Flashes of Creation

Flashes of Creation

Author: Paul Halpern

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 2021-08-17

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 1541673611

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A respected physics professor and author breaks down the great debate over the Big Bang and the continuing quest to understand the fate of the universe. Today, the Big Bang is so entrenched in our understanding of the cosmos that to doubt it would seem crazy. But as Paul Halpern shows in Flashes of Creation, just decades ago its mere mention caused sparks to fly. At the center of the debate were Russian American physicist George Gamow and British astrophysicist Fred Hoyle. Gamow insisted that a fiery explosion explained how the elements of the universe were created. Attacking the idea as half-baked, Hoyle countered that the universe was engaged in a never-ending process of creation. The battle was fierce. In the end, Gamow turned out to be right -- mostly -- and Hoyle, along with his many achievements, is remembered for giving the theory the silliest possible name: "The Big Bang." Halpern captures the brilliance of both thinkers and reminds us that even those proved wrong have much to teach us about boldness, imagination, and the universe itself.


Book Synopsis Flashes of Creation by : Paul Halpern

Download or read book Flashes of Creation written by Paul Halpern and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2021-08-17 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A respected physics professor and author breaks down the great debate over the Big Bang and the continuing quest to understand the fate of the universe. Today, the Big Bang is so entrenched in our understanding of the cosmos that to doubt it would seem crazy. But as Paul Halpern shows in Flashes of Creation, just decades ago its mere mention caused sparks to fly. At the center of the debate were Russian American physicist George Gamow and British astrophysicist Fred Hoyle. Gamow insisted that a fiery explosion explained how the elements of the universe were created. Attacking the idea as half-baked, Hoyle countered that the universe was engaged in a never-ending process of creation. The battle was fierce. In the end, Gamow turned out to be right -- mostly -- and Hoyle, along with his many achievements, is remembered for giving the theory the silliest possible name: "The Big Bang." Halpern captures the brilliance of both thinkers and reminds us that even those proved wrong have much to teach us about boldness, imagination, and the universe itself.


Flashes of Creation

Flashes of Creation

Author: Paul Halpern

Publisher:

Published: 2021-08-17

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 9781541673595

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The great debate over the Big Bang and the quest to understand the fate of the universe Today, the Big Bang is so entrenched in our understanding of the cosmos that to doubt it would seem crazy. But as Paul Halpern shows in Flashes of Creation, just decades ago its mere mention caused sparks to fly. At the center of the debate were Russian American physicist George Gamow and British astrophysicist Fred Hoyle. Gamow insisted that a fiery explosion explained how the elements of the universe were created. Attacking the idea as half-baked, Hoyle countered that the universe was engaged in a never-ending process of creation. The battle was fierce. In the end, Gamow turned out to be right -- mostly -- and Hoyle, along with his many achievements, is remembered for giving the theory the silliest possible name: "The Big Bang." Halpern captures the brilliance of both thinkers and reminds us that even those proved wrong have much to teach us about boldness, imagination, and the universe itself.


Book Synopsis Flashes of Creation by : Paul Halpern

Download or read book Flashes of Creation written by Paul Halpern and published by . This book was released on 2021-08-17 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The great debate over the Big Bang and the quest to understand the fate of the universe Today, the Big Bang is so entrenched in our understanding of the cosmos that to doubt it would seem crazy. But as Paul Halpern shows in Flashes of Creation, just decades ago its mere mention caused sparks to fly. At the center of the debate were Russian American physicist George Gamow and British astrophysicist Fred Hoyle. Gamow insisted that a fiery explosion explained how the elements of the universe were created. Attacking the idea as half-baked, Hoyle countered that the universe was engaged in a never-ending process of creation. The battle was fierce. In the end, Gamow turned out to be right -- mostly -- and Hoyle, along with his many achievements, is remembered for giving the theory the silliest possible name: "The Big Bang." Halpern captures the brilliance of both thinkers and reminds us that even those proved wrong have much to teach us about boldness, imagination, and the universe itself.


