University of Kwazulu-Natal

Physics Books Of 2020 Symmetry Magazine

Bonisiwe Shabane
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physics books of 2020 symmetry magazine

How do the questions Galileo faced in the 17th century relate to those posed in our own era? What is our place in this vast realm of existence? How will spacetime come to an end? These issues and more come to the forefront in science writer Mike Perricone’s selection of the top physics books of the year, including two books listed among the New York Times’ “Most Notable Books... In this book, Brian Greene (The Elegant Universe; The Fabric of the Cosmos; The Hidden Reality) embarks on an ambitious quest seeking humanity’s place in the vast expanse of time and space. As he writes, “[w]e emerge from laws that, as far as we can tell, are timeless, yet we exist for the briefest moment of time.” Greene, a professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia...

(This title is listed in the Times’ “Most Notable Books of 2020.”) We already know how the Earth will end, writes theoretical astrophysicist Katie Mack, assistant professor of physics at North Carolina State University. In about 5 billion years, the sun will become a red giant, engulfing the inner planets in its fireball. But what of the universe itself? From the Big Crunch to the Big Rip, Mack describes the vastly different ways the cosmic curtain might drop, with predictions based on small tweaks to our current, incomplete knowledge of the universe. (This title is listed in the Times’ “Most Notable Books of 2020”)

It took the Catholic Church 359 years (1633-1992) to officially admit that Galileo Galilei was right: The Earth does revolve around the sun. The science denialism the Italian astronomer faced isn’t the only aspect of early 17th century life that might seem familiar to us in the present day. Astrophysicist Mario Livio (The Golden Ratio; Brilliant Blunders) couldn’t be more timely in this new treatment of the mind and methods of the founder of modern science. Symmetry writer Mike Perricone is back again with a round-up of this year’s popular writing related to particle physics and astrophysics. Several notable titles include explorations of what it’s like to be a woman in science, to be Black in science, or to live at the intersection of the two. These books explore the quest for a “theory of everything,” an acrimonious debate over the Big Bang theory, and the idealistic side of the scientist behind the first detection of neutrinos.

They describe the life of physicist Stephen Hawking and the study of the origin of the universe, along with the mysteries of quantum theory and the complex realms of mathematics in science. In 1925, Cecilia Payne upended scientific consensus about the make-up of stars. Working with noted astronomer Harlow Shapley at the Harvard Observatory, Payne marked thousands of fragile glass photographic plates to catalogue the spectral lines of stars. She demonstrated that stars were made almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, contradicting the long-held assumption that the sun was composed of similar elements to the Earth. Although he acknowledged Payne, astronomer Otto Struve was subsequently given the credit by many for reaching the same conclusion. This is journalist Donovan Moore’s first science book.

Theorist Michio Kaku (author of Beyond Einstein; Physics of the Future and others) echoes the name of physicist Leon Lederman’s popular science book The God Particle in the title to his new book, which... Kaku’s money is on the theoretical framework he has worked on since 1968: string theory. Kaku is a professor of theoretical physics at City University of New York. Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of New Hampshire Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is “one of fewer than 100 Black American women to earn a PhD from a department of physics.” She writes... Quantum physicist, New York Times bestselling author, and BBC host Jim Al-Khalili offers a fascinating and illuminating look at what physics reveals about the world Shining a light on the most profound insights revealed by modern physics, Jim Al-Khalili invites us all to understand what this crucially important science tells us about the universe and the nature of reality...

Using wonderful examples and thought-provoking analogies, Al-Khalili illuminates the physics of the extreme cosmic and quantum scales, the speculative frontiers of the field, and the physics that underpins our everyday experiences and technologies, bringing... Physics is revealed as an intrepid human quest for ever more foundational principles that accurately explain the natural world we see around us, an undertaking guided by core values such as honesty and doubt. The knowledge discovered by physics both empowers and humbles us, and still, physics continues to delve valiantly into the unknown.Making even the most enigmatic scientific ideas accessible and captivating, this deeply insightful book illuminates... "Many distinguished physicists have set out to explain their weird and wonderful world to lay readers but few have done so with the simple elegance of Al-Khalili, a physics professor at the University of... He calls this book 'an ode to physics'; it is also an ode to joy in science."—Clive Cookson, Financial Times "Jim Al-Khalili's The World According to Physics is a thrilling ride .

