Lewis Thomas. Sort of like drinking bad wine in order to really appreciate the good.

bmaddox
dobbs ferry ny

A Meaty Lil' Package
This is a marvelous little tour through the development of geometry and its ties with our ever-evolving conception of space. In fact, what tickled my cortex most here was Osserman's adeptness at conveying the strength of this tie. One feels a definite Yin-Yang interplay here, an enlightening example of how ideas are born of real-life problems, the solutions to which beget further physical inconsistencies that in turn spawn further ideas, and so on, and so on. And after being guided through the history of this mathematical development, it becomes easily clear as to why it is so difficult (in fact practically meaningless) for us to visualize a shape for our Universe. You understand why it is pointless to use conventional three-dimensional thought (what we all live with day-to-day) as a lever to comprehend the bigger picture. All of this is sewn so well into this neat little pocketbook, that it is practically a reference you wish to carry with you at all times. He misses the mark in at least one place when he stretches his discussions to include and touch upon other branches of science. His comment that our ability to see in a narrow swatch of the electromagnetic spectrum is a "quirk of physiology" is an air ball demonstrating his ignorance of photochemistry. But such shortcomings, which are extremely few, do not taint the grand picture that he has painted for us. The style is very approachable and I would highly recommend this work to anyone who seeks to grasp the whole enchilada. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the story of the cosmic background radiation, the "afterglow" of the Big Bang in which the Universe was born. Fifteen billion years after the event, the afterglow still permeates all of space, making it the oldest relic in creation and providing an imprint of the Universe as it was in its infancy. Chown brilliantly weaves a tale of the search for the origins of the Universe. Beginning in the 1920s and culminating withthe flight of the COBE satellite and what it found, this book uncovers the secrets of the Universe. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

best plact to start
Very little math, but very carefully written. This is the first place to start if you want to get a perspective on the whole range of experiments that led up to the Cobe data. I am particularly impressed with the quality and clarity of the writing. This book is so carefully written that you can actually understand much of the physics involved

An excellent introduction to the Big Bang
This is an excellent book for laypeople about the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite, and its discovery of ripples in the radiation from the Big Bang.

Electrons jiggling around generate radio waves. Temperature is just a measure of the average speed with which the atoms of a body are moving, vibrating and spinning. So any body, at any temperature above absolute zero, emits radio waves. Cool!

Why tell you this? Well, when they say the Background radiation is at a temperature of 3 degrees what they mean is, it's of the type of radiowaves that are emitted by a body at a temperature of 3 degrees.

-- and that's something I didn't know, before I read the book.

It's the least of what you'll get:

1. You get a history of the theory.

2. Details about radioastronomy, and how astronomers work around their problems (since everything -- the ground, the air, the dust in the galaxy, the cables on a balloon carrying a detector -- glows with radio waves, it's a bit tricky seeing the backround radiation of the Big Bang)

3. Peeks into how science works: you propose a theory, and then chuck it if it doesn't fit the data, except that sometimes it's the data that's at fault not the theory

4. The importance of confirming your results, so that scientific discovery's a community effort despite all the pushing to get there first

5. The importance of looking at all the ramifications of a theory: gas clouds in interstellar space are warmed by the background radiation, and people measured their temperature, and wondered why they weren't stone cold, long before the radiation itself was observed

6. Why that famous photo of pink and blue patches is both the truth and not

7. Interesting tidbits on cosmology

8. the personalities involved

... and more, and more, in only 170 pages.

Students doing London A Level Astrophysics will find this an exceedingly useful read. (Though no mathematical equations at all, you get a load of physics, painlessly)

And to top it all, some neat rhetoric:

" ... COBE had reached its orbit 900 kilometres above the Earth. It was now circling the Earth every 72 seconds as it turned on its axis. It could be seen in the night sky, going from south to north a little after sunset, or from north to south a little before dawn.

COBE awakened, opening its eyes to the microwave Universe. "

The bit at the end's the best, though.

