Physics at the beginning of the twenty-first century has reached new levels of accomplishment and impact in a society and nation that are changing rapidly. Accomplishments have led us into the information age and fueled broad technological and economic development. The pace of discovery is quickening and stronger links with other fields such as the biological sciences are being developed. The intellectual reach has never been greater, and the questions being asked are more ambitious than ever before. Physics in a New Era is the final report of the NRC's six-volume decadal physics survey. The book reviews the frontiers of physics research, examines the role of physics in our society, and makes recommendations designed to strengthen physics and its ability to serve important needs such as national security, the economy, information technology, and education.

"An introduction to quasars and black holes with information about their formation and characteristics. Includes diagrams, fun facts, a glossary, a resource list, and an index"--Provided by publisher.

Einstein's General Theory of Relativity leads to two remarkable predictions: first, that the ultimate destiny of many massive stars is to undergo gravitational collapse and to disappear from view, leaving behind a 'black hole' in space; and secondly, that there will exist singularities in space-time itself. These singularities are places where space-time begins or ends, and the presently known laws of physics break down. They will occur inside black holes, and in the past are what might be construed as the beginning of the universe. To show how these predictions arise, the authors discuss the General Theory of Relativity in the large. Starting with a precise formulation of the theory and an account of the necessary background of differential geometry, the significance of space-time curvature is discussed and the global properties of a number of exact solutions of Einstein's field equations are examined. The theory of the causal structure of a general space-time is developed, and is used to study black holes and to prove a number of theorems establishing the inevitability of singualarities under certain conditions. A discussion of the Cauchy problem for General Relativity is also included in this 1973 book.

For as long as there have been people, men and women have looked up into the night sky and wondered about the nature of the cosmos. Without the benefit of science to provide answers, they relied on myth and superstition to help them make sense of what they saw. Lucky for us, we live at a time when regular folks, equipped with nothing more than their naked eyes, can look up into the night sky and gain admittance to infinite wonders. If you know what to look for, you can make out planets, stars, galaxies , and even galactic clusters comprising hundreds of millions of stars and spanning millions of light-years. Astronomy For Dummies tells you what you need to know to make sense of the world above us. Written by one of the most well-known astronomers in the world, this fun, fact-filled ,and accessible guide fills you in on the basic principles of astronomy and tells you how to: Identify planets and stars Explore our solar system, the Milky Way, and beyond Understand the Big Bang, quasars, antimatter, black holes, and more Join the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Get the most out of planetarium visits Make more sense out of space missions From asteroids to black holes, quasars to white dwarfs, Astronomy For Dummies takes you on a grand tour of the universe. Featuring star maps, charts, gorgeous full-color photographs, and easy-to-follow explanations it gives you a leg up on the basic science of the universe. Topics covered include: Observing the night sky, with and without optics Selecting binoculars and telescopes and positioning yourself for the best view Meteors, comets, and man-made moons Touring our solar system and becoming familiar with the planets, asteroids, and near Earth objects Our Sun, stars, galaxies, black holes and quasars SETI and planets revolving around other suns Dark matter and antimatter The Big Bang and the evolutions of the universe You might think the cosmos is a vast and mysterious place, but Astronomy For Dummies will make it seem as friendly and familiar as your own backyard.

A collection of reviews by prominent researchers in cosmology, relativity and particle physics commemorates the 300th anniversary of Newton's Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica.

A delightful tour of the greatest ideas of math, showing how math intersects with philosophy, science, art, business, current events, and everyday life, by an acclaimed science communicator and regular contributor to the "New York Times."

Landmark study discusses Einstein's theory, extends thermodynamics to special and general relativity, and also develops the applications of relativistic mechanics and thermodynamics to cosmological models.