Public Libraries of Suffolk County, New York

The perfect theory, a century of geniuses and the battle over general relativity, Pedro G. Ferreira

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

contains biographical information

index present

non fiction

The perfect theory

electronic resource eBook

dictionariesbibliography

Pedro G. Ferreira

a century of geniuses and the battle over general relativity

"At the core of Einstein's general theory of relativity are a set of equations that explain the relationship among gravity, space, and time--possibly the most perfect intellectual achievement of modern physics. For over a century, physicists have been exploring, debating, and at times neglecting Einstein's theory in their quest to uncover the history of the universe, the origin of time, and the evolution of solar systems, stars, and galaxies. In this sweeping narrative of science and culture, Pedro Ferreira explains the theory through the human drama surrounding it: the personal feuds and intellectual battles of the biggest names in twentieth-century physics, from Einstein and Eddington to Hawking and Penrose. 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 engagingly reveals the greater relevance of general relativity, showing us where it started, where it has led, and where it can still take us"--, Provided by publisher

Prologue -- If a Person Falls Freely -- The Most Valuable Discovery -- Correct Mathematics, Abominable Physics -- Collapsing Stars -- Completely Cuckoo -- Radio Days -- Wheelerisms -- Singularities -- Unification Woes -- Seeing Gravity -- The Dark Universe -- The End of Spacetime -- A Spectacular Extrapolation -- Something Is Going to Happen