Description
The first complete biography of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity, revealing the personal feuds and ideological battles, the decades of neglect, the resurgence, and now, the deep questioning of a theory that has given us black holes, dark energy, and modern cosmology.
How did one elegant theory incite a scientific revolution?
Physicists have been exploring, debating, and questioning the general theory of relativity ever since Albert Einstein first presented it in 1915.
In this sweeping narrative of science and culture, astrophysicist Pedro Ferreira brings general relativity to life through the story of the brilliant physicists, mathematicians, and astronomers who have taken up its challenge. Its adherents have revealed what lies at the farthest reaches of the universe, shed light on the smallest scales of existence, and explained how the fabric of reality emerges. Dark matter, dark energy, black holes, and string theory are all progeny of Einstein's theory.
We are in the midst of a momentous transformation in modern physics. As scientists look farther and more clearly into space than ever before, The Perfect Theory reveals the greater relevance of general relativity, showing us where it started, where it has led, and where it can still take us.
Author: Pedro G. Ferreira
Publisher: Mariner Books
Published: 03/24/2015
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.55lbs
Size: 7.85h x 6.10w x 0.80d
ISBN13: 9780544483866
ISBN10: 0544483863
BISAC Categories:
- Science | History
- Science | Physics | Relativity
- Science | Natural History
How did one elegant theory incite a scientific revolution?
Physicists have been exploring, debating, and questioning the general theory of relativity ever since Albert Einstein first presented it in 1915.
In this sweeping narrative of science and culture, astrophysicist Pedro Ferreira brings general relativity to life through the story of the brilliant physicists, mathematicians, and astronomers who have taken up its challenge. Its adherents have revealed what lies at the farthest reaches of the universe, shed light on the smallest scales of existence, and explained how the fabric of reality emerges. Dark matter, dark energy, black holes, and string theory are all progeny of Einstein's theory.
We are in the midst of a momentous transformation in modern physics. As scientists look farther and more clearly into space than ever before, The Perfect Theory reveals the greater relevance of general relativity, showing us where it started, where it has led, and where it can still take us.
Author: Pedro G. Ferreira
Publisher: Mariner Books
Published: 03/24/2015
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.55lbs
Size: 7.85h x 6.10w x 0.80d
ISBN13: 9780544483866
ISBN10: 0544483863
BISAC Categories:
- Science | History
- Science | Physics | Relativity
- Science | Natural History
About the Author
PEDRO G. FERREIRA is a professor of astrophysics at the University of Oxford. An expert in cosmology, the early universe, and general relativity, he writes frequently for trade and academic science publications and comments on television and radio.