Read, enjoy, learn. ... Read more

Book Description

What will be the next 'giant leap' in space exploration? Could it be a manned expedition to the Red Planet Mars? In this challenging and thought-provoking book, Martin Turner shows how modern technologies not only make such a journey possible, but that advances in those technologies will make it more probable, and that the first human mission to Mars will happen within our lifetime. The latest rocket propulsion, spacecraft technology and planned developments in nuclear and electric propulsion technologies are the key factors which will enable this journey to take place. Of particular importance is the necessity to transport cargo to Mars, and to provide essential life support for the crew food, water, air and fuel to enable the return journey. Expedition Mars challenges us to face the fact that, sooner or later, humans will have to make a choice: stay here on Earth or explore the Solar System beyond. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A very good book
Will the first Human mission to Mars be a historical fact in my liftime? This is the central question of the book and the answer from a technological standpoint is certainly positive. The book Expedition Mars covers all technological fields needed to make a manned mission to Mars happen. The orbital mechanics of such a trip described in this book are even for a non-expert easy to follow, while the section on launch mass makes clear that every kilogram of payload to be send to the Martian surface needs a major increase in the launch mass of the rocket lifting the mission of Earth's surface. In the chapter on possible propulsion systems the author takes into account the public distrust in nuclear propulsion and describes the necessary measures to be taken to test such an engine on Earth without the release of radioactive material. He also clearly explains that such a engine will only be used and activated in space, greatly diminishing the risks. Not only technical issues related to a mission to Mars are described in the book, but also the financial-economical and social part of such a mission are well covered, proving that scientists and engineers are able to explain their work to the man in the street. In the final chapters Martin Turner explains the NASA reference mission to Mars, greatly influenced by the work of Zubrin and coworkers, and shows that the improvement in the design of such a mission is ten fold in almost every aspect. The costs for a human mission to Mars is currently estimated at 55 billion dollars as much as the (ANNUAL agricultural subsidies of the European Union) to be spread over a period of 15-20 years, equalling 2 billion dollars a year. This fits in the American as the European space budget. It is even lower than the annual amount spend in the Space Shuttle programme. The last chapter is devoted to the social-economic arguments for and against a human mission to Mars and should be a must-read for every one in the space business. In a realistic way the pros and cons of a manned mission are explained with even new arguments, such that the money spend on space missions is mostly covered by the man hours in such a project. This refutes the statement by antagonists of the Mars programme that all money is launched into space instead it is launched into the local economy by the people who work in the space industry.

All in all this book should be on the list of all space enthousiasts and space professionals and can well be used in science classes to get students back to studying natural sciences and engineering.

Arno Wielders
Chairman Mars Society Nederland ... Read more

Reviews (4)

It reads like your video manual...
The first thing that needs to be examined about a book such as this is to whom is it addressed to. If it's aimed towards people with a very basic knowledge in physics and it attempts to explain the quantum world to them, it has more than probably failed. A target group other than that would be a moot target assuming they'd already have a fundamental knowledge of quantum physics.

This book reads like your proverbial video manual. You suspect that its author might (and that's a major "might") know what he's talking about but you certainly won't. In the end your video recorder won't work and you'll be bored breathless.

Even though Paul Davies wants to delve into (and explain) such exciting matters such as the possibility of parallel universes and other dimensions a great many things go wrong in the process:

-first of all he's totally unreadable, unleashing pages upon pages of dull writting at you. Where illustrations, graphs and diagrams should be present to help the reader understand what it is he's saying, they are no where to be seen.

-secondly, his whole thesis is flawed because it's riddled with dogma scattered all over the book. Things become even worse because many times the scientific dogma thrown at us contradicts the author himself. Other times it seems apparent that the author is spectacularly unaware of certain facts that would make some of the theories he presents weak. Example: on pages 142-145, Davies argues that the conditions on earth are amazingly ideal for life to flourish. Earlier by the way, he's argued that life is rare in the universe exactly because you need ideal conditions. Anyhow, he goes on explaining that we live on a "relatively quiet place in the universe" without cataclysms or massive upheavals that would threaten life on earth. Sadly though, it's well known that there must have been at least 4 such massive upheavals in the earth's history which came very near to destroying all life and the conditions for it necessary (due to comet or asteroid impacts or other reasons we haven't figured out yet) and yet life survived. This actually shows that life is way more durable than the author assumes. Then anybody who's read a only little bit about asteroids and comets knows that it's only a myth that we live in a quiet corner and that we might be subject to surreal destruction any given minute. Then he goes on claiming that life cannot exist beyond temperatures of boiling water. Maybe someone should've pointed out to the author that bacteria have been found to happily live in the earth's lava of all places!!!!!

