Gravity's Kiss
Title | Gravity's Kiss PDF eBook |
Author | Harry Collins |
Publisher | MIT Press |
Pages | 415 |
Release | 2018-03-02 |
Genre | Science |
ISBN | 0262535122 |
A fascinating account, written in real time, of the unfolding of a scientific discovery: the first detection of gravitational waves. Scientists have been trying to confirm the existence of gravitational waves for fifty years. Then, in September 2015, came a “very interesting event” (as the cautious subject line in a physicist's email read) that proved to be the first detection of gravitational waves. In Gravity's Kiss, Harry Collins—who has been watching the science of gravitational wave detection for forty-three of those fifty years and has written three previous books about it—offers a final, fascinating account, written in real time, of the unfolding of one of the most remarkable scientific discoveries ever made. Predicted by Einstein in his theory of general relativity, gravitational waves carry energy from the collision or explosion of stars. Dying binary stars, for example, rotate faster and faster around each other until they merge, emitting a burst of gravitational waves. It is only with the development of extraordinarily sensitive, highly sophisticated detectors that physicists can now confirm Einstein's prediction. This is the story that Collins tells. Collins, a sociologist of science who has been embedded in the gravitational wave community since 1972, traces the detection, the analysis, the confirmation, and the public presentation and the reception of the discovery—from the first email to the final published paper and the response of professionals and the public. Collins shows that science today is collaborative, far-flung (with the physical location of the participants hardly mattering), and sometimes secretive, but still one of the few institutions that has integrity built into it.
Gravity's Kiss
Title | Gravity's Kiss PDF eBook |
Author | Harry Collins |
Publisher | |
Pages | 408 |
Release | 2017-01-20 |
Genre | Science |
ISBN | 9780262340045 |
A fascinating account, written in real time, of the unfolding of a scientific discovery: the first detection of gravitational waves. Scientists have been trying to confirm the existence of gravitational waves for fifty years. Then, in September 2015, came a "very interesting event" (as the cautious subject line in a physicist's email read) that proved to be the first detection of gravitational waves. In Gravity's Kiss, Harry Collins--who has been watching the science of gravitational wave detection for forty-three of those fifty years and has written three previous books about it--offers a final, fascinating account, written in real time, of the unfolding of one of the most remarkable scientific discoveries ever made. Predicted by Einstein in his theory of general relativity, gravitational waves carry energy from the collision or explosion of stars. Dying binary stars, for example, rotate faster and faster around each other until they merge, emitting a burst of gravitational waves. It is only with the development of extraordinarily sensitive, highly sophisticated detectors that physicists can now confirm Einstein's prediction. This is the story that Collins tells. Collins, a sociologist of science who has been embedded in the gravitational wave community since 1972, traces the detection, the analysis, the confirmation, and the public presentation and the reception of the discovery--from the first email to the final published paper and the response of professionals and the public. Collins shows that science today is collaborative, far-flung (with the physical location of the participants hardly mattering), and sometimes secretive, but still one of the few institutions that has integrity built into it.
Gravity's Fatal Attraction
Title | Gravity's Fatal Attraction PDF eBook |
Author | Mitchell Begelman |
Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
Pages | 333 |
Release | 2020-11-05 |
Genre | Science |
ISBN | 1108874770 |
Richly illustrated with the images from observatories on the ground and in space, and computer simulations, this book shows how black holes were discovered, and discusses what we've learned about their nature and their role in cosmic evolution. This thoroughly updated third edition covers new discoveries made in the past decade, including the discovery of gravitational waves from merging black holes and neutron stars, the first close-up images of the region near a black hole event horizon, and observations of debris from stars torn apart when they ventured too close to a supermassive black hole. Avoiding mathematics, the authors blend theoretical arguments with observational results to demonstrate how both have contributed to the subject. Clear, explanatory illustrations and photographs reveal the strange and amazing workings of our universe. The engaging style makes this book suitable for introductory undergraduate courses, amateur astronomers, and all readers interested in astronomy and physics.
