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| | | | | ForeWord Clarion
| BookReview.com
ForeWordMagazine.com: CLARION Review: | | |
SCIENCE Five
Stars (out of Five)
“Every
time we find a problem with general relativity, the reason why that
problem exists turns out to be the same: it’s that things have to be
that way in order to avoid creating conflicts with special relativity,”
writes Eric Baird. Could special relativity actually be, well…wrong? In
Relativity In Curved Spacetime, Baird, the author of
a popular
Web site on relativity, takes readers on a guided tour of nearly every
complex concept of modern physics, and along the way comes to the taboo
conclusion that in light of what we are learning about the rest of the
universe, special relativity seems to fall short of describing reality. It
is amazing how much Baird is able to cram into one book, and do it in a
manner that truly puts these ideas within the grasp of the average
reader. He covers a multitude of concepts, from the speed of light and
whether energy has mass, to special relativity, black holes, Hawking
radiation, wormholes, quantum foam, and warp drives. The
concepts are not simple, and some understanding of physics is helpful
as a starting point, but Baird has a way of explaining difficult ideas
in language that makes sense. His description of quantum mechanics,
leading into the Heisenberg uncertainty principle is a good example:
“…we couldn’t study the
finer detail of systems in a passive,
nondestructive way…the energy that we’d have to pump into a region to
sense and interact with fine detail would be so drastic that it could
destroy or dramatically change the very systems that we were trying to
measure…we found ourselves relying on probabilities as it became
increasingly difficult to distinguish between pre-existing effects and
those caused by our own attempted measurement process.” Baird
looks at things with a fresh, honest perspective. While everyone else
is frustrated over the uncertainty principle, he mentions a positive
aspect: “…if information could
seep out of atomic nucleii, then so
could energy—this inability of atoms to allow energy to trickle out may
be part of what gives them their stability…without these…properties,
regular, dependable atoms as we know them might not be able to exist.” Baird
avoids hiding information in the obscurity of “mathematical
conventions
and technical details.” He believes
information about relativity to be
“part of humanity’s
scientific and cultural heritage” and should not be
reserved for people “with a technical need to
know.”
He suggests
technical details about special relativity “that
may have crept in by
the back door,”
and “scary numbers, where
they do appear, can be
skipped by those not interested.” In
Relativity In Curved Spacetime
anyone interested in physics, but not quite satisfied with other
explanations, will find real enlightenment, and those who are steeped
in the traditional assumptions about relativity will be challenged by
logic, simplicity, and a long honest look at supporting evidence. Here
Baird presents physics with the clarity of one who truly understands
what he is talking about. David
George |
| | BookReview.com
review, as
posted on amazon.com | | |
***** This
book
is excellent!,
November 19, 2007 By BookReview.com
(Madison, WI United States)
In this excellent
discussion of relativity theory, Eric Baird
introduces the reader to the history and practice of relativity
theory, jauntily condensing and critiquing centuries of research as
he builds his accompanying argument: that Albert Einstein's 1905
flat-spacetime special theory cannot be fully reconciled with
emerging concepts of curved spacetime, and that a more general and
flexible theory is required to account for the paradoxes and pseudo
paradoxes implicit in Special Relativity.
Eyes
glazing over
already? Take heart. The book opens with a lucid and understandable
primer on "Background" physics, introducing us neophytes to
the central actors of the relativity drama: light, gravity, space,
time and relativity itself. Once thus fortified, the reader is then
prepared to penetrate denser matter. Although it can be slow going at
times, the work proves surprisingly readable, and is mapped so that
you can easily move back and forth in the text to refresh your
understanding. It is also beautifully referenced and indexed so that
you can check out Baird's many distinguished sources. Dozens of
little illustrations, graphs and diagrams can be found throughout,
providing excellent aids for conceptualization. In addition, Baird
ornaments his discussions and section introductions with lively and
thought-provoking quotes from scientists, poets, Lewis Carroll, and
even Peter Sellers' obtuse detective Inspector Clouseau.
With
Baird as our guide, we dopple through the workshop of quantum
mechanics, navigate the vortices of black holes, explore the nooks
and cranies of theory past and present, and join in the mysterious
dance of the observer and the observed. Along the way, Baird
postulates plausible flaws in the theories of physics giants like
Issac Newton and Albert Einstein, and sheds light on the sometimes
subjective manner in which scientific theory has historically
evolved. A special target is Einstein's work, in particular the
critical dependence of Einstein's Special Relativity theory on the
assumption of flat-space time. "What if a general theory of
relativity is not reducible to Einstein's original 1905 theory?"
Baird asks. It is a question of some gravity.
All
this, of
course, can be somewhat consciousness warping for those of us who
nearly failed physics 101. Fortunately, for all those brave enough to
plunge in and persist, Baird has written a lucid primer on
contemporary physics and relativity theory, which any attentive
layperson can digest. At the same time he makes his case for "Life
without Special Relativity" in language that is transparent, and
enlightening. Whether you agree with him or not, you will know a lot
more about physics when you finish this book than you did when you
picked it up. Anyone fascinated with relativity, or seeking a deeper
understanding of the subject will profit from reading Relativity in
Curved SpaceTime. |
| |
| 394
printed pages: pp.
i-xvi,
1-378. Colour cover, b&w interior, 234×156mm, >200
b&w
illustrations
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