Such comical passages are not isolated in the book. In fact, most of the "Other worlds" is jam-packed with dogmatic assumptions like that. I could list several examples such as the above but then i'd need to write a small book myself.

What i found even more annoying in this book, is that while the author actually wants to present us with an unconventional view of the world and reality as we should perceive it, what he manages instead is to provide yet another bible for the clueless.

If you're going to entertain notions such as parallel universes, or if you're going to actually admit that on the subatomic level things do not make sense the way physics has been (???) making sense of our world so far, then you have to, no, no you are absolutely obliged to, leave any possibility open. In a parallel universe there's no guarantee that anything "works" the way it does here. I'm going too far, because in fact even in in THIS universe there's no guarantee that everywhere things work as they do here. But, when you reach passages where the author talks about calculating the total mass of black holes in the universe you lose all hope of unconventionality and you'reassured you're in the realm of a new religion dawning. We already have more than enough religions though, and certainly more dogmas than we can handle.

The quest for a book that deals with quantum physics in a comprehensive, and more importantly, undogmatic way, unfortunately continues...

Great Read, but not one of Davies' Best...
I really enjoy reading Paul Davies' books. Davies is a nice departure from many science writers who cannot come to a non-physicist level when explaining a concept. In down-to-earth terms, he explains anti-matter and how Einstein's theories explain much about time and space.

The reason I don't give this book 5 stars is that it is one of Davies' earlier writings (originally published in 1980). I think he's improved over the years, and one of the best reads I've had from Davies is his "The Last Three Minutes." "Other Worlds" is a great read, but it never seems to achieve it's objective. At the onset, you're expecting to learn how alternate existences and parallel universes may exist or at least be explained mathematically, and if they do exist, what is their physical representation. To me, however, the whole point of the book is lost in deep explanations regarding electron paths and variances along those paths, etc. How these variances apply to "Other Worlds" is never clearly explained. At least to me.

Still, it's a Davies book, and they're very interesting to read. He puts scientific principles in layman's terms without insulting one's intelligence. Overall, I recommend this book, even though I'd recommend reading some of his later works first.

Enjoy!

Quantum mechanics and the multiverse.
This book is an excellent introduction to quantum mechanics, the uncertainty principle and their consequences for spacetime and the universe: the coexistence of countless parallel worlds.

As always, Paul Davies' explanations are clear, easily understandable and intriguing.
He gives us an answer for all kind of questions.
Why are common sense and determinism illusions? What is superspace? What is an infinite-dimensional superworld?
Until he arrives at the ultimate one: why do we find ourselves living in this particular universe rather than one of the myriad others? Here he remains silent ... for the moment.

A super intriguing book. Not to be missed.

Excellent layman's introduction to quantum theory
I learned quantum theory in college 15 years ago. Reading this book, I gained insights I never had back then. If you want a clear non-technical introduction to the subject, this book is for you. It stretches the mind with possibilities such as alternate universes. ... Read more

Book Description

Cosmology in Scalar-Tensor Gravity covers all aspects ofcosmology in scalar-tensor theories of gravity. Considerable progresshas been made in this exciting area of physics and this book is thefirst to provide a critical overview of the research. Among the topicstreated are:Scalar-tensor gravity and its limitto general relativity, Effective energy-momentum tensors andconformal frames, Gravitational waves in scalar-tensorcosmology, Specific scalar-tensor theories, Exactcosmological solutions and cosmological perturbations,Scalar-tensor scenarios of the early universe and inflation,Scalar-tensor models of quintessence in the present universe andtheir far-reaching consequences for the ultimate fate of the cosmos.An extensive bibliography guides the reader into more detailedliterature on particular topics. Research on cosmology in scalar-tensor gravity is criticallyoverviewed for the first time in this book. Scalar-tensor theories andtheir applications to modelling the early and the present universe arediscussed. Features shared with string theories, exact cosmologicalsolutions, cosmological perturbations, gravitational waves andconformal frames in scalar-tensor gravity are discussed. This book is of interest to researchers and postgraduate studentsworking on cosmology, relativity, alternative theories of gravity, thephenomenology of string theories, theoretical physics andastrophysics. ... Read more

