Gravitys Century, Ron Cowen
Gravitys Century, Ron Cowen
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Gravity's Century
From Einstein’s Eclipse to Images of Black Holes

Author: Ron Cowen

Narrator: John Patrick Walsh

Unabridged: 4 hr 57 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/06/2019

Synopsis

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 findings 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, one 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.

About Ron Cowen

Ron Cowen has written for National Geographic, Nature, the New York Times, Science, Science News, Scientific American, and U.S. News & World Report, and is a guest commentator on NPR’s Science Friday. He has received the American Institute of Physics’s Science Writing Award (twice) as well as the Solar Physics Division of the American Astronomical Society’s Popular Writing Award (twice).

About John Patrick Walsh

John Patrick Walsh made an auspicious debut as Phil Mickelson’s caddy for the audiobook of the popular golf memoir One Magical Sunday and has since narrated numerous titles in the inspirational, business, and American history categories. Favorite stage and television credits include the Player King in Ethos Theatre Company’s production of Hamlet and the Police Chaplain in ABC’s General Hospital. John lives with his wife and two sons in New Canaan, Connecticut, where he founded VoiceOverWalsh, LLC.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Dan on February 04, 2020

This was such a wonderful surprise of a text in that it deals with some of the most interesting topics in modern physics, is written in a wonderfully readable style in a very efficiently slim volume, yet comes from an author I had never heard of. The topic of gravity is both plain and endlessly comp......more

Goodreads review by Tim on November 07, 2023

Very accessible book that is an overview of the scientific understanding of gravity, starting with the theories and observations of Galileo and Newton. The bulk of the book is an explanation of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity or the geometric theory of gravitation, that gravity can be......more

Goodreads review by Agne on October 24, 2024

It's an accessible book that includes some of the very recent research and findings. Very enjoyable.......more

Goodreads review by Bill on May 27, 2019

Science and physics stuff. Fascinating..........more

Quotes

"[A] brisk, engaging narrative.” Wall Street Journal

“A breezy and enjoyable read, a welcome addition to a crowded shelf of books on these topics.” Nature

“This is as good a short introduction to Einstein’s thought as one could wish for.” The Spectator (London)

“Filled with vivid descriptions of cutting-edge work and the scientists behind it, Cowen’s book is fascinating, both a learning experience and a pleasure to read.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A brief history of the past one hundred years of experimentation related to Einstein’s theory of relativity, black holes, and more…A fine introduction to the basics.” Kirkus Reviews

“John Patrick Walsh’s clear and upbeat narration leads listeners through a concise overview of Einstein’s theories of special and general relativity…Walsh’s overall tone of animated excitement is appropriate for depicting the greatest scientific discoveries of the last century.” AudioFile

“Cowen is a gifted science writer and storyteller, and the story is amazing!” John C. Mather, Nobel Prize in Physics laureate

“A clear and compelling narrative about the development of our understanding of gravity and the universe, powered by Einstein and his cohorts. Cowen weaves together the historical and personal events leading to this revolution and brings us up to date with the ideas and speculations that will likely forge an even newer and more radical understanding of the nature of the world.” George F. Smoot, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics

“Einstein’s general theory of relativity radically changed our notions of space, gravity, and time. Gravity’s Century takes us from Einstein’s struggle to develop his theory up to the modern day―when the detection of gravitational waves from black holes has confirmed general relativity’s most audacious claims, even as scientists are still trying to reconcile the theory with the other great idea of twentieth-century physics, quantum mechanics.” David Spergel, Princeton University

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