The Perversion Of Knowledge

The Perversion Of Knowledge

Author: Dr. Vadim J. Birstein

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 2009-09-09

Total Pages: 512

ISBN-13: 078675186X

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During the Soviet years, Russian science was touted as one of the greatest successes of the regime. Russian science was considered to be equal, if not superior, to that of the wealthy western nations. The Perversion of Knowledge, a history of Soviet science that focuses on its control by the KGB and the Communist Party, reveals the dark side of this glittering achievement. Based on the author’s firsthand experience as a Soviet scientist, and drawing on extensive Russian language sources not easily available to the Western reader, the book includes shocking new information on biomedical experimentation on humans as well as an examination of the pernicious effects of Trofim Lysenko’s pseudo-biology. Also included are many poignant case histories of those who collaborated and those who managed to resist, focusing on the moral choices and consequences. The text is accompanied by the author’s own translations of key archival materials, making this work an essential resource for all those with a serious interest in Russian history.


Book Synopsis The Perversion Of Knowledge by : Dr. Vadim J. Birstein

Download or read book The Perversion Of Knowledge written by Dr. Vadim J. Birstein and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2009-09-09 with total page 512 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the Soviet years, Russian science was touted as one of the greatest successes of the regime. Russian science was considered to be equal, if not superior, to that of the wealthy western nations. The Perversion of Knowledge, a history of Soviet science that focuses on its control by the KGB and the Communist Party, reveals the dark side of this glittering achievement. Based on the author’s firsthand experience as a Soviet scientist, and drawing on extensive Russian language sources not easily available to the Western reader, the book includes shocking new information on biomedical experimentation on humans as well as an examination of the pernicious effects of Trofim Lysenko’s pseudo-biology. Also included are many poignant case histories of those who collaborated and those who managed to resist, focusing on the moral choices and consequences. The text is accompanied by the author’s own translations of key archival materials, making this work an essential resource for all those with a serious interest in Russian history.


When the Beat Was Born

When the Beat Was Born

Author: Laban Carrick Hill

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Published: 2013-08-27

Total Pages: 32

ISBN-13: 1466844795

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Before there was hip hop, there was DJ Kool Herc. On a hot day at the end of summer in 1973 Cindy Campbell threw a back-to-school party at a park in the South Bronx. Her brother, Clive Campbell, spun the records. He had a new way of playing the music to make the breaks—the musical interludes between verses—longer for dancing. He called himself DJ Kool Herc and this is When the Beat Was Born. From his childhood in Jamaica to his youth in the Bronx, Laban Carrick Hill's book tells how Kool Herc came to be a DJ, how kids in gangs stopped fighting in order to breakdance, and how the music he invented went on to define a culture and transform the world.


Book Synopsis When the Beat Was Born by : Laban Carrick Hill

Download or read book When the Beat Was Born written by Laban Carrick Hill and published by Roaring Brook Press. This book was released on 2013-08-27 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Before there was hip hop, there was DJ Kool Herc. On a hot day at the end of summer in 1973 Cindy Campbell threw a back-to-school party at a park in the South Bronx. Her brother, Clive Campbell, spun the records. He had a new way of playing the music to make the breaks—the musical interludes between verses—longer for dancing. He called himself DJ Kool Herc and this is When the Beat Was Born. From his childhood in Jamaica to his youth in the Bronx, Laban Carrick Hill's book tells how Kool Herc came to be a DJ, how kids in gangs stopped fighting in order to breakdance, and how the music he invented went on to define a culture and transform the world.


A Short Bright Flash: Augustin Fresnel and the Birth of the Modern Lighthouse

A Short Bright Flash: Augustin Fresnel and the Birth of the Modern Lighthouse

Author: Theresa Levitt

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Published: 2013-06-03

Total Pages: 285

ISBN-13: 039306879X

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Describes the life of the man who invented a new lighthouse lens, capable of shining brighter, farther, and more efficiently than existing light sources, and his fight against the scientific elite, his poor health, and the limits of his era's technology.


Book Synopsis A Short Bright Flash: Augustin Fresnel and the Birth of the Modern Lighthouse by : Theresa Levitt

Download or read book A Short Bright Flash: Augustin Fresnel and the Birth of the Modern Lighthouse written by Theresa Levitt and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2013-06-03 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describes the life of the man who invented a new lighthouse lens, capable of shining brighter, farther, and more efficiently than existing light sources, and his fight against the scientific elite, his poor health, and the limits of his era's technology.