Book Description

From the Big Bang to the theory of relativity, Stephen W. Hawking will challenge your imagination and expand your grasp of the cosmos. This is the classic revelatory science book of the last century. Here is a landmark book written for those of us who prefer words to equations. Told by an extraordinary contributor to the ideas of humankind, this is the story of the ultimate quest for knowledge, the ongoing search for the secrets at the heart of time and space. From the vantage point of the wheelchair where he has spent the last twenty years trapped by Lou Gehrig's disease, Professor Hawking himself has transformed our view of the universe. A Brief History of Time is his classic introduction to today's most important scientific ideas about the cosmos. ... Read more

Book Description

Black Holes are regions of space-time where the gravitational field is so strong that not even light can escape.There has been much written on black holes, however in most cases they are treated as isolated objects. In this important new book, the author has found a number of cases in which the interaction of a black hole with another strong-field system (such as the background universe or another black hole) could be treated analytically.This includes using the powerful method of matched asymptotic expansions, and these wider ranging problems and examples are considered here for the first time.In addition to a thorough treatment of the equations of motion for a pair of back holes, the book provides a useful treatment of the standard theory for these objects. It will be widely read by all those working in gravitation, along with post-graduate students in mathematical physics. ... Read more

Book Description

The idea that an atom can be in two places at once defies logic. Yet this is now an established scientific fact. In The Universe Next Door, science writer Marcus Chown examines a dozen mind-bending new ideas that also fly in the face of reason--but that, according to eminent scientists, might just be crazy enough to be true.Could time run backwards? Is there a fifth dimension? Does quantum theory promise immortality? To explore these questions, Chown has interviewed some of the most imaginative and courageous people working at the forefront of science, and he has come away with a smorgasbord of mind-expanding ideas. For instance, Lawrence Schulman at New York's Clarkson University believes there could be regions in our Universe where stars unexplode, eggs unbreak and living things grow younger with every passing second. Max Tegmark, at the University of Pennsylvania, believes there could be an infinity of realities stacked together like the pages of a never-ending book (with an infinite number of versions of you, living out an infinite number of different lives). And David Stevenson of Cal Tech argues that life may exist on worlds drifting in the cold, dark abyss between the stars, worlds without suns to warm them. Indeed, these worlds may be the most common sites for life in the universe. Was our universe created by super-intelligent beings from another universe? Is there evidence of extraterrestrial life lying right beneath our feet? The Universe Next Door ponders these and many other thought-provoking questions. You may not agree with all the answers but your head will be spinning by the time you reach the last page. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

A fantastically fun book
Wow, a fantastically fun book. I'm not sure that I agree with all of the theories it contains-I'm not sure the author even does-but they're certainly astounding and the thought processes that went into creating them is truly awe-inspiring. Some of them are not new to me. What is new, however, is the approachable style of the composition. Although formerly a radio astronomer at Cal Tech, at present Marcus Chown is primarily a professional science journalist. His approach to the topic of modern physics and its newer concepts is one of a writer and broadcaster. As he discusses each topic, he quotes the primary researchers in the field like a writer for Discover magazine would, asking pertinent questions and where necessary, explaining the answers. Through these dialogues with renowned scientists, he allows the reader to become more familiar with the personalities of the individuals at the leading edge of theoretical physics as well as with their ideas. He functions as a very knowledgeable and lucid interface between the professional scientist and the curious lay person.

Each chapter is primarily dedicated to a specific concept having to do with "reality" and with the nature of the universe. Each chapter reads like a well written novel in that the last paragraph serves as a hook to draw the reader on to the next amazing concept in the succeeding chapter. I found that I couldn't just set aside the book. I read it cover to cover in one sitting and loved every minute of it. For those with an interest in but less of a background in physics, there is a fairly detailed glossary in the back of the book which should help with terms, although most are adequately explained in the body of the text. I think that most individuals can understand the concepts as they are explained. It might be a nice place for the junior high student with a strong interest in a science career to become familiar with physics and physicists.

