Barry R. Parker - Böcker

Thirty years ago Albert Einstein died, his dream of a theory that would unify the universe unfulfilled. He spent the last decades of his life searching for such a theory-a theory that would explain everything from elementary particles and their interac- tions to the overall structure of the universe. But he failed, not because he didn't try hard enough, but because the attempt was ahead of its time. When Einstein worked on the problem liter- ally nothing was known about black holes, white holes, sin- gularities, the Big Bang explosion and the early universe, quarks, gauge invariance, and weak and strong nuclear forces. Today we know that all these things are important in relation to a unified theory, and that they must be incorporated in and explained by such a theory. Thus, in a sense, our problem is much more complex today than it was in Einstein's day. But scientists have persevered and as a result we are now tan- talizingly close to achieving this long-sought goal. Important breakthroughs have been made. In this book we will look at these breakthroughs and at recent unified theories-theories that go by the names supergravity, superstrings, GUTs, and twistor theory.In order to understand the problem, however, we must begin at the beginning.

I remember once watching a presentation of the creation of the universe in a planetarium. It was a fascinating experience: lights flashing, particles appearing to rush by as an explosive roar echoed throughout the planetarium. Then suddenly ... black­ ness. And after a few seconds ... tiny lights--stars blinking into existence. I tried to imagine myself actually going back to this event. Was this really what it was like? It was an interesting facsimile, but far from what the real thing would have been like. The creation of the universe is an event that is impossible to imagine accurately. Fortunately, this has not discouraged peo­ ple from wondering what it was like. In Creation I have attempted to take you back to the begin­ ning-the big bang explosion-so that you can watch the uni­ verse grow and evolve. Starting with the first fraction of a sec­ ond, I trace the universe from its initial dramatic expansion through to the formation of the first nuclei and atoms. From here I go to the formation of galaxies and the curious distribu­ tion they have taken in space. Finally I talk about the formation of elements in stars, and the first life on the planets around them.

I remember sitting spellbound, watching the movie When Worlds Collide. Two planets hurled through space toward Earth while scientists and engineers frantically raced to complete a rocket­ ship that would take them to safety. A collision of two objects in space, say, two stars, I was sure would be a spectacular event.

The author discusses whether time travel is scientifically possible. He examines "the history of the development of general relativity, the conceptof curved space-time and the early evolution of the universe. The remainder of the book [seeks to] explain the problems that arise when we attempt to turntheoretical holes in space-time into time machines." (N Y Times Book Review)

The author combines "the history of Mauna Kea, the Hawaiian 13,795-foot-high site of nine telescopes, with vignettes of the astronomers who work there...Stories concerning political, environmental, and scientific battles are ...[included with] descriptions of telescope construction and use. " (Choice).

'he year was 1889. The French physicist-mathematician Henry T Poincare could not believe his eyes. He had worked for months on one of the most famous problems in science-the problem of three bodies moving around one another under mutual gravita- tional attraction-and what he was seeing dismayed and trou- bled him. Since Newton's time it had been assumed that the problem was solvable. All that was needed was a little ingenuity and considerable perseverance, but Poincare saw that this was not the case. Strange, unexplainable things happened when he delved into the problem; it was not solvable after all. Poincare was shocked and dismayed by the result-so disheartened he left the problem and went on to other things. What Poincare was seeing was the first glimpse of a phe- nomenon we now call chaos. With his discovery the area lay dormant for almost 90 years. Not a single book was written about the phenomenon, and only a trickle of papers appeared. Then, about 1980 a resurgence of interest began, and thousands of papers appeared along with dozens of books.The new science of chaos was born and has attracted as much attention in recent years as breakthroughs in superconductivity and superstring theory.

Physicist and popular science writer Barry Parker speaks to the broadest possible audience in bringing Einstein's theories to life. Given the fervent renewed appreciation for the contributions Albert Einstein has bestowed on humanity, Parker thinks it only right to dedicate a book to explaining in the clearest possible terms the meaning and beauty of Einstein's theories.While tracing the story of Einstein's life, Parker seizes on the crucial groundbreaking theories that Einstein envisioned. Not since Isaac Newton had anyone conceived the universe in such a revolutionary, startling new way. Through Parker's eloquence, eye for detail, and clever use of Einsteinian cartoons and vivid illustrations, he enables the reader to see and appreciate for perhaps the first time the full meaning and scope of Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity and General Theory of Relativity.Parker then guides the reader to the next step in Einstein's revelations: the possibility of time travel. In exploring the fascinating implications of Einstein's thought, Parker treats us to the experience of discovering a black hole, traversing curved spacetime, and greeting our much younger twin who has just returned from a long and arduous spaceflight.Parker's incomparable gift for language captures Einstein's uniqueness, singular brilliance, and stunning theories. The clarity of the writing coupled with the many illustrations will drive home the point why so many consider Einstein to be the greatest scientist who ever lived andTimemagazine named Albert Einstein "Person of the Century."

