Product Description

The astronomical community has been on tenterhooks awaiting the outcome of a set of experiments that should throw light on ultimate questions of the universe. This book unveils the results of these experiments.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1740916 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 304 pages

Review
We've all heard of the Big Bang - but what about the Big Splat, the particle zoo, and cosmic background radiation? Sub-titled 'The Search for the Beginning and the End of the Universe', Seife's intriguing book is a lively report on the current state of play in the subject. A report on how, that is, having glimpsed the cradle of the universe, astronomers and physicists are beginning to peer into its grave. Seife introduces the subject with an informative account of the historical background - from Aristotle to Einstein and beyond - before bringing us up to the cutting edge. The fact that he is both a researcher and a journalist shows in the clarity and accessibility of his book, as it did in his award-winning Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea.

This book is an exposition of our scientific knowledge about the history of the theories of the cosmos, from Aristotle to today. Charles Seife breaks down this progression into three stages. First came the Aristotelean model with the Earth at the centre, followed by the Copernican revolution that placed the sun at the centre of the solar system, and then the 20th-century discoveries of galaxies other than our own which revealed our sun to be merely one of an uncountable number of stars in one of an unknown number of galaxies. The third section of this story (which takes up the bulk of this book) grew from the work of Edwin Hubble, who discovered that galaxies were moving apart, giving rise to the Big Bang theory of the origin of the Universe. Hubble also discovered the cosmic background radiation, the residual energy left over from the Big Bang. Further revolutionary discoveries were made in the 20th century, among them the fact that not only is the universe expanding, but incredibly the rate of expansion is accelerating. Although cosmology is generally the study of very large objects out in space, much insight has been generated by the study of very small particles, the components of atoms, in laboratories on Earth. This work is covered by the author as well as the efforts being made to discover the composition of so-called 'dark matter', and beyond that the composition of 'exotic' dark matter. He also deals with such questions as, 'What is the shape of the universe?' (flat), and 'How long will the universe continue to expand?' (forever). He covers antimatter, supersymmetry, neutrinos (in the frame as a component of dark matter), Weak Interactive Massive Particles (WIMPs), the big splat theory, Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND), and updates the latest data coming from various extant experiments including those which measure gravity waves. Charles Seife writes extremely well; he knows his subject thoroughly, and economically but carefully takes the reader through the various pieces of knowledge required to understand fully the enormity of the subject, and its beauty. Some of the later chapters require a great deal of concentration and previous reading on this subject could make these easier to follow, but any effort required is amply rewarded. (Kirkus UK)

From the Back Cover
Since A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME scientists have been in the midst of a revolution in cosmology. Gradually, astronomers and physicists are answering questions that have plagued mankind since prehistory: how was the universe born, how will it end? They are even now peering into the cradle of the universe - and into its grave. By the beginning of next year, scientists will have a clue to some of the answers. These will be among the greatest triumphs of science.

This book tells that story and will reveal results of the most advanced experiments in cosmology ever conducted. It's a tale of men solving the insoluble, of the controversy and anger of rivals after the same goal. Even more thrillingly - it is a lucid explanation of new scientific ideas that stretch man's powers of understanding to their highest levels.

About the Author
Charles Seife:
A graduate of Yale University in Mathematics, Charles Seife's areas of research include probability theory and artificial intelligence. His journalism includes articles for The New Scientist, The Economist, and Scientific American among others. His first book, Zero: the Biography of a Dangerous Idea, won the PEN Award for Non-fiction.