For those who find their appetites wetted for "more,"the bibliography at the back of the book is probably not a very helpful source. Most of the listings are either journal articles that might not be approachable for the average student of the topic or science fiction. Certainly the latter are very good, should one wish to take ones science in a more narrative form. This cast of writers is stellar-no pun intended-and includes Asimov, Clarke, Gunn, Heinlein, and Hoyle, among others. For those who prefer expository style, I'd suggest they check "Just Six Numbers" by Sir Martin Rees, Michio Kaku's "Hyperspace," "Matter Myth" by Gribbin and Davies, and "About Time" by P. C. W. Davies. Each of the latter texts deals more thoroughly with topics addressed in Chown's book by individual chapters.

Entertaining and over the top
This is an interesting book of cosmological speculation aimed at the general reader. What science writer Marcus Chown does especially well is to excite our imagination about what might be possible in light of what we now know or think we know.

This is not, however a book to give comfort to mainstream physicists. Chown's emphasis is on minority report notions including parallel universes, invisible universes, time travel, universes created by super-intelligent beings, extra dimensions, and the like. His technique is to introduce the ideas of maverick scientists (e.g., Max Tegmark, Edward Harrison, David Stevenson, etc.) and, where possible, meld them with the ideas of more established scientists. He avoids (I think) the impossible while concentrating on the exciting.

Since most of the ideas presented in this book are of the "not likely to be proven any time soon" variety, I would like to give them a kind of aesthetic grade just for fun and as a way to show you what the book is about.

First, the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, an idea championed by physicist David Deutsch in his book, The Fabric of Reality: The Science of Parallel Universes-and Its Implications (1997). Grade: A+. This is a beautiful notion that expands the mind wonderfully. A entire new universe with every tick of the quantum! Mind-boggling in the extreme, yet eye-opening in the sense that by contemplating such an amazement, we might have a better idea of the thought of infinity. (Personally, though, I prefer in everyday life, the Copenhagen interpretation.)

Second, the idea of parallel universes (a possibility that can be independent of the many worlds interpretation of QM). Grade: A-. Too easy by itself to imagine. But what gives it elegance is the underlying question that it begs: what is the nature of reality? "Where" do these parallel universes reside? Is "where" really a meaningful concept? Do we have any idea of what "where" really means?

Third, time travel backwards based on an imploding universe headed for crunch time. Grade: C. My problem is the "so what" nature of this idea. Clearly it is not supposed that broken cups and scrambled eggs will go a-mending and unscrambling as time moves backwards as in a movie run in reverse.

Fourth, time travel based on worm holes, etc. Grade C+. I like the idea that somewhere else (as we emerge from the worm hole) is also some other time, but I just don't see in my wildest imaginings how we might control our destination, either in terms of where or when.

Fifth, time travel that avoids the grandfather paradox by having the changes take effect in parallel universes. Grade: A. This really is a nice answer to both the paradoxes and the salient question that Stephen Hawking asked, "Where are the tourists?" (from the future). Incidentally, time travel into the future is no problem logically in this world. It just takes time. (Ha!) It is time travel to the past that leads to all the logical and conceptional problems.

Sixth: Invisible universes. Grade: D-. If they can in some way affect our visible universe, make that a C. Invisible universes that we cannot become aware of in any way are effectively speaking not much different than parallel universes.

Seventh: the idea that black holes "explode" or bud out into a new universe elsewhere. Grade: A. Although this is about as close to an untestable idea as one can imagine, it has a beautiful symmetry to it that is infectious. Our universe itself could be the result of such a budding out.

Eighth: the idea that universes propagate by given birth to new universes, either through black holes or some other manner. Grade: B. What I like about this idea is the suggestion of infinity, one universe leads to another to another, etc., etc., truly mind-exploding! What I don't like is the somewhat biological taint. Testability? (Grin.)

