The recent impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy on Jupiter made the world aware of the potential for another worldwide disaster of the sort that purportedly killed off the dinosaurs; here an astronomer assesses the risks. Steel, an Australian research astronomer (Univ. of Adelaide), begins his book with a sober and mathematics-laden discussion of the astronomical probabilities of a major asteroid or comet impacting the Earth, and the probable results—namely, the end of civilization. Nobody who has kept abreast of the scientific research is likely to disagree with this part of his thesis, yet he presents this conclusion dryly and with little concession to the sensibilities of the general reader. Only around chapter five, where he looks into the historical debate about meteor impacts on Earth, does the momentum of his argument begin to mount; unfortunately, many readers will have given up by then, in many cases those who might most enjoy the subsequent chapters, which include a discussion of the possible relation of Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids to meteoric bombardments. Steel calculates that dying as the result of a cosmic collision is about twice as likely as dying in an airplane crash, a sobering estimate (especially to those who fear flying). He suggests that the most useful response to the danger is Project Spaceguard, a program combining astronomical resources with the technology of the ``Star Wars'' SDI defense system to detect incoming asteroids and to deflect them with atomic explosions. (Inexplicably, he neglects to mention the perhaps equally significant step of removing a portion of the human population from the target area by colonizing habitats other than Earth.) An important evaluation of one of the key long-range threats to human survival, aimed at a popular audience but full of solid scientific data.
Pub Date: May 12, 1995
ISBN: 0-471-30824-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Wiley
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1995
BOOK REVIEW
An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both...
Italian theoretical physicist Rovelli (General Relativity: The Most Beautiful of Theories, 2015, etc.) shares his thoughts