Ripples in Spacetime: Einstein, Gravitational Waves, and the Future of Astronomy, With a New Afterword - Softcover

Schilling, Govert

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0674237749 ISBN 13: 9780674237742

Publisher: Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press, 2019

Synopsis

A Physics Today Best Book of the Year
A Forbes “For the Physics and Astronomy Lover in Your Life” Selection

“Succinct, accessible, and remarkably timely... This book is a rare find.”
―Physics Today

“Belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in learning the scientific, historical, and personal stories behind some of the most incredible scientific advances of the 21st century.”
―Forbes

The detection of gravitational waves has already been called the scientific breakthrough of the century. Einstein predicted these tiny ripples in the fabric of spacetime over a hundred years ago, but they were only recently perceived directly for the first time. Ripples in Spacetime is an engaging account of the international effort to complete Einstein’s project, capture his elusive ripples, and launch an era of gravitational-wave astronomy that promises to explain, more vividly than ever before, our universe’s structure and origin.

“Schilling’s deliciously nerdy grand tour takes us through compelling backstory, current research, and future expectations.”
―Nature

“A lively and readable account... Schilling underlines that this discovery is the opening of a new window on the universe, the beginning of a new branch of science.”
―Graham Farmelo, The Guardian

About this title

About the Author:

Govert Schilling is an astronomy journalist and writer based in the Netherlands.

Martin Rees is a cosmologist and space scientist based in Cambridge, England. He holds the honorary title of Astronomer Royal.

Review:

“In a sweeping new book, Ripples in Spacetime: Einstein, Gravitational Waves, and the Future of Astronomy, prolific science writer Govert Schilling has achieved the fascinating trifecta of historical and scientific accuracy, a grand sense of wonder and curiosity, and brilliantly accessible storytelling...Ripples in Spacetime goes far beyond the gravitational wave story you've heard over the past few years...It belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in learning the scientific, historical, and personal stories behind some of the most incredible scientific advances of the 21st century. As our scientific progress continues, this book will serve as a reminder of how far we’ve already come, how we got there, and what we’re looking forward to with our most hopeful ambitions.”―Ethan Siegel, Forbes

“A succinct, accessible, and remarkably timely survey of gravitational-wave astronomy as it developed over the past century...This book is a rare find...The book’s remarkable breadth and accessibility should make it the first piece of reading material for anyone―from high school students to policymakers―with an interest in gravitational waves...Ripples in Spacetime sets itself apart by putting the entire field into perspective―past, present, and future. It conveys a sense of awe about a century of scientific investment and achievement and a sense of excitement for what’s to come.”―Richard O’Shaughnessy, Physics Today

“Schilling gives us a lively and readable account of the [gravitational] waves’ discovery... Schilling underlines that this discovery is the opening of a new window on the universe, the beginning of a new branch of science. Astronomers will no longer be limited to observing space through the waves of electricity and magnetism (for example, visible light) entering telescopes, but will be able to observe it through waves of gravity. Galileo would have been amazed.”―Graham Farmelo, The Guardian

“A detailed account of the quest to detect gravitational waves.”―James Ryerson, New York Times Book Review

“Ripples in Spacetime provides a comprehensive and approachable guide to a complex subject.”―Monica Young, Sky & Telescope

“[Ripples in Spacetime] explains complex ideas clearly and entertainingly...It details the personalities, rivalries, collaborations, controversies, setbacks and successes of the century-long quest to test Einstein’s theories. Bang up to date, the book describes science in progress and as a process: how ideas are developed and discoveries made and rejected or confirmed. The best part for me was the detail the book goes into about the first detection and the meticulous protocols in place to scrutinize and eliminate every possible error. Schilling also looks ahead to what we can expect in this whole new field of astronomy. This is a book for everyone who was as excited as I was when the [Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory] discovery first broke, but also for anyone who wants to know what all the fuss was about.”―Jenny Winder, BBC Sky at Night Magazine

“In September 2015, a new frontier in astronomy beckoned with the first direct detection of gravitational waves, confirming Albert Einstein's prediction almost a century before. Govert Schilling's deliciously nerdy grand tour takes us through compelling backstory, current research, and future expectations.”―Barbara Kiser, Nature

“[Ripples in Spacetime] offers the reader a journey that goes beyond its title, exploring and connecting topics such as the cosmic-microwave background and its polarization, radioastronomy and pulsars, supernovae, primordial inflation, gamma-ray bursts and even dark energy... The book gives an interesting (and sometimes surprising) glimpse into the lives, aspirations and mutual interactions of the scientific pioneers in the field of gravitational waves.”―Guillermo Ballestero, CERN Courier

“A fascinating story of astronomy...Schilling walks readers through a lucid history of the universe, of general relativity, and of the bumpy search for Einstein’s last major unconfirmed prediction: the existence of gravitational waves...Schilling delivers a lively, expert, mostly comprehensible account, equal parts politics, personality, and science, of the search that ended two years ago...Schilling emphasizes that this is not simply another feather in Einstein’s cap, but a valuable new tool. The early universe was opaque to radiation until 380,000 years after the Big Bang, but gravity waves poured out from almost the beginning, so a new field of ‘gravitational wave astronomy’ can look back almost to the birth of the cosmos. An exciting history of the second great breakthrough of 21st-century physics.”―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“In this elegant and captivating book Govert Schilling takes us by the hand through a century of scientific adventures to one of the biggest discoveries of history.”―Robbert Dijkgraaf, Director and Leon Levy Professor, Institute for Advanced Study

About this edition

• Publisher: Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 0674237749
• ISBN 13: 9780674237742
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 368