One of the world's leading astronomers, Robert Kirshner, takes readers inside a lively research team on the quest that led them to an extraordinary cosmological discovery: the expansion of the universe is accelerating under the influence of a dark energy that makes space itself expand. In addition to sharing the story of this exciting discovery, Kirshner also brings the science up-to-date in a new epilogue. He explains how the idea of an accelerating universe--once a daring interpretation of sketchy data--is now the standard assumption in cosmology today.This measurement of dark energy--a quality of space itself that causes cosmic acceleration--points to a gaping hole in our understanding of fundamental physics. In 1917, Einstein proposed the cosmological constant to explain a static universe. When observations proved that the universe was expanding, he cast this early form of dark energy aside. But recent observations described first-hand in this book show that the cosmological constant--or something just like it--dominates the universe's mass and energy budget and determines its fate and shape.Warned by Einstein's blunder, and contradicted by the initial results of a competing research team, Kirshner and his colleagues were reluctant to accept their own result. But, convinced by evidence built on their hard-earned understanding of exploding stars, they announced their conclusion that the universe is accelerating in February 1998. Other lines of inquiry and parallel supernova research now support a new synthesis of a cosmos dominated by dark energy but also containing several forms of dark matter. We live in an extravagant universe with a surprising number of essential ingredients: the real universe we measure is not the simplest one we could imagine.

    He was trying to find an equation that explained all physical reality - a theory of everything. He failed, but others have taken up the challenge in a remarkable quest that is shedding light on unsuspected secrets of the cosmos.Experimental physicist and award-winning educator Dr. Don Lincoln of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory takes you on this exciting journey in The Theory of Everything: The Quest to Explain All Reality. Suitable for the intellectually curious at all levels and assuming no background beyond basic high-school math, these 24 half-hour lectures cover recent developments at the forefront of particle physics and cosmology, while delving into the history of the centuries-long search for this holy grail of science.You trace the dream of a theory of everything through Newton, Maxwell, Einstein, Bohr, Schrödinger, Feynman, Gell-Mann, Weinberg, and other great physicists, charting their progress toward an all-embracing, unifying theory. Their resulting equations are the masterpieces of physics, which Dr. Lincoln explains in fascinating and accessible detail. Studying them is like touring a museum of great works of art - works that are progressing toward an ultimate, as-yet-unfinished masterpiece.Listening Length: 12 hours and 21 minutes

    A number of the key figures in the new edition are revised to provide a more inviting and informative treatment. The figures are broken into component parts with supporting commentary so that they can more readily see the key ideas. Material from The Flying Circus is incorporated into the chapter opener puzzlers, sample problems, examples and end-of-chapter problems to make the subject more engaging. Checkpoints enable them to check their understanding of a question with some reasoning based on the narrative or sample problem they just read. Sample Problems also demonstrate how engineers can solve problems with reasoned solutions.

    Asimov takes the reader on a rousing mental trip into the world of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and astronomy.

    How to Destroy the Universe embraces thirty-five key physics ideas in a way that anyone can understand. Read this book and you will discover how to reverse the effects of global warming and fend off killer asteroids. You'll learn essential survival skills such as how to live through a lightning strike and how to fall into a black hole without being turned into spaghetti. You'll discover how to turn lead into gold, how to travel to the centre of the Earth and how to use physics to predict the stock market. How to Destroy the Universe will make you see the world through fresh eyes.

    In Gravity, he takes an enlightening look at three of the towering figures of science who unlocked many of the mysteries behind the laws of physics: Galileo, the first to take a close look at the process of free and restricted fall; Newton, originator of the concept of gravity as a universal force; and Einstein, who proposed that gravity is no more than the curvature of the four-dimensional space-time continuum.Graced with the author's own drawings, both technical and fanciful, this remarkably reader-friendly book focuses particularly on Newton, who developed the mathematical system known today as the differential and integral calculus. Readers averse to equations can skip the discussion of the elementary principles of calculus and still achieve a highly satisfactory grasp of a fascinating subject.Starting with a chapter on Galileo’s pioneering work, this volume devotes six chapters to Newton's ideas and other subsequent developments and one chapter to Einstein, with a concluding chapter on post-Einsteinian speculations concerning the relationship between gravity and other physical phenomena, such as electromagnetic fields.

    But recent technological advances have made the question both practical and urgent. A brilliantly imaginative group of physicists at Oxford University have risen to the challenge. This is their story. At long last, there is a sensible way to think about quantum mechanics. The new view abolishes the need to believe in randomness, long-range spooky forces, or conscious observers with mysterious powers to collapse cats into a state of life or death. But the new understanding comes at a price: we must accept that we live in a multiverse wherein countless versions of reality unfold side-by-side. The philosophical and personal consequences of this are awe-inspiring.The new interpretation has allowed imaginative physicists to conceive of wonderful new technologies: measuring devices that effectively share information between worlds and computers that can borrow the power of other worlds to perform calculations. Step by step, the problems initially associated with the original many-worlds formulation have been addressed and answered so that a clear but startling new picture has emerged.Just as Copenhagen was the centre of quantum discussion a lifetime ago, so Oxford has been the epicenter of the modern debate, with such figures as Roger Penrose and Anton Zeilinger fighting for single-world views, and David Deutsch, Lev Vaidman and a host of others for many-worlds.An independent physicist living in Oxford, Bruce has had a ringside seat to the debate. In his capable hands, we understand why the initially fantastic sounding many-worlds view is not only a useful way to look at things, but logically compelling. Parallel worlds are as real as the distant galaxies detected by the Hubble Space Telescope, even though the evidence for their existence may consist only of a few photons.

    --Carlo Rovelli, author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and Helgoland You've got questions: about space, time, gravity, and the odds of meeting your older self inside a wormhole. All the answers you need are right here.As a species, we may not agree on much, but one thing brings us all together: a need to know. We all wonder, and deep down we all have the same big questions. Why can't I travel back in time? Where did the universe come from? What's inside a black hole? Can I rearrange the particles in my cat and turn it into a dog?Researcher-turned-cartoonist Jorge Cham and physics professor Daniel Whiteson are experts at explaining science in ways we can all understand, in their books and on their popular podcast, Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe. With their signature blend of humor and oh-now-I-get-it clarity, Jorge and Daniel offer short, accessible, and lighthearted answers to some of the most common, most outrageous, and most profound questions about the universe they've received.This witty, entertaining, and fully illustrated book is an essential troubleshooting guide for the perplexing aspects of reality, big and small, from the invisible particles that make up your body to the identical version of you currently reading this exact sentence in the corner of some other galaxy. If the universe came with an FAQ, this would be it.

    "The Theory of Everything" presents the most complex theories, both past and present, of physics; yet it remains clear and accessible. It will enlighten readers and expose them to the rich history of scientific thought and the complexities of the universe in which we live.

    It includes discussions of topics that have become vital to a modern treatment of GFT, such as critical phenomena, lattice gauge theory, supersymmetry, quantum gravity, supergravity, and superstrings.

    Not mere luck but mastery over the concepts is what contributes to the success. The revised edition of this specialized book by Arihant is a master practice book of Physics designed according to the examination pattern of JEE Main and Advanced containing more than 8000 questions helping the students in building their confidence for facing the JEE Exams. This master book has been divided into 23 chapters namely Laws of Motion, Rotation, Gravitation, Circular Motion, Wave Optics, Ray Optics, Electrostatics, Current Electricity, Communication System, Modern Physics, Waves, Kinematics 1, Electromagnetic Waves, Properties of Matter, etc. This is a Master Practice Book for Physics consisting of more than 6000 innovative objective problems like MCQs with Single Correct Option, Multiple Correct Options, Assertion-Reason, Linked Comprehension Based, Matrix Matching and Single Integer Answer Type, etc. The different types of objective questions sharpen the comprehension and analytical abilities in the students. Hints and step-by-step explanatory solutions have been provided for all the questions at the end of each chapter. A special section of Previous Yearsandrsquo; IIT JEE Questions with detailed solutions is provided at the end of the book. The book aims to make students learn in depth about the various concepts and subjects covered under the syllabi of physics for JEE Mains and Advanced Exam. As the book has been designed on the New Pattern of JEE Main andamp; Advanced and contains a large collection of new pattern based physics objective questions which may be asked in the upcoming exams, it for sure will help the aspirants climb the ladder of success in the upcoming JEE Main andamp; Advanced. Content 1.Experimental Skills and General Physics 2.Kinematics 3.Kinematics 4.Laws of Motion 5.Work, Power and E

     Quantum Physics for Hippies shatters your perception of reality." - Dr. Mark Müller Bob, a spiritual hippie, meets the witty nerd Alice, who day-dreams about quantum physics all day long. This chance meeting starts them on a mind-blowing journey into the nature of reality that will change their lives forever. Written by quantum physicists and beautifully illustrated, Quantum Physics for Hippies takes the bizarre world of quantum physics and makes it understandable for everyone, hippies and nerds alike. Is this book for you? If you would love to know what quantum physics is really about, but complicated explanations or equations put you off, then this book is for you. Why? We found that there are two types of books about quantum physics. Type A is written by nerds. Usually, they have hundreds of pages, a lot of equations and bury you in useless details. They are mostly correct, but not fun to read. Type B is written by esoterics. They are easy to read, but often full of nonsense, not helping at all in your mission to find the truth. So we decided to write a new type of quantum physics book. Type Hippie-Nerd! Easy, fun to read and correct all at the same time, while still blowing your mind. Happy Readings!

    Time and space as we know them will disappear from the scientific picture of the world, in the same way in which the centre of the universe did”. In this agile text, derived from a long interview, Carlo Rovelli, theoretical physicist and pioneer of modern quantum gravity, describes his personal and intellectual journey, starting from the rebellion of his young years and the discovery of the “enchanting adventure” of theoretical research, till the vertiginous hypotheses of today’s physics. In a simple language, Rovelli introduces us to a “space” made of grains, a “time” which is the result of our ignorance, to hot black holes and how to think about the beginning of the universe. But he also discusses the value, the risks, and the fascination of this quest. Science, for Rovelli, is a continuous exploration of new ways of thinking the world, the desire of looking “beyond the hill” and seeing the world always with new eyes, the choice of never giving up dreams.

    Astronomy: A Beginner's Guide to the Universe.

    The more we discover, the more puzzling the universe appears to be. How and why are the laws of nature what they are? A philosopher and a physicist, world-renowned for their radical ideas in their fields, argue for a revolution. To keep cosmology scientific, we must replace the old view in which the universe is governed by immutable laws by a new one in which laws evolve. Then we can hope to explain them. The revolution that Roberto Mangabeira Unger and Lee Smolin propose relies on three central ideas. There is only one universe at a time. Time is real: everything in the structure and regularities of nature changes sooner or later. Mathematics, which has trouble with time, is not the oracle of nature and the prophet of science; it is simply a tool with great power and immense limitations. The argument is readily accessible to non-scientists as well as to the physicists and cosmologists whom it challenges.