Status
Available
Call number
Collections
Publication
Princeton University Press (2002), 224 pages
Description
Is the universe infinite, or is it just really big? Does nature abhor infinity? In startling and beautiful prose, Janna Levin's diary of unsent letters to her mother describes what we know about the shape and extent of the universe, about its beginning and its end. She grants the uninitiated access to the astounding findings of contemporary theoretical physics and makes tangible the contours of space and time�those very real curves along which apples fall and planets orbit.Levin guides the reader through the observations and thought-experiments that have enabled physicists to begin charting the universe. She introduces the cosmic archaeology that makes sense of the pattern of hot spots left over from the big bang, a pursuit on the verge of discovering the shape of space itself. And she explains the topology and the geometry of the universe now coming into focus�a strange map of space full of black holes, chaotic flows, time warps, and invisible strings. Levin advances the controversial idea that this map is edgeless but finite�that the universe is huge but not unending�a radical revelation that would provide the ultimate twist to the Copernican revolution by locating our precise position in the cosmos.As she recounts our increasingly rewarding attempt to know the universe, Levin tells her personal story as a scientist isolated by her growing knowledge. This book is her remarkable effort to reach across the distance of that knowledge and share what she knows with family and friends�and with us. Highly personal and utterly original, this physicist�s diary is a breathtaking contemplation of our deep connection with the universe and our aspirations to comprehend it.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member fpagan
An infinity-scorning researcher's personal and anecdotal trip through physics and cosmology. Enjoyable.
LibraryThing member myfanwy
I was recommended this book by the illustrious E. I paraphrase, but I think he described it as a book about cosmology and heartbreak. Janna Levin, is a leading young scientists in theoretical astrophysics and wrote this book in the form of a collection of explanatory letters to her mother. She
Cosmology is something that I have only the vaguest knowledge of. In my mind it's a sort of amalgam of pieces from Einstein's relativity and philosopher's questions of the nature of the universe. Levin does a remarkable job explaining it without making the reader feel dense. She describes the nature of infinity, and infinities which are larger than other infinities. She spends quite a bit of time on topology and topology in different dimensions, and she ends with a discussion of the universe and how we may one day perceive its finiteness, if it is indeed finite. I came away from the book with the sense that we are waiting for ripples of light from the shores of the universe, but of course there are no shores to speak of, are there?
I'm quite sure I didn't understand all that was in this book. Nonetheless, this is an interesting book with just enough cosmology to whet the tastes of the uninitiated, like myself.
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peppers her descriptions of concepts in cosmology with occasional glimpses of her life, one composed of a series of dismal english apartments and constant travel.Cosmology is something that I have only the vaguest knowledge of. In my mind it's a sort of amalgam of pieces from Einstein's relativity and philosopher's questions of the nature of the universe. Levin does a remarkable job explaining it without making the reader feel dense. She describes the nature of infinity, and infinities which are larger than other infinities. She spends quite a bit of time on topology and topology in different dimensions, and she ends with a discussion of the universe and how we may one day perceive its finiteness, if it is indeed finite. I came away from the book with the sense that we are waiting for ripples of light from the shores of the universe, but of course there are no shores to speak of, are there?
I'm quite sure I didn't understand all that was in this book. Nonetheless, this is an interesting book with just enough cosmology to whet the tastes of the uninitiated, like myself.
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LibraryThing member ajburton
Janna Levin, a young and upcoming astrophysicist, leads the reader through a journey into the theories of cosmology and theoretical physics as she searches for clues to the structure of the universe. Is the universe infinite or just so big that it appears infinite to us? Her unique perspective from
Her thoughts are presented as letters she has written to her mother to explain her cosmological notions. This combined with her words about academia, her professional life, and her personal life make this book a unique and charming read. Do not expect many details regarding the many theories mentioned in the book, most are only dealt with from a conceptual or high level view.
If you are interested in cosmology, or think you might be interested in cosmology, I would highly recommend this book.
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a topological view lends itself to possibly predicting the shape of the cosmic microwave background, thus showing the universe is finite and has a shape.Her thoughts are presented as letters she has written to her mother to explain her cosmological notions. This combined with her words about academia, her professional life, and her personal life make this book a unique and charming read. Do not expect many details regarding the many theories mentioned in the book, most are only dealt with from a conceptual or high level view.
If you are interested in cosmology, or think you might be interested in cosmology, I would highly recommend this book.
Show Less
LibraryThing member eduscapes
After listening to an interview with Janna Levin on the NPR program Speaking of Faith, I became interested in reading her books. Levin is an astrophysicist and author interested in sharing her interest in topics from quantum mechanics to a Theory of Everything.
