Gravity's Century

From Einstein's Eclipse to Images of Black Holes

By: Ron Cowen

Narrated by: John Patrick Walsh

Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

A sweeping account of the century of experimentation that confirmed Einstein's general theory of relativity, bringing to life the science and scientists at the origins of relativity, the development of radio telescopes, the discovery of black holes and quasars, and the still unresolved place of gravity in quantum theory.

Albert Einstein did nothing of note on May 29, 1919; yet that is when he became immortal. On that day, astronomer Arthur Eddington and his team observed a solar eclipse and found something extraordinary: gravity bends light, just as Einstein predicted. The findings confirmed the theory of general relativity, fundamentally changing our understanding of space and time.

A century later, another group of astronomers is performing a similar experiment on a much larger scale. The Event Horizon Telescope, a globe-spanning array of radio dishes, is examining space surrounding Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. As Ron Cowen recounts, one foremost goal of the experiment is to determine whether Einstein was right on the details. Gravity lies at the heart of what we don't know about quantum mechanics, but tantalizing possibilities for deeper insight are offered by black holes. By observing starlight wrapping around Sagittarius A*, the telescope will not only provide the first direct view of an event horizon - a black hole's point of no return - but will also enable scientists to test Einstein's theory under the most extreme conditions.

Gravity's Century shows how we got from the pivotal observations of the 1919 eclipse to the Event Horizon Telescope, and what is at stake today. Breaking down the physics in clear and approachable language, Cowen makes vivid how the quest to understand gravity is really the quest to comprehend the universe.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Ron Cowen (P)2019 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Writing errors...

...like “loaned from”. It seems that publishers do not want to pay for competent copy editors.

Good summary of gravity issues

This book is half-way between dissemination of scientific knowledge and technical details, at the right proportion. To know what the state of the art is concerning gravity, it is an appropriate choice.

Deep Dive Into Hard Science

Well written and informative, told in a way even the most casual science layman can understand the various theories of quantum mechanics, gravity theory, and the curve of time and space.

Didactically exaplained

The author explains what, for me, is a very complex and hard to understand theme. However, even using physical equations and expressions, he makes it understandable for a non-astronomer reader. The book is as simple as possible, considering the topic, and almost never boring. Recommended for all of those who are curious about it.

The speed of light remains constant...

The speed of light remains constant, time and space are the variables.
If your interested in physics give this a listen.

decent novice material with deeper notes

well some of the antique goats regarding the major players in physics and quantum mechanics that he expresses in this book seem out of place at times, or almost out of context, without them for some people it would be dry.

I found it very interesting, not as deep as I would like and a little more wide-ranging than the title implies. But it is a decent listen.

review

l liked the simple enough for a non physicist to understand. liked the historical events.

AN EXCELLENT OVERVIEW OF GRAVITY

I cannot find any faults with this presentation! It is an impressively detailed history of the continuous struggle of mankind to jar loose the mysteries underpinning the fabrics of our universe. It impressively sets one to deeply thinking, of ways one could search out, and glean more! It is definitely worth a second listen! Thumbs Up!

Great story telling but slightly disjointed

This is a great story of scientific pursuit for greater understanding of what gravity is. It is actually great many fascinating stories, intersecting time and space. However, the stories are slightly fragmented and on many occasions repeated, overall giving an impression of a disjointed whole. Moreover, the book inexplicably ends, suddenly, almost in half sentence.

A layperson's Comment

Not a book for the impatient reader/listener. Rather amazed at this ever evolving, abstruse subject and the amount of astronomical dart throwing by so many experts. At least we can taste the complexities while the articulate book narrator leads our curiosity all the way into a black hole, providing an ending.
The narrator eased my dread from start to finish. Thanks.