Synopsis
This is a wonderful book on one of the most puzzling problems of physics and philosophy: Does empty space have an existence independent of the matter within it? Einstein thought not. In his universe, there can be no space without matter; but quantum physicist Werner Heisenverg's famous “uncertainty principle” allows for the spontaneous, though fleeting, creation and destruction of fundamental particles from empty space. As physicist Henning Genz shows, “empty space” is really not empty at all; in fact it is an ocean seething with the creation and destruction of subatomic particles. Through the use of crystal-clear prose and over a hundred cleverly rendered and exceptionally instructive illustrations, Genz takes the reader from the metaphysical speculations of the ancient Greek philosophers, through the theories of Newton and the early experiments of his contemporaries, right up to the latest theories of quantum physics and cosmology.Some of the most delightful episodes of the book consist of early experiments on the vacuum, from teams of horses trying in vain to pull apart two iron hemispheres joined only by a vacuum, to more sophisticated ones involving water and air. These and many other fascinating investigations of the deep and exciting new physics of quantum mechanics and cosmology reveal incredible properties of the interplanetary and interstellar vacuum.While some of man's ideas about the vacuum of outer space have been treated sporadically in other books, this is the first book for the nonscientist on a much neglected yet incredibly interesting segment of modern physics and timeless philosophy. It will delight and inform everyone interested in the latest concepts in physics, as well as the philosophical implications of scientific discoveries.
Reviews
Can we conceive of such a concept as "nothingness"? In this tour de force, Genz, professor of theoretical physics at the University of Karlsruhe, Germany, explains that the answer depends on where we draw the line between "something" and "nothing." On a simpler conceptual level, we might wonder if space that is totally devoid of any matter exists: what would space travelers find in the millions of light years between galaxies? Genz demonstrates that even if a cubic meter of this "empty space" were totally free of dust, gas or the occasionally stray atom, it would still be illuminated by radiation. And if we tried to lower the temperature close enough to absolute zero to eliminate all energy, an energy field?what scientists call a Higgs field?would suddenly materialize to spite our efforts. As the ancient philosophers wrote, nature does seem to abhor a vacuum. Genz intricately constructs his case so that just when the reader questions the point of an apparent digression or yet another discussion of ancient Greek theories of matter, he nudges it expertly into the edifice of his argument. Questions about being and nothingness are shown to relate to today's most important questions in physics and cosmology?for instance, whether the large-scale structures in the universe, and the emergence of life itself, can be traced to transitions between various vacuum states. Genz is well served by his translator, who has deftly transformed the original into idiomatic English. This book is not an easy read, but it will repay careful study and is recommended for dedicated science buffs. 140 drawings.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From pre-Socratic speculations, Aristotle, and Torricelli to Newton, Einstein, and Hawking, German physicist Genz critically surveys the history of scientific theories and philosophical ideas about empty space. Within the frameworks of quantum mechanics and relativity physics, he examines the empirical evidence against the possibility of absolute nothingness (i.e., a true vacuum or void) existing in this expanding and material universe. His detailed analysis includes discussions of space-time, ur-matter, the Higgs field, energy, virtual particles, the uncertainty principle, and Big Bang cosmology. Genz distinguishes between the cosmic realm of initial conditions and the present laws of nature. He gives special attention to experiments that have tried to create a physical vacuum, which have have all failed. Genz concludes: "There is no such thing as absolutely empty space." Clearly written and replete with illustrations, Nothingness is a unique book recommended for all large science collections.?H. James Birx, Canisius Coll., Buffalo, NY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder and once made philosophers anxious. That nature abhors a vacuum was their axiom, so when Evangelista Torricelli created a vacuum in 1644, it was a scientific sensation. Torricelli's experiment was a milestone in the story that Genz, a German physicist, tells about the physics of emptiness. For a subject about so little, the void is full of challenges to understanding. Genz more often than not overcomes the obstacles and acquaints readers with both the history of nothingness and its contemporary relevance to particle beam research and the big bang theory. Theorists have postulated that even in an idealized perfect vacuum there lurks a foamlike world of "virtual" particles, ascribable to quantum mechanical vacuum fluctuations. Turning from these hard-to-grasp ideas, Genz recounts measurable findings about empty space, the most important of which is that there is no true vacuum, as every spot of the universe is bathed in relic infrared radiation from shortly after the big bang. Diagrams help clarify Genz's sophisticated but clearly written presentation Gilbert Taylor
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