Today we all take for granted the many technological marvels that have sprung from quantum physics without ever appreciating the radical paradigm shift that led to these discoveries. The story of the physicists who made the quantum leaps that have so altered our world is a provocative and intriguing one. And there is no better person to describe the history of this quantum revolution in terms that everyone can understand than award-winning physicist and science writer Barry Parker.Parker introduces us to all the major players in this history, offering interesting biographical details that shed light on their important discoveries: Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Erwin Schroedinger, Paul Dirac, Richard Feynman, and Julian Schwinger. Parker also discusses Einstein's objections to quantum theory ("God does not play dice with the universe."), philosophical implications and "quantum weirdness," as well as the seemingly miraculous practical applications of quantum theory - in lasers, transistors, integrated circuits, computer technology, nuclear energy, and genetics.Parker's gift for turning the subtle complexities of subatomic physics into clearly understandable terms while conveying the excitement and wide-ranging importance of quantum exploration make him the ideal guide to a field that continues to transform our world and ultimately our universe.

Einstein continues to captivate, not only for his revolutionary scientific insights but also for his complex personality and personal pursuits. In this unique contribution to the Einstein literature, physicist and acclaimed science writer Barry Parker draws on the great scientist's letters and personal papers to explore the intellectual and emotional passions that motivated both his work and his life.Parker focuses on five aspects of Einstein's emotional nature that had a profound influence on his life and career. First and foremost was his lifelong passion for learning, not only in the fields of physics but also in mathematics and philosophy. This was manifested early on when he excelled at algebra, and later when he became absorbed with philosophy. Of course in his thinking about time and the nature of light, it was this passion to understand that led to his monumental papers on relativity.Einstein's "second great love" was classical music, especially the music of Mozart. Parker shows that listening to and playing music (he was an accomplished violinist) were not only recreations for Einstein but also provided stimulation for his scientific creativity.His relationships with women also greatly influenced him. Parker examines his two marriages, his liaisons with other women, and his distant relationship with his two sons from his first marriage.Another lifelong passion was his strong antiwar feelings and advocacy for peace. Einstein considered world government the only means to achieve worldwide peace. A chapter is devoted to his efforts to promote the idea of world government.Finally, Parker considers Einstein's obsession with finding a unified theory of physics to explain all the forces of the universe, and his reluctance to accept the indeterminacy of quantum theory. In the opinion of some colleagues, this was a tragedy, for Einstein isolated himself from the rest of the scientific community during the latter part of his life to pursue a lone quest that remained unfulfilled at his death.This is an original, insightful look at one of the greatest geniuses of all time who did so much to shape our vision of the world.

Acclaimed science writer Barry Parker completes his trilogy on Einstein with this new work showing the incredibly wide-ranging influence of Einstein's many discoveries. In the first volume, Einstein's Brainchild, Parker focused on relativity, the most famous and important of the great genius's ideas. In the second volume, Einstein's Passions, his human side and diverse interests beyond science were Parker's main topic.Now the author turns once again to Einstein as creative scientist, concentrating on his prolific output of far-reaching contributions that complement and broaden his discovery of relativity. Moreover, Parker provides an indelible portrait of the man behind the theories. In clear and eloquent language, the author helps us appreciate the breadth and richness of Einstein's vision: from Einstein's theories supporting time travel, to his research on curved space, the cosmological constant, black holes, worm holes, gravity waves, cosmic lenses, to quantum theory, and beyond. Parker also discusses Einstein's reluctant connection with atomic weapons, his pacifist philosophy, his quest for the elusive unified field theory, and the relationship of his work to the recent "hot" area of superstrings.Even readers already familiar with Einstein's work will discover a wealth of new material in this singular contribution to the Einstein corpus. Parker's gift for turning complex physics into lucid prose has produced the most complete and accessible volume to elucidate for everyone the magnificent contributions of this most brilliant of scientists.