In the book How the Universe Got Its
One of the most amazing aspects of the book is her interest in cosmic archaeology which examines the patterns of hot spots left over from the big bang. I was also fascinated by her explanations of topology and geometry of the universe. I've always been interested in the idea of more than three dimensions, but it wasn't until I read this book that I began to understand how these other dimensions might work.
It's been nearly a decade since this book was written. I look forward to reading her newer, award-winning book titled A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines.
Here's one of my favorite quotes from the book:
“…there are no walls built in the human mind making some of us scientists and some of us artist. They are branches of the same tree, rooted in a common human essence. Maybe it’s out ability to step between the different disciplines, weaving strange loops all the while, that’s the core of our creativity.” (p. 193)
In the book How the Universe Got Its
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Spots, Levin uses a diary/letter style to explain contemporary theoretical physics in a way that is accessible to a layperson like me. She weaves the science through stories from everyday life. Her engaging writing style and excellent examples makes complex topics such as Einstein's theories easier to understand. It's interesting to learn how much we know and how much we still don't know about our universe. Is the universe finite or infinite? We really don't know.One of the most amazing aspects of the book is her interest in cosmic archaeology which examines the patterns of hot spots left over from the big bang. I was also fascinated by her explanations of topology and geometry of the universe. I've always been interested in the idea of more than three dimensions, but it wasn't until I read this book that I began to understand how these other dimensions might work.
It's been nearly a decade since this book was written. I look forward to reading her newer, award-winning book titled A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines.
Here's one of my favorite quotes from the book:
“…there are no walls built in the human mind making some of us scientists and some of us artist. They are branches of the same tree, rooted in a common human essence. Maybe it’s out ability to step between the different disciplines, weaving strange loops all the while, that’s the core of our creativity.” (p. 193)
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LibraryThing member criddick
Interesting look into the life of a junior scientist. While providing glimpses into the chaotic life of the scientist, Levin also manages too provide very insightful looks at some of the tough mathematical and cosmological concepts. As a former math and physics major, I found her ideas refreshing
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and exciting. Show Less
LibraryThing member workgman
i'm usually a fiction fan myself but my copy ended up with so many flags in it that i'm sure i will have to expand this portion of my library; i want to know more.
LibraryThing member librisissimo
Interesting juxtaposition of author's private life and professional work. Accessible explanations of astrophysical phenomena.
LibraryThing member cliffhays
Do you believe that the universe is infinite? In this book Levin gives a compelling argument that may cause you to reexamine that belief. It begins with the question "Is the Universe Infinite or Just Really Big?" and launches into a fascinating topological exploration of very large-scale phenomena
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(particularly the cosmic microwave background). The style, cleverness, and clarity with which she writes is unmatched by most authors today. Reading this will not only cause you to laugh outloud but will also allow your mind to grasp some highly technical and theoretical concepts that when presented in most other texts are largly unintelligible. For anyone who is interested in the workings of the universe at large I highly recommend it. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cheryl_in_CC_NV
I got one third of the way through, but the math/physics got too heavy, and the memoir bits were too short to be relevant. I probably would have loved this when I was taking physics in college, but that was three decades ago BK. It is gracefully written; Levin does have a way with words.
And I did
Newton suggested that gravitational mass... and inertial mass... were one and the same... [and] elevated this notion to a universal principle, suggesting that all masses pulled all other masses and that the strength of this pull grew weaker with distance."
"Newton invented calculus, the mathematics essential to modern physics. With calculus we can understand in equations how dynamic systems evolve with time."
See, the thing is, my high school never offered calculus, and my college assumed I'd had it, so I've always been very confused....
"So what is gravity if it is not a force? It is the shape of space. Gravity is a field and mass is the charge.... Mass, like electic charge, creates a field around it in the form of curved space, a gravitational field as opposed to an electric field.""
And I did
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manage to learn some interesting things I'd never understood before:Newton suggested that gravitational mass... and inertial mass... were one and the same... [and] elevated this notion to a universal principle, suggesting that all masses pulled all other masses and that the strength of this pull grew weaker with distance."
"Newton invented calculus, the mathematics essential to modern physics. With calculus we can understand in equations how dynamic systems evolve with time."
See, the thing is, my high school never offered calculus, and my college assumed I'd had it, so I've always been very confused....
"So what is gravity if it is not a force? It is the shape of space. Gravity is a field and mass is the charge.... Mass, like electic charge, creates a field around it in the form of curved space, a gravitational field as opposed to an electric field.""
Show Less
LibraryThing member DLMorrese
Musings on the shape, size, and nature of the universe...framed by a personal diary. It makes for an odd combination, but it does remind us that scientists are also all-too-human.
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2002-02-28
Physical description
224 p.; 9.25 inches
ISBN
0691096570 / 9780691096575