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Three Steps to the Universe: From the Sun to Black Holes to the Mystery of Dark Matter
If scientists can’t touch the Sun, how do they know what it’s made of? And if we can’t see black holes, how can we be confident they exist? Gravitational physicist David Garfinkle and his brother, science fiction writer Richard Garfinkle, tackle these questions and more in Three Steps to the Universe, a tour through some of the most complex phenomena in the cosmos and an accessible exploration of how scientists acquire knowledge about the universe through observation, indirect detection, and theory.
The authors begin by inviting readers to step away from the Earth and reconsider our Sun. What we can directly observe of this star is limited to its surface, but with the advent of telescopes and spectroscopy, scientists know more than ever about its physical characteristics, origins, and projected lifetime. From the Sun, the authors journey further out into space to explore black holes. The Garfinkle brothers explain that our understanding of these astronomical oddities began in theory, and growing mathematical and physical evidence has unexpectedly supported it. From black holes, the authors lead us further into the unknown, to the dark matter and energy that pervade our universe, where science teeters on the edge of theory and discovery. Returning from the depths of space, the final section of the book brings the reader back down to Earth for a final look at the practice of science, ending with a practical guide to discerning real science from pseudoscience among the cacophony of print and online scientific sources.
Three Steps to the Universe will reward anyone interested in learning more about the universe around us and shows how scientists uncover its mysteries.
The authors begin by inviting readers to step away from the Earth and reconsider our Sun. What we can directly observe of this star is limited to its surface, but with the advent of telescopes and spectroscopy, scientists know more than ever about its physical characteristics, origins, and projected lifetime. From the Sun, the authors journey further out into space to explore black holes. The Garfinkle brothers explain that our understanding of these astronomical oddities began in theory, and growing mathematical and physical evidence has unexpectedly supported it. From black holes, the authors lead us further into the unknown, to the dark matter and energy that pervade our universe, where science teeters on the edge of theory and discovery. Returning from the depths of space, the final section of the book brings the reader back down to Earth for a final look at the practice of science, ending with a practical guide to discerning real science from pseudoscience among the cacophony of print and online scientific sources.
Three Steps to the Universe will reward anyone interested in learning more about the universe around us and shows how scientists uncover its mysteries.
- GenresSciencePhysicsNonfiction
280 pages, Hardcover
First published October 28, 2008
8 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 30, 2022
Tavsiyedir. Nötrinolar, karadelikler, güneşimiz, evrenimiz hakkında bilgi edinmek isteyenler için kaynak kitap. Her okura hitap eder tarzda.
September 16, 2019
Great Epistemological Approach to Popular Science
Learning more about stars, black holes and dark matter is a great part of the fun in this book, but I don't think it's the most important lesson I take from it.
Its Epistemological approach, its theory of how we know and learn things, is fascinating. First of all, by insisting on the question "how do they know that?", feeding this scientific curiosity. It then lays down its scheme of three universes: the perceived, the detected and the theoretical and how they interact with each order while we explore the nature of the universe itself. By setting this scenario, it guides us on presenting the most intriguing phenomena of astronomy and cosmology while also explaining how the experiments were performed to verify theories or how new measurements set new theories forward.
I have a background in engineering which helped me comprehend the physics and little mathematical details covered by the authors, but I believe that any motivated layperson might enjoy the reading.
It satiated my curiosity about how dark matter and dark energy became a topic of studies but also gave me tools on how to deal with scientific communication of daily life.
Learning more about stars, black holes and dark matter is a great part of the fun in this book, but I don't think it's the most important lesson I take from it.
Its Epistemological approach, its theory of how we know and learn things, is fascinating. First of all, by insisting on the question "how do they know that?", feeding this scientific curiosity. It then lays down its scheme of three universes: the perceived, the detected and the theoretical and how they interact with each order while we explore the nature of the universe itself. By setting this scenario, it guides us on presenting the most intriguing phenomena of astronomy and cosmology while also explaining how the experiments were performed to verify theories or how new measurements set new theories forward.
I have a background in engineering which helped me comprehend the physics and little mathematical details covered by the authors, but I believe that any motivated layperson might enjoy the reading.
It satiated my curiosity about how dark matter and dark energy became a topic of studies but also gave me tools on how to deal with scientific communication of daily life.
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December 7, 2011My husband and his brother wrote this book, so I'd recommend you rely on other peoples' reviews. I liked it.
November 1, 2022
POSTED AT AMAZON 2009
I think, it is a true popular book among plethora of great but less-popular-more science oriented attempts by prominent cosmologists/physicists. Science at work - this is what we learn here; what we know for sure (how our Sun and stars "live" is particularly unique example of what science is capable to achieve), what we know because models are created based on observations and what are just hypothesis on a border of s-f waiting to be proven by experiments, adequate way of detecting (or both). I recommend this very approachable title mostly to high school students who contemplate studying astronomy or astrophysics in the future.
I think, it is a true popular book among plethora of great but less-popular-more science oriented attempts by prominent cosmologists/physicists. Science at work - this is what we learn here; what we know for sure (how our Sun and stars "live" is particularly unique example of what science is capable to achieve), what we know because models are created based on observations and what are just hypothesis on a border of s-f waiting to be proven by experiments, adequate way of detecting (or both). I recommend this very approachable title mostly to high school students who contemplate studying astronomy or astrophysics in the future.
April 5, 2016
Evren hakkında bildiklerimizi nasıl bildiğimizi harika bir şekilde anlatıyor...
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews