An exciting & accessible mix of history & cutting-edge science, this book chronicles man's attempts to push back the frontiers of understanding. From a librarian in ancient Alexandria working out the circumference of the earth by studying the way the sunlight fell into a desert well, through Newton's estimates of the distance to the nearest stars, to the latest developments in theories as to what is beyond the borders of the observable universe, intelligent minds have asked questions about our universe, & our place in it. This is the story of their search for answers. The queries range from the mechanical to the metaphysical, but all are rooted in centuries-old curiosity. An adventure story that whisks us through 3 millennia of scientific ingenuity & intellectual history.
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About the Author:
Kitty Ferguson is a highly acclaimed popular science writer and lecturer, with a special interest in physics and cosmology. She has worked closely with Stephen Hawking who recommends only Kitty's books and his own on the suggested reading list which he sends out to any queries.
Review:
The reader is drawn on by some of the best scientific definitions, analogies, simple explanations and downright interesting writing I have ever seen. --Standard
Ferguson is at her best when describing complex ideas in terms that a non-specialist can both understand and enjoy. --Sunday Times
Fascinating...our taste for wonder is well catered for. --Anthony Burgess, Observer
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- PublisherHeadline Book Pub.
- Publication date1999
- ISBN 10 0756764998
- ISBN 13 9780756764999
- BindingHardcover
- Number of pages306
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