Gravity's Revolt: Part Two
Title | Gravity's Revolt: Part Two PDF eBook |
Author | William Guy |
Publisher | Xlibris Corporation |
Pages | 398 |
Release | 2001-01-11 |
Genre | Fiction |
ISBN | 1462804462 |
Gravitational Waves
Title | Gravitational Waves PDF eBook |
Author | Brian Clegg |
Publisher | Icon Books |
Pages | 122 |
Release | 2018-02-08 |
Genre | Science |
ISBN | 1785783211 |
On 14 September 2015, after 50 years of searching, gravitational waves were detected for the first time and astronomy changed for ever. Until then, investigation of the universe had depended on electromagnetic radiation: visible light, radio, X-rays and the rest. But gravitational waves – ripples in the fabric of space and time – are unrelenting, passing through barriers that stop light dead. At the two 4-kilometre long LIGO observatories in the US, scientists developed incredibly sensitive detectors, capable of spotting a movement 100 times smaller than the nucleus of an atom. In 2015 they spotted the ripples produced by two black holes spiralling into each other, setting spacetime quivering. This was the first time black holes had ever been directly detected – and it promises far more for the future of astronomy. Brian Clegg presents a compelling story of human technical endeavour and a new, powerful path to understand the workings of the universe.
How Scientists Communicate
Title | How Scientists Communicate PDF eBook |
Author | Alan Kelly |
Publisher | Oxford University Press |
Pages | 240 |
Release | 2020-07-01 |
Genre | Reference |
ISBN | 0190936614 |
The transmission of information transcends time. Since the beginning of humanity, people have shared stories, dreams, wishes, and findings. Within a scientific context, the delivery of information is especially important. Researchers have been sharing their ideas and building on the work of others for as long as we have studied our world. How can a researcher ensure their ideas will be shared most effectively with the next generation, though? In How Scientists Communicate, Alan Kelly accompanies readers through the many processes of scholarly communication within the field of science. The chapters include an analysis of modern scientific communication, an overview of the historical development of such communication, the nature and goals of a scientific research paper, as well as practical and applicable information for researchers. He explores scientific communication from various perspectives, including the writing process, stages of writing, evaluation through peer review, publication, and what happens afterwards. This exploration into scientific writing emphasizes the importance of readability and writing for the intended audience. Kelly engages with landmark historical papers, but he doesn't shy away from his own experiences and opinions. This treatise on the art of scientific communication is interesting for readers with various levels of experience, making this book a go-to resource for anyone trying to share their ideas within the scientific community, or interested in how the outputs of science impact our world.
Quantum Legacies
Title | Quantum Legacies PDF eBook |
Author | David Kaiser |
Publisher | University of Chicago Press |
Pages | 357 |
Release | 2020-04-08 |
Genre | Science |
ISBN | 022669819X |
“Engrossing . . . Leave[s] us with a richer picture of physics as a lived activity.” —Los Angeles Review of Books In Quantum Legacies, David Kaiser introduces readers to iconic episodes in physicists’ still-unfolding quest to understand space, time, and matter at their most fundamental. In a series of vibrant essays, Kaiser takes us inside moments of discovery and debate among the great minds of the era—Albert Einstein, Erwin Schrödinger, Stephen Hawking, and many more who have indelibly shaped our understanding of nature—as they have tried to make sense of a messy world. Ranging across space and time, the episodes span the heady 1920s, the dark days of the 1930s, the turbulence of the Cold War, and the peculiar political realities that followed. In those eras as in our own, researchers’ ambition has often been to transcend the vagaries of here and now, to contribute lasting insights into how the world works that might reach beyond a given researcher’s limited view. In Quantum Legacies, Kaiser unveils the difficult and unsteady work required to forge some shared understanding between individuals and across generations, and in doing so, he illuminates the deep ties between scientific exploration and the human condition. “A masterpiece of historical analysis.” —Nature “A remarkable set of vignettes about major developments in physics and cosmology of the past century.” —Kip Thorne, Nobel Laureate in Physics “Beautifully written and extraordinarily well researched, the book makes a profound point about the sociopolitical nature of science that all readers—from physics buffs and historians to students and laypeople—need to hear.” —Amanda Gefter, author of Trespassing on Einstein’s Lawn