Gravity’s Century

Gravity’s Century
Author :
Publisher : Harvard University Press
Total Pages : 193
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780674974968
ISBN-13 : 0674974964
Rating : 4/5 (964 Downloads)

Book Synopsis Gravity’s Century by : Ron Cowen

Download or read book Gravity’s Century written by Ron Cowen and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2019-05-06 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A sweeping account of the century of experimentation that confirmed Einstein’s general theory of relativity, bringing to life the science and scientists at the origins of relativity, the development of radio telescopes, the discovery of black holes and quasars, and the still unresolved place of gravity in quantum theory. Albert Einstein did nothing of note on May 29, 1919, yet that is when he became immortal. On that day, astronomer Arthur Eddington and his team observed a solar eclipse and found something extraordinary: gravity bends light, just as Einstein predicted. The finding confirmed the theory of general relativity, fundamentally changing our understanding of space and time. A century later, another group of astronomers is performing a similar experiment on a much larger scale. The Event Horizon Telescope, a globe-spanning array of radio dishes, is examining space surrounding Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. As Ron Cowen recounts, the foremost goal of the experiment is to determine whether Einstein was right on the details. Gravity lies at the heart of what we don’t know about quantum mechanics, but tantalizing possibilities for deeper insight are offered by black holes. By observing starlight wrapping around Sagittarius A*, the telescope will not only provide the first direct view of an event horizon—a black hole’s point of no return—but will also enable scientists to test Einstein’s theory under the most extreme conditions. Gravity’s Century shows how we got from the pivotal observations of the 1919 eclipse to the Event Horizon Telescope, and what is at stake today. Breaking down the physics in clear and approachable language, Cowen makes vivid how the quest to understand gravity is really the quest to comprehend the universe.


Gravity’s Century Related Books

Gravity’s Century
Language: en
Pages: 193
Authors: Ron Cowen
Categories: Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 2019-05-06 - Publisher: Harvard University Press

GET EBOOK

A sweeping account of the century of experimentation that confirmed Einstein’s general theory of relativity, bringing to life the science and scientists at th
Matters of Gravity
Language: en
Pages: 314
Authors: Scott Bukatman
Categories: Social Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 2003-07-21 - Publisher: Duke University Press

GET EBOOK

The headlong rush, the rapid montage, the soaring superhero, the plunging roller coaster—Matters of Gravity focuses on the experience of technological spectac
The Science of Interstellar
Language: en
Pages: 560
Authors: Kip Thorne
Categories: Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 2014-11-07 - Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

GET EBOOK

A journey through the otherworldly science behind Christopher Nolan’s award-winning film, Interstellar, from executive producer and Nobel Prize-winning physic
Cézanne's Gravity
Language: en
Pages: 293
Authors: Carol Armstrong
Categories: Art
Type: BOOK - Published: 2018-11-13 - Publisher: Yale University Press

GET EBOOK

A transformative study, freeing the artist from outdated art historical narratives and revealing his work as newly strange again Cézanne’s Gravity is an ambi
Gravity's Rainbow
Language: en
Pages: 885
Authors: Thomas Pynchon
Categories: Fiction
Type: BOOK - Published: 2012-06-13 - Publisher: Penguin

GET EBOOK

Winner of the 1974 National Book Award "The most profound and accomplished American novel since the end of World War II." - The New Republic “A screaming come