Product Description

For over a quarter of a century, gamma-ray bursts were the outstanding mystery in astronomy. No one knew where they were or how they worked. The Biggest Bangs tells how the mystery was unraveled, from the discovery of gamma-ray bursts by a Cold War satellite system monitoring the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty to the localization of bursts in distant galaxies and the observation of surprisingly bright flashes of light from the bursts themselves. The Biggest Bangs is for laymen with an interest in science, physicists and astronomers interested in subjects in those fields not their specialty, students in non-technical astonomy courses, and as supplemental reading for courses in the history of science.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #925541 in Books
• Published on: 2002-07-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

Review
"Delightful and informative, in a style reminiscent of Richard Rhodes. Katz combines history with physical insight to make the unfolding story of gamma ray bursts read like a novel. He shows forefront astrophysics being done by humans, in an illuminating way that only a true expert and insider could." --Richard A. Muller, Professor of Physics at Berkeley, author of Ice Ages and their Astronomical Origins
"A wonderful book for the intellectually curious of all ages: from high school to high table. Katz takes us through the history and the mystery of the biggest bangs of all, the gamma-ray bursts. He also manages to explain the essence of some of the other major puzzles in modern astronomy. All of this Katz accomplishes with a style that is simple and easy to read. Because he has such a mastery of the technical aspects of the subject, Katz is able to distill the main points of the argument into non-mathematical prose that is fun and informative. I would recommend this book highly to young people thinking of entering a career into science and to senior citizens seeking intellectual excitement, and everyone in between." --John Bahcall, author of Neutrino Astrophysics
"This unusual and stimulating book on Gamma Ray Bursts describes theory and observations in laymen's language, mixed with history, science politics, controversy and personalities. Beyond the single topic of Gamma Ray Bursts it illustrates the chaotic way which science usually follows, by showing not only the successes but the many false starts which nevertheless help the process." --Edwin E. Salpeter, J.G. White Distinguished Professor of Physical Sciences, Emeritus, Cornell University

About the Author
Jonathan I. Katz received a PhD from Cornell University at the age of 22. He is an astrophysicist and applied physicist who has worked on problems as diverse as X ray stars, earthquakes, the fracture of glass, and gamma-ray bursts.