A Brilliant Darkness

A Brilliant Darkness

Author: Joao Magueijo

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 2009-11-24

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 0465020089

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On the night of March 26, 1938, nuclear physicist Ettore Majorana boarded a ship, cash and passport in hand. He was never seen again. In A Brilliant Darkness, theoretical physicist Joao Magueijo tells the story of Majorana and his research group, "the Via Panisperna Boys," who discovered atomic fission in 1934. As Majorana, the most brilliant of the group, began to realize the implications of what they had found, he became increasingly unstable. Did he commit suicide that night in Palermo? Was he kidnapped? Did he stage his own death? A Brilliant Darkness chronicles Majorana's invaluable contributions to science -- including his major discovery, the Majorana neutrino -- while revealing the truth behind his fascinating and tragic life.


Book Synopsis A Brilliant Darkness by : Joao Magueijo

Download or read book A Brilliant Darkness written by Joao Magueijo and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2009-11-24 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On the night of March 26, 1938, nuclear physicist Ettore Majorana boarded a ship, cash and passport in hand. He was never seen again. In A Brilliant Darkness, theoretical physicist Joao Magueijo tells the story of Majorana and his research group, "the Via Panisperna Boys," who discovered atomic fission in 1934. As Majorana, the most brilliant of the group, began to realize the implications of what they had found, he became increasingly unstable. Did he commit suicide that night in Palermo? Was he kidnapped? Did he stage his own death? A Brilliant Darkness chronicles Majorana's invaluable contributions to science -- including his major discovery, the Majorana neutrino -- while revealing the truth behind his fascinating and tragic life.


How to Fly a Horse

How to Fly a Horse

Author: Kevin Ashton

Publisher: Anchor

Published: 2015-01-20

Total Pages: 335

ISBN-13: 038553860X

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As a technology pioneer at MIT and as the leader of three successful start-ups, Kevin Ashton experienced firsthand the all-consuming challenge of creating something new. Now, in a tour-de-force narrative twenty years in the making, Ashton leads us on a journey through humanity’s greatest creations to uncover the surprising truth behind who creates and how they do it. From the crystallographer’s laboratory where the secrets of DNA were first revealed by a long forgotten woman, to the electromagnetic chamber where the stealth bomber was born on a twenty-five-cent bet, to the Ohio bicycle shop where the Wright brothers set out to “fly a horse,” Ashton showcases the seemingly unremarkable individuals, gradual steps, multiple failures, and countless ordinary and usually uncredited acts that lead to our most astounding breakthroughs. Creators, he shows, apply in particular ways the everyday, ordinary thinking of which we are all capable, taking thousands of small steps and working in an endless loop of problem and solution. He examines why innovators meet resistance and how they overcome it, why most organizations stifle creative people, and how the most creative organizations work. Drawing on examples from art, science, business, and invention, from Mozart to the Muppets, Archimedes to Apple, Kandinsky to a can of Coke, How to Fly a Horse is a passionate and immensely rewarding exploration of how “new” comes to be.


Book Synopsis How to Fly a Horse by : Kevin Ashton

Download or read book How to Fly a Horse written by Kevin Ashton and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2015-01-20 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a technology pioneer at MIT and as the leader of three successful start-ups, Kevin Ashton experienced firsthand the all-consuming challenge of creating something new. Now, in a tour-de-force narrative twenty years in the making, Ashton leads us on a journey through humanity’s greatest creations to uncover the surprising truth behind who creates and how they do it. From the crystallographer’s laboratory where the secrets of DNA were first revealed by a long forgotten woman, to the electromagnetic chamber where the stealth bomber was born on a twenty-five-cent bet, to the Ohio bicycle shop where the Wright brothers set out to “fly a horse,” Ashton showcases the seemingly unremarkable individuals, gradual steps, multiple failures, and countless ordinary and usually uncredited acts that lead to our most astounding breakthroughs. Creators, he shows, apply in particular ways the everyday, ordinary thinking of which we are all capable, taking thousands of small steps and working in an endless loop of problem and solution. He examines why innovators meet resistance and how they overcome it, why most organizations stifle creative people, and how the most creative organizations work. Drawing on examples from art, science, business, and invention, from Mozart to the Muppets, Archimedes to Apple, Kandinsky to a can of Coke, How to Fly a Horse is a passionate and immensely rewarding exploration of how “new” comes to be.


