Astronomy Physics

The science behind the debate raging in modern physics over the disconcerting and uncomfortable realization that just maybe there is, as astronomer Fred Hoyle put it, some sort of "superintellect that has monkeyed with the physics". Written with the non-scientist in mind, this exploration of the big bang, Schroedinger's cat, the chaos of 9/11, the complexity of the mimic octopus and the blister beetle, and the strong anthropic principle is accessible to anyone bright enough to be interested.

This Way to the Universe is a celebration of the astounding, ongoing scientific investigations that have revealed the nature of reality at its smallest, at its largest, and at the scale of our daily lives. The enigmas Professor Michael Dine discusses are like landmarks on a fantastic journey to the edge of the universe.

The first popular introduction to Hawking's work, this program discusses the mysterious world of black holes, singularities, and the "big bang"--the point at which our universe may have begun.

Written by Oxford astrophysicist Dr Becky Smethurst and composed of 10 captivating, simple essays, it guides you swiftly through the galaxies, explaining the mysteries of black holes, dark matter and what existed before the big bang, presenting the evidence as to whether we really are alone, illuminating what we still don't know and much more besides. If you have big questions about space, this book will provide you with the answers in an engaging and succinct way.

Were ancient Greek philosophers right about reality being only an illusion? What was really the biggest blunder of Einstein's life? Is everything we've been taught about the universe incorrect? In The Unobservable Universe, visionary scientist and engineer Scott M. Tyson successfully unravels cosmology from the level of rocket science and brings it down to Earth, demystifying the universe in terms that laymen can comprehend and enjoy, splitting atoms but not hairs on this magical mystery tour of the outback of time and space.

Once dismissed as a mathematical curiosity, black holes are so strange they almost defy belief. Since their existence was confirmed, research into the nature of black holes has opened up new vistas in physics. In this audiobook, we examine some of the most fascinating discoveries about black hole formation and behavior, the new and evolving research in gravitational wave astronomy, theoretical possibilities such as wormholes, and much more.

Mind Openers 2.0 is the second installment in a two-part set. It takes a fresh look at relativity, cosmology, and quantum theory by imagining a “sandbox universe”, in which space and time are treated as tangible and visualizable phenomena. In addition to providing an intuitive feel for the physics, the model makes a number of acutely unexpected predictions. The author is a geophysicist (MSc, fellow of geoscientists, Canada) and educator, who specializes in translating scientific material for the non-expert.

Explore the Earth's last frontier, learn how the dinosaurs died, or discover the direction human evolution is heading. The world's greatest scientists are at your disposal in Great Minds of Science. Let them take you to the very frontiers of science, with narratives full of genius, personal insight, and enlightenment. In this tribute to mankind's ingenuity and boundless curiosity, get detailed explanations about dinosaurs, viruses, evolution, oceanography, astronomy, and artificial intelligence.

Here are five accessible essays by those who walk the fine line between science and science fiction, moving ever further out in discovering the patterns of nature, aimed at listeners who share their fascination with the deepest mysteries of the universe. Includes essays by Stephen Hawking, Timothy Ferris, Alan Lightman, and more.

Das Wissen über das, was die Welt im Innersten zusammenhält, ist nicht nur das Ergebnis herausragender Forschung brillanter Geister, sondern auch eine Konsequenz wahnwitziger Zufälle und absurder Ideen. Genau dieser höchst unterhaltsamen und verrückten Seite der Wissenschaft und ihrer Geschichten widmet sich der junge Science-Star und Wissenschaftsjournalist Niklas Kolorz. Er begleitet Pythagoras, Marie Curie und Albert Einstein, während sie quasi zufällig ihre bahnbrechenden Entdeckungen machen.

If a black hole is not a hole, then what is it? Find out what black holes are, what causes them, and how scientists first discovered them. Learn how astronomers find black holes, get to know our nearest black-hole neighbor, and take a journey that will literally s-t-r-e-t-c-h the mind.

At the two four-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 powerful new path to understand the workings of the universe.

Astronomy for Beginners gives you a fantastic insight into our solar system, how it works, are we in future danger and whether we could live on any other planets. Astronomy is a huge subject that covers a multitude of astronomy related areas, in this book we touch on all the amazing-ness of our solar system.

When Stephen Hawking died, he was widely recognized as the world's best physicist, and even its smartest person. He was neither. In Hawking Hawking, science journalist Charles Seife explores how Stephen Hawking came to be thought of as humanity's greatest genius. Hawking spent his career grappling with deep questions in physics, but his renown didn't rest on his science. He was a master of self-promotion, hosting parties for time travelers, declaring victory over problems he had not solved, and wooing billionaires.

Do parallel universes really exist? Download now and find out today!

Could there be a civilisation on a mote of dust? How much of your fate have you made? Who cleans the universe? Through more than 50 Koans - pleasingly paradoxical vignettes following the ancient Zen tradition - leading physicist Anthony Aguirre takes the listener across the world from Japan to Italy, and through ideas spanning the age, breadth and depth of the Universe. Using these beguiling Koans and a flair for explaining complex science, Aguirre covers cosmic questions that scientific giants from Aristotle to Galileo to Heisenberg have grappled with.

Stephen Hawking's worldwide best seller, A Brief History of Time, has been a landmark volume in scientific writing. Its author's engaging voice is one reason, and the compelling subjects he addresses is another: the nature of space and time, the role of God in creation, and the history and future of the universe.

In Fantastic Numbers and Where to Find Them, leading theoretical physicist and YouTube star Antonio Padilla takes us on an irreverent cosmic tour of nine of the most extraordinary numbers in physics. These include Graham's number, which is so large that if you thought about it in the wrong way, your head would collapse into a singularity; TREE(3), whose finite value could never be reached before the universe reset itself; and 10^{-120}, which measures the desperately unlikely balance of energy the universe needs to exist....

I recently came upon an old book entitled Famous Men in Science by Sarah Knowles Bolton that was first published in 1889. In her enjoyable and easy to read text, Bolton provides a glimpse of 14 distinguished thinkers, ranging from such luminaries as Carl Linnaeus to Louis Agassiz. Since the book is not readily available, here at the MSAC Philosophy Group we thought it might be helpful to select four biographies from Famous Men in Science and republish them in a new and readable format.

Cosa succederebbe se la Terra orbitasse attorno a un buco nero? E se dalla sua superficie sparissero tutti gli oceani? E se venisse colpita da una supertempesta solare? E il Sole, appunto: se un giorno levassimo il naso all'insù senza più vederlo? Se qualcuno volesse improvvidamente tentare di spegnerlo con una gigantesca secchiata d'acqua? (Spoiler: sarebbe una pessima idea.) E la Luna! Cosa accadrebbe se una notte in cielo ne spuntassero due? Raddoppierebbe la poesia o ci ritroveremmo non esattamente nelle condizioni ideali per apprezzare la cosa?