Light Years: An Exploration of Mankind's Enduring Fascination with Light - Hardcover

Clegg Brian

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0749921978 ISBN 13: 9780749921972

Publisher: Piatkus Hb/Tpb, 2001

Synopsis

This is the story of light and the people who were determined to unlock the secrets of one of the greatest puzzles of the Universe. The book recounts spiritual interpretations, from the Ancient Egyptians to the Mayans and looks at the first scientific grapplings with light by the ancient Chinese sage Mo Ti, the Greek philosopher Empedocles, Arab genius Alhazen and others. It also explores the contribution of artists such as Brunellschi, Leonardo de Vinci and Durer to our understanding of light and examines the great revolutionaries of light theory including Galileo, Descartes, Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday and Albert Einstein. The text discusses the work of scientists such as Maxwell, Edison and Gould that led to light-driven inventions from the camera to the laser, Cds and optical computers and explains the mind-bending advances of quantum physics.

About this title

About the Author:

Brian Clegg gained a degree in physics from Cambridge University and an MA in Operational Research before joining British Airways as a consultant on new and innovative applications of technology; In 1994 he set up his own creative consultancy and has a range of blue-chip clients including Zurich Bank and the Royal Bank of Scotland; A well-known columnist in the business/technology field, Brian is the author of a dozen books including Creativity, Imagination Engineering and Instant Brainpower

Review:

Praise for the previous edition:
"Extraordinary, humorous, interesting, awesome."--New Scientist
"Immensely likeable."--Guardian

About this edition

• Publisher: Piatkus Hb/Tpb
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0749921978
• ISBN 13: 9780749921972
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288