Title:
How the universe got its spots : diary of a finite time in a finite space
Author:
Edition:
New paperback edition.
Publication Date:
2023
2002
Publication Information:
Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press, 2023.
©2002.
Physical Description:
xiii, 208 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm
ISBN:
9780691232270
Abstract:
"Is the universe infinite or just really big? With this question, cosmologist Janna Levin announces the central theme of this book, which established her as one of the most direct, unorthodox, and creative voices in contemporary science. As Levin sets out to determine how big “really big” may be, she offers a rare intimate look at the daily life of an innovative physicist, complete with jet lag and the tensions between personal relationships and the extreme demands of scientific exploration. Nimbly explaining geometry, topology, chaos, and string theory, Levin shows how the pattern of hot and cold spots left over from the big bang may one day reveal the size of the cosmos. The result is a thrilling story of cosmology by one of its leading thinkers."-- Amazon.ca website.
General Note:
Includes index.
Contents:
Is the universe infinite or is it just really big? -- Infinity -- Newton, 300 years, and Einstein -- Special relativity -- General relativity -- Quantum chance and choice -- Death and black holes -- Life and the big bang -- Beyond Einstein -- Adventures in Flatland and hyperspace -- Topology: links, locks, loops -- Through the looking glass -- Wonderland in 3D -- Mirrors in the sky -- How the universe got its spots -- The ultimate prediction -- Scars of creation -- The shape of things to come
Personal Subject:
Language:
English
