Unveiling The Edge Of Time: Black Holes, White Holes, and Worm Holes - Hardcover

Gribbin, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 051758591X ISBN 13: 9780517585917

Publisher: Crown, 1992

Synopsis

An updated look at black holes chronicles their discovery and formation and offers two known ways for humans to build a time machine using the laws of physics. 15,000 first printing.

About this title

From Library Journal:

Einstein's relativity theory changed forever the way science conceives space and time and remains the source of some of the most exotic concepts of theoretical physics. Among them are intriguing ideas that cosmic objects called "wormholes" connect remote parts of the universe and might be traversable, making it possible to journey through time to distant galaxies, perhaps even to other universes. These two books by scientists both provide substantively similar accounts of the emerging theories and speculate on what it would mean to humanity if travel through space-time should become possible. The styles of the two presentations, however, are quite different. Gribbin, who with the death of Isaac Asimov is probably the most prolific science popularizer today, begins with Isaac Newton and shows how these modern concepts have precursors in past science. He writes of discovery and of the development of theory. Because of this emphasis, Gribbin's book is the more technical and detailed--sometimes difficult but quite rewarding reading. Halpern's book covers much of the same material but not in as great depth and certainly in a livelier, more entertaining style. In this regard, he is particularly skilled at relating these concepts to popular culture; for example, his assessments of the plausibility of some of the technologies encountered in science fiction, from Star Trek to 2001: A Space Odyssey , are very useful in making the arcane concepts of science seem comfortable and familiar. Either book might be appropriate for an undergraduate or public library, although Gribbin's is somewhat better suited for the former and Halpern's the latter. A third recent book, Barry Parker's Cosmic Time Travel (Plenum, 1991), is the most readable and straightforwardly factual of them all and would probably appeal to the broadest cross section of general readers.
- Gregg Sapp, Montana State Univ. Libs., Bozeman
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly:

The prospect of time travel as originally "unveiled" by theories of general relativity has lured many good science writers into paper-thin theories, but Gribbin ( In Search of Schroedinger's Cat ) is not one of them. Here he offers a coherent tour--along mostly quantum roads--of the far reaches of astrophysics. Recently discovered evidence for black holes of the size required by such theorists as Roger Penrose, Stephen Hawking and Kip Thorne, among others Gribbin cites, adds additional weight to the arguments discussed. Gribbin's illustrative examples, both graphic and metaphoric, do not rely on cute or overly simplistic images, although his style occasionally bends under the pressure to bring the general reader closer to these distant exotic scientific borders. A balanced and challenging guide to a science that will never be too familiar.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Crown
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 051758591X
• ISBN 13: 9780517585917
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 248