Ninth: the idea that there are dark planets in interstellar space teeming with life. Grade: A+. Eminently reasonable. I predict this idea will become a common assumption in a few years. The impetus for this idea is the fairly recent realization here on earth of just how common life is, underground, at the bottom of deep ocean trenches, that does not rely on photosynthesis. This is also an idea that could conceivably, even in my lifetime, find some empirical support.

Tenth: panspermia (from Chandra Wickramasinghe and Fred Hoyle), or the idea that the origin of life is extraterrestrial. Grade: A. This is also eminently reasonable and likely to be given some support before too long (if it is true). This really is the most likely idea in the book.

Eleven: alien garbage, or the notion that artifacts from ET's are littering up interstellar space and some of those artifacts have hit the earth and are under our feet. Grade C-. I have several problems with this, mainly that I think the amount of debris is a huge overestimate, primarily because I don't think the superior technicians envisioned would be as careless as radio astronomer Alexey Arkhipov seems to think.

I could go on but better you should read Chown's book and do your own grading.

Bottom line: this is an entertaining excursion up to and over the edge of the known.

hang on, what door?
Great book, easy to read, simple to understand. Should be taken alongside Green and Hawking and then used to build a wormhole.
I'd really like to scoot forward 50yrs and see if any of these ideas proved to be correct....

About tomorrow - yes.
Marcus Chown deserves an award. He jumps forward without wasting time for rewriting Newton's or Einstein's history, and expands on what is new and controversial: Schulman's reversed time, Maris' electron bubbles, Tegmark quantum interpretation, Harrison's natural selection of self-reproducing universes, Mark Hadley's unification of QT and GR, Gnienko's and Foot's "mirror" matter, plus very interesting probability calculation by Arhipov - whether we can find ET junk on Earth; just a few subjects that you will not find even in currently published new Brian Greene's book "The Fabric of the Cosmos".
Excellent writing, so well, that lack of any pictures or drawings is not detrimental at all.

Can the bizarre become commonplace?
We sometimes need to be reminded that knowledge of our universe is gained through innovative thinking. Marcus Chown has rounded up a number of novel ideas, along with their originators and supporters. He presents these speculations along with their criticisms and defenses. Chown is careful to show why these novel ideas are worth considering and supporting the research in its quest for fuller understanding. If for nothing else, this book is valuable for introducing new concepts and why we should remain open-minded about scientific theorizing.

Chown's breezy style doesn't obscure his grasp of the sciences. He's conversant with the science and presents the radical views in a conversational format. Dividing the ideas into three sections, he begins with some fundamental issues in physics, relates some new ideas in cosmology, and examines facets of the anthropic principle. We learn of multiple dimensions tucked away in the depths of atoms. Are there other universes neighbouring ours, but with different properties? Are there maverick planets drifting through the universe, but with life present, sustained by internal heat? How did life originate on this planet - or did it truly originate here? There are many formidable mysteries involved, but Chown's ability in narrating them keeps them within our grasp. His description of Hoyle and Wikramsinghe's
"panspermia" idea is one of the best summaries available.

Chown has no illusions that these issues stand outside the mainstream of today's science. That is the point of his making this effort - embodied in his subtitle "the making of tomorrow's science". Bizarre ideas, he reminds us, doesn't mean that they're crazy. Science is full of the unusual. Many of the things we accept as "normal" today were unheard of even in our lifetimes. Someone pursued that "crazy" idea to give us things like personal computers or digital television. He understands how much research needs support, even when the issues don't appear "practical" for everyday life. Much work remains and he's encouraging anyone interested in pursuing fresh ideas. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada] ... Read more

Amazon.com

When most people hear the name "Hubble," they immediately thinkof NASA's costly snafu involving the flawed optics on thebillion-dollar Hubble Space Telescope. Award-winning science writer JohnGribbin and research astronomer Simon Goodwin have done their best tohonorably exonerate pioneering astronomer Edwin Hubble's name byputting together this thoughtfully documented collection ofeye-grabbing images, primarily from the now-corrected HST but also fromother space- and ground-based telescopes and detectors.