A Little Book about the Big Bang

A Little Book about the Big Bang

Author: Tony Rothman

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2022-03

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 0674251849

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Tony Rothman offers a primer on the science of the big bang and the questions we still can’t answer about the origins of the universe. Enlisting thoughtful analogies and a step-by-step approach, Rothman guides readers through dark matter, dark energy, quantum gravity, and other topics at—and beyond—the cutting edge of cosmology.


Book Synopsis A Little Book about the Big Bang by : Tony Rothman

Download or read book A Little Book about the Big Bang written by Tony Rothman and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2022-03 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tony Rothman offers a primer on the science of the big bang and the questions we still can’t answer about the origins of the universe. Enlisting thoughtful analogies and a step-by-step approach, Rothman guides readers through dark matter, dark energy, quantum gravity, and other topics at—and beyond—the cutting edge of cosmology.


Our Music Is Red with Purple Flashes

Our Music Is Red with Purple Flashes

Author: Sean Egan

Publisher:

Published: 2004-05

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781901447224

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Their songs have been covered by acts as diverse as Ride, Boney M, and the Sex Pistols; they impressed Pete Townsend so much that he asked their guitarist to join the already successful Who; said guitarist pioneered the use of a bow on guitar strings--a trick later plagiarized by Jimmy Page; and they have been cited as an influence by the likes of Paul Weller and John Lydon. Yet The Creation never had a hit single or even made an album in their two-year recording career, from 1966-68. But nevertheless, they are cherished by generations of fans. This is their untold story.


Book Synopsis Our Music Is Red with Purple Flashes by : Sean Egan

Download or read book Our Music Is Red with Purple Flashes written by Sean Egan and published by . This book was released on 2004-05 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Their songs have been covered by acts as diverse as Ride, Boney M, and the Sex Pistols; they impressed Pete Townsend so much that he asked their guitarist to join the already successful Who; said guitarist pioneered the use of a bow on guitar strings--a trick later plagiarized by Jimmy Page; and they have been cited as an influence by the likes of Paul Weller and John Lydon. Yet The Creation never had a hit single or even made an album in their two-year recording career, from 1966-68. But nevertheless, they are cherished by generations of fans. This is their untold story.


Lost in Math

Lost in Math

Author: Sabine Hossenfelder

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 2018-06-12

Total Pages: 277

ISBN-13: 0465094260

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In this "provocative" book (New York Times), a contrarian physicist argues that her field's modern obsession with beauty has given us wonderful math but bad science. Whether pondering black holes or predicting discoveries at CERN, physicists believe the best theories are beautiful, natural, and elegant, and this standard separates popular theories from disposable ones. This is why, Sabine Hossenfelder argues, we have not seen a major breakthrough in the foundations of physics for more than four decades. The belief in beauty has become so dogmatic that it now conflicts with scientific objectivity: observation has been unable to confirm mindboggling theories, like supersymmetry or grand unification, invented by physicists based on aesthetic criteria. Worse, these "too good to not be true" theories are actually untestable and they have left the field in a cul-de-sac. To escape, physicists must rethink their methods. Only by embracing reality as it is can science discover the truth.


Book Synopsis Lost in Math by : Sabine Hossenfelder

Download or read book Lost in Math written by Sabine Hossenfelder and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2018-06-12 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this "provocative" book (New York Times), a contrarian physicist argues that her field's modern obsession with beauty has given us wonderful math but bad science. Whether pondering black holes or predicting discoveries at CERN, physicists believe the best theories are beautiful, natural, and elegant, and this standard separates popular theories from disposable ones. This is why, Sabine Hossenfelder argues, we have not seen a major breakthrough in the foundations of physics for more than four decades. The belief in beauty has become so dogmatic that it now conflicts with scientific objectivity: observation has been unable to confirm mindboggling theories, like supersymmetry or grand unification, invented by physicists based on aesthetic criteria. Worse, these "too good to not be true" theories are actually untestable and they have left the field in a cul-de-sac. To escape, physicists must rethink their methods. Only by embracing reality as it is can science discover the truth.