Gravity's Arc: The Story Of Gravity From Aristotle To Einstein And Beyond

Author: David Darling

Stock information

General Fields

  • : 37.99 NZD
  • : 9780471719892
  • : wiley
  • : wiley
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  • : 0.406
  • : June 2006
  • : 219mm X 145mm X 25mm
  • : United States
  • : 37.99
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  • : books

Special Fields

  • :
  • :
  • : David Darling
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  • : Hardback
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  • :
  • :
  • : 531.14
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  • :
  • : 288
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Barcode 9780471719892
9780471719892

Description

How did they do it? How did one of the greatest geniuses who ever lived retard the study of gravity for 2,000 years? How did a gluttonous tyrant with a gold nose revolutionize our view of the solar system? How could an eccentric professor shake the foundations of an entire belief system by dropping two objects from a tower? How did a falling apple turn the thoughts of a reclusive genius toward the moon? And how could a simple patent clerk change our entire view of the universe by imagining himself riding on a beam of light?

In Gravity's Arc, you'll discover how some of the most colorful, eccentric, and brilliant people in history first locked, then unlocked the door to understanding one of nature's most essential forces. You'll find out why Aristotle's misguided conclusions about gravity became an unassailable part of Christian dogma, how Galileo slowed down time to determine how fast objects fall, and why Isaac Newton erased every mention of one man's name from his magnum opus Principia. You'll also figure out what Einstein meant when he insisted that space is curved, whether there is really such a thing as antigravity, and why some scientists think that the best way to get to outer space is by taking an elevator.

Reviews

.,."closer than most to explaining the mysteries behind the force." ("What's On in London," August 2006)

Table of contents

Prelude: The Weighting Game. 1. No Laughing Matter. 2. Path of Dissent. 3. The Parabolic Man. 4. The Day the Sky Fell. 5. Escape From Earth. 6. One of Our Planets is Missing. 7. When Gravity Became Geometry. 8. Alpha and Omega. 9. The Ripples of Space. 10. Disturbing News. 11. In the Dark. 12. All Together Now. 13. Engineers of the Continuum. References. Bibliography. Index.