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Poetry of the Universe

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 88 ratings · 7 reviews

An exciting intellectual tour through the ages showing how mathematical concepts and imagination have helped to illuminate the nature of the observable universe, this book is a delightful narrative "math for poets." Osserman traces the mathematical breakthroughs over the centuries and explains their significance. 40 illustrations throughout.

Paperback, 224 pages

Published January 15th 1996 by Anchor (first published 1995)

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Jun 29, 2011 Maurizio Codogno rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: divulgazione, matematica, astronomia, finished

L'appunto principale che mi sento di fare a questo libro è che il titolo è assolutamente fuorviante. Sì, è lo stesso dell'edizione originale, e il motivo è spiegato nella quarta di copertina: secondo Osserman la matematica che serve per spiegare la fisica è spesso bella di suo e quindi poetica. Io non sono d'accordo con l'affermazione, ma il libro è davvero bello: solo che avrei preferito fosse intitolato come il sottotitolo, L'esplorazione matematica del cosmo. L'opera tratta proprio di questo...more

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Oct 25, 2010 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

Poetry of the Universe (1996) begins with a beautiful vantage: to tell the story of how scientific and mathematic discoveries revealed our world and our universe (in a process that is, of course, still unfolding). Moving from ancient revelations of geometry (literally, "measuring the earth") through the problems of making maps of an ellipsoidal earth to shifting conceptions of the shape of the universe, these tales are told briskly, in less than two hundred pages. It therefore gives the impressi...more Poetry of the Universe (1996) begins with a beautiful vantage: to tell the story of how scientific and mathematic discoveries revealed our world and our universe (in a process that is, of course, still unfolding). Moving from ancient revelations of geometry (literally, "measuring the earth") through the problems of making maps of an ellipsoidal earth to shifting conceptions of the shape of the universe, these tales are told briskly, in less than two hundred pages. It therefore gives the impression of an action-packed book. The author, Robert Osserman, is explicit about hinging this book on the excitement of discovery and the potency of imagination. In the acknowledgements, Osserman says that his primary debt is to a colleague at Stanford University that asked him: How is that mathematics is such a beautiful subject, yet students can go through for years of college taking many math courses and never finding out?

In response, Osserman takes the broad view--moving, by name, from scientist to mathematician to scientist in a quick chronicle of the unfolding universe; it is a strategy that makes the clear point about how discoveries build upon one another, and how scientists work within a vast community of other curious minds, unbound by time and space. This is not limited to Western history: there is a fascinating story about how, early in the ninth century, the spherical shape of the earth was derived by measurements and came to be accepted fact in Islamic science. Neither is this story limited to scientists: much attention is given to Georg Riemann's depiction of the spherical universe in the nineteenth century--which mirrors almost exactly the spherical universe conceived by Dante in The Divine Comedy.

The poet (in the Divine Comedy) is led by Beatrice from the surface of the earth, through the various spheres of the visible universe, and all the way to the Primum Mobile. Looking out from there, he finds himself looking in to the sphere of the Empyrean. There is no indication that one must choose a particularly point on the Primum Mobile; presumably, looking out at any point would give a view into the Empyrean. In other words, we are to think of the empyrean as somehow both surrounding the visible universe and adjacent to it. If that is the case, then the universe according to Dante would coincide exactly with the universe according to Riemann; they would differ only in the labels.

While mathematics is centered in Poetry of the Universe, it is approached conceptually; little of the fine points are outlined, though the text is buoyed by thorough endnotes and clear illustrations. I appreciate this stance, as it makes the book appropriate precisely for its target audience (those unconvinced of the beauty of mathematics, unschooled in it, and perhaps phobic of it). However, I could have used more explanation of several points in the text, and, despite my minimal training in mathematics, I would have liked to be walked through the math step by step, rather than being offered a swift analogy, would have helped me.

Most compelling to me is the book's discussion of how abstractions crept into our science and mathematics, which in turn quite literally abstracted our worldview. It is difficult for me to imagine a time when negative numbers did not exist. But indeed, that level of abstraction of numbers didn't exist relatively recently--and it met with strong resistance when they were tentatively proposed. Likewise with imaginary numbers, hyperbolic (non-euclidean) geometry, infinity, and shapes that don't exist in nature but are conceived by scientists. This is a powerful point: concepts that we imagine, that we cull purely from our capacity for irreality, are often are most efficient and purposeful pathway to reality. There seems to me to be a striking correlation here with the concept of faith.

Poetry of the Universe ends abruptly, with only the thinnest nod to a wrap-up. I found that particularly surprising for a book that, indeed, emphasizes poetics. All the same, it is an enjoyable read that filled in more than a few gaps in my understanding of the shape of the cosmos, and thereby deepening my sense of wonder.(less)

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Jan 29, 2010 Dan rated it 3 of 5 stars

An easy-to-read account of history through the eyes of those who tried to measure and define the dimensions of the Earth, and then the universe. The only problem is that it was written in the mid-1990s so it could use an update on more recent discoveries. Still, I'd recommend it.

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Mar 12, 2012 Terry rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Interesting book. Short. Author lost me around Riemman's introduction, but it is not too bad. Not exactly sure how I got from measuring the size of the Earth to the Retrosphere. Still, a decent brisk read.

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Dec 19, 2011 Michael Fitzpatrick rated it 3 of 5 stars

The stories and information is good, but the writing is really poor. Also, the explanation of the concepts isn't particularly great. I left the book still not sure what he meant by several ideas. Hawking and Brian Greene are definitely better popular science writers.

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Aug 23, 2011 Germancho rated it 3 of 5 stars

Es un libro que realza el valor del ingenio matemático y su influencia en el desarrollo de las teorías físicas. Es muy sencillo, aunque a veces las explicaciones matemáticas son confusas para el ojo no entrenado. Además parece que estuviese cortado a la mitad, y las anotaciones muchas veces son innecesarias. Merece un "Bueh..."

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Aug 27, 2008 Jeff Free rated it 4 of 5 stars

scientific/mathmatical exploration of the unknown, ends up being quite philosophical

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Shelves: essays, science

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