. . [it] makes cutting-edge physics easily understandable and makes it clear why he fell in love with the subject as a teenager."—Richard Webb, New Scientist "Broadcaster and quantum physicist Jim Al-Khalili is a superb guide to the fundamental principles of quantum theory, relativity and thermodynamics."—Mail on Sunday Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe, by Brian Greene. In this book, Brian Greene (The Elegant Universe; The Fabric of the Cosmos; The Hidden Reality) embarks on an ambitious quest seeking humanity’s place in the vast expanse of time and space.As he writes,...

On the day the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics was to be announced, University of Edinburgh theoretical physicist and presumed winner Peter Higgs took himself off the grid. Telling no one where he was going, Higgs left his apartment and started walking. This year, for the 10th anniversary of the discovery that cemented the physicist’s reluctant fame, prominent physicist and prolific author Frank Close offers Elusive, the first full biography of Higgs. Close (also author of Theories of Everything; The Infinity Puzzle; Antimatter and more) focuses just as much on Higgs the particle as he does on Higgs the scientist, and the physics concepts he explores... But this excellent book is well worth the effort. After earning a bachelor’s degree from UCLA, Virginia Trimble was determined to enter the graduate astronomy program at Caltech.

The catalog warned, “Women are admitted only under exceptional circumstances.” She applied anyway. The response: “Dear Miss Trimble, We have reviewed your credentials and conclude that we cannot deny your admission to the California Institute of Technology. We think, however, you would be happier elsewhere.” Trimble received her PhD in 1968. From Caltech. She returned in 2019 to accept a lifetime achievement award from the American Institute of Physics.

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How do the questions Galileo faced in the 17th century relate to those posed in our own era? What is our place in this vast realm of existence? How will spacetime come to an end? These issues and more come to the forefront in science writer Mike Perricone’s selection of the top physics books of the year, including two books listed among the New York Times’ “Most Notable Books... In this book, Bria...

(This Title Is Listed In The Times’ “Most Notable Books

(This title is listed in the Times’ “Most Notable Books of 2020.”) We already know how the Earth will end, writes theoretical astrophysicist Katie Mack, assistant professor of physics at North Carolina State University. In about 5 billion years, the sun will become a red giant, engulfing the inner planets in its fireball. But what of the universe itself? From the Big Crunch to the Big Rip, Mack de...

It Took The Catholic Church 359 Years (1633-1992) To Officially

It took the Catholic Church 359 years (1633-1992) to officially admit that Galileo Galilei was right: The Earth does revolve around the sun. The science denialism the Italian astronomer faced isn’t the only aspect of early 17th century life that might seem familiar to us in the present day. Astrophysicist Mario Livio (The Golden Ratio; Brilliant Blunders) couldn’t be more timely in this new treatm...

They Describe The Life Of Physicist Stephen Hawking And The

They describe the life of physicist Stephen Hawking and the study of the origin of the universe, along with the mysteries of quantum theory and the complex realms of mathematics in science. In 1925, Cecilia Payne upended scientific consensus about the make-up of stars. Working with noted astronomer Harlow Shapley at the Harvard Observatory, Payne marked thousands of fragile glass photographic plat...

Theorist Michio Kaku (author Of Beyond Einstein; Physics Of The

Theorist Michio Kaku (author of Beyond Einstein; Physics of the Future and others) echoes the name of physicist Leon Lederman’s popular science book The God Particle in the title to his new book, which... Kaku’s money is on the theoretical framework he has worked on since 1968: string theory. Kaku is a professor of theoretical physics at City University of New York. Assistant Professor of Physics ...