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by Ersilia Vaudo
An astrophysicist's reflection on how shifts in perspective have transformed our understanding of the cosmos.
When Neil Armstrong first set foot in the lunar dust, his action forever changed our view of what was possible. Once something new alters our perspective, a transformation starts. In The Story of Astrophysics in Five Revolutions, Ersilia Vaudo explores five such turning points in the history of cosmology: Newton's realization that gravity governs the celestial world; Einstein's two theories of relativity, linking space with time and gravity with acceleration; Hubble's revelation of an expanding universe; and the emergence of antiparticles and their implications for our cosmic evolution.
But we still have much to learn. We are navigating through shifting reference points, abandoned convictions, observations that surprise us, technologies that evolve―always waiting impatiently for new measurements, new questions. Vaudo illuminates the key insights that have led us to where we are today, but above all she urges us to look beyond, in an ongoing quest to understand the cosmos and our place in it.
"A lively and up-to-date survey of the key ideas of astrophysics." —Kirkus Reviews
"[A]n approachable chronicle of five pivotal moments that advanced scientific understanding of the cosmos...Armchair astronomers will be riveted." —Publishers Weekly
"From casual viewers of The Big Bang Theory to knowledge-thirsty scientists, readers will appreciate this book's carefulness and complexity and Vaudo's passion for treating astrophysics (like every other body of knowledge) as an ever-evolving set of shifting reference points, like stars guiding them toward new beliefs, values, and technologies." —Library Journal
"In lyrical prose, The Story of Astrophysics recounts the efforts of generations of scientists to comprehend the cosmos. Their accounts, both tentative and audacious, have transformed our understanding of the universe and our place within it." ―David Kaiser, author of How the Hippies Saved Physics
"The revolutionary ideas discussed in this book have reshaped our conception of the universe. But Ersilia Vaudo doesn't only rehearse them; she brings them up to date, filling us in on the most recent discoveries in astrophysics and cosmology, all conveyed in a style that will grab you and keep you reading. This is a great way to prepare yourself for the next astrophysical revolution, whenever it comes along." ―Sean Carroll, author of Quanta and Fields: The Biggest Ideas in the Universe
This information about The Story of Astrophysics in Five Revolutions was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Ersilia Vaudo has a degree in astrophysics and a thirty-year career at the European Space Agency. She has written and presented widely on science and space topics for a general audience. She lives in Paris.
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