Edwin Hubble made one of the most dramatic discoveries in all ofscience: that of the existence of galaxies beyond the Milky Way. Thislaid the groundwork for understanding the very origins of the universe(the Big Bang). For many years, evidence supporting the Big Bang hasn'tbeen much to look at--just blurry photographs and squiggles fromelectronic detectors. But the current crop of detectors and telescopes,chief among them the Hubble, has changed all of that: this book takesadvantage of that technology to map out the origins of our universewith a dazzling series of extraterrestrial images. Tracing the historyof time through space, this series starts with distant quasars and thenzooms in through swirling galaxies and murky nebulas, finally arrivingback in our own solar system. These last shots, taken largely bysomewhat outdated probes not far from home, are surprisingly among themost striking in the book. --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Hubble the Man, not the Telescope
The first thing to note about this book is that it is not about the Hubble Space Telescope, but about our universe. It's subtitled "Hubble's Universe", because Edwin Hubble was the first astronomer to show that universe was composed of many galaxies and not just the Milky Way. In other words, he might be considered the founder of modern cosmology.

In this book, the authors present many of the classic photographs of the universe, the Milky Way and the solar system plus many new pictures as well. Accompanying each photograph is a detailed description of what was discovered and why is important. While some of the these photographs are over twenty-five old, they have been digitally enhanced, but still show the graininess associated with the early planetary space probes. In addition, there is a nice introductory section, which describes many of the discoveries from the past hundred years.

In general, I found most of the photographs contained in the book to be a good representation of the objects found in our universe. The photographs cover the extreme, from very distant galaxies to the Earth and the Moon.

If you are looking for a good book that summarizes the universe, Milky Way and the solar system in pictures, this book would good addition to your collection. If you are looking for new photographs or new information you will not find much in this book.

Excellent description of how the Universe came into being.
While the book is not heavy on text, its descriptions about the formation of stars, nebulae, galaxies and the universe in general are easy to read and understand. The supporting full page pictures at right are also well described. It is an excellent laymans guide to explaining how our world and the material that makes us who we are, came from the stars.

Nice big pictures but many not from Hubble. Text is skimpy.
With the title containing Hubble and Origins, I was hoping for lots of new information about what the latest data from Hubble ST would reveal about our origins. Instead the book is a compendium of very nice large format color photos of galaxies stars and the planets in our Solar system, accompanied by one paragraph captions - and a lot of white space where more information and analysis of "origins" could have been. I recommend this book for coffee table perusal, not for the serious reader of cosmology. Sidney Sheres ... Read more

Book Description

". . . infuses into the reader the conviction that science is exciting and can be understood by everyone." —American Scientist

This new edition of the critically acclaimed Scientific Companion offers a comprehensive introduction to the physical sciences: physics, astronomy, chemistry, geology, meteorology, biology, atmospheric science, and oceanography. Emiliani traces the evolution of the universe from the Big Bang to the present, explaining the nature of the galaxy, the Earth, inorganic and organic matter, and the development of scientific thought.

More than 50 new illustrations appear throughout—from stunning aerial shots of Earth's topography to striking close-ups of the moon provided by NASA. Hundreds of additional photos, charts, maps, and diagrams, plus 35 tables of the most essential facts, figures, and formulas—from Planck's constant to the laws of thermodynamics, from quantum energy levels to Avogadro's number—make The Scientific Companion an ideal desktop reference. Written for the layperson, sufficiently detailed for students, it is the only book of its kind to bridge the gap between works of popular science and college textbooks. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The SCIENCE TEACHER's Companion
The Scientific Companion by Cesare Emiliani is one of the most important reference works on the shelves in my high school science classroom. I wore out my copy of the first edition and snapped up a copy of the second edition when it came out in 1995. It is primarily a physical science reference, but I think it would prove useful as a reference for a life science teacher also. It has a lot of those physical science facts and equations that you need, but don't want to memorize: the mass of a proton and a neutron in atomic mass units, the masses and mass numbers of all the isotopes, the names of the quarks, conversion factors, a great periodic table, and lots of other basic stuff. Each chapter is a concise refresher course on a basic physical science subject. I think you'll find this book as indispensable as I do. ... Read more