Time Travel in Einstein's Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time - Hardcover

Gott, J. Richard, III

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0395955637 ISBN 13: 9780395955635

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2001

Synopsis

Time travel in Newton's universe was inconceivable, but in Einstein's universe it has become a possibility. J. Richard Gott III, a Princeton astrophysicist who is a leading researcher in the field, gives readers a guided tour of the potential of traveling through time. Although scientists such as Stephen Hawking and Kip Thorne have previously considered the topic, the delightfully refreshing — but scrupulously careful — Gott goes light-years beyond them in his exploration of this exciting idea.
Gott begins by describing how the finest science fiction about time travel has inspired some of today's top scientific ideas on the subject. He goes on to explain how travel to the future is not only possible but has actually happened (astronauts have aged a bit less than we whose feet have stayed solidly on earth), and he examines whether travel to the past might also be possible, given certain physical conditions. He then offers up his most stunning material: the study of time travel can be used to discover whether the universe could have created itself. Finally, asserting that no book on time travel would be complete without a report from the future, Gott predicts the span of human existence, based on a scientific technique he has developed. His conclusion is humbling but wondrous: just in the short time we have lived so far, consider how much we have already learned about the universe.
TIME TRAVEL IN EINSTEIN'S UNIVERSE is a book to read not only for its extraordinary subject matter and scientific brilliance but for its joyful writing.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"Time Travel in Einstein's Universe is engrossing, mind-bending, and original. It put me through a time warp for several nights running (while I was reading it), so I ended up losing time (and sleep) over it. But I really couldn't put it down. Richard Gott is one of the cleverest cosmologists of our time, and the voyage he takes us on is well worthwhile." –Richard Preston, author of The Hot Zone and The Cobra Event

"In this book Gott offers an excellent exploration of the concept of time travel. Most interesting is the 'universe creating itself' idea. He drives the point back to a very deep level of physical philosophy without losing the popular reader. Gott is impressive both because of his insights and because of his ability to articulate them so far as to make the interested layperson follow him." –Hugh Downs

"J. Richard Gott is one of the most original thinkers of our time. In this intriguing exposition on time travel, based in part on his newly discovered solution to Einstein's equations, Professor Gott empowers the reader to explore this fascinating frontier where science fiction becomes science fact." –Neil Degrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and director, Hayden Planetarium, New York City

About the Author:

J. RICHARD GOTT III is a professor of astrophysical sciences at Princeton University. For fourteen years he served as the chairman of the judges of the National Westinghouse and Intel Science Talent Search, the premier science competition for high school students. The recipient of the President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching, Gott has written on time travel for Time and on other topics for Scientific American, New Scientist, and American Scientist.

About this edition

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0395955637
• ISBN 13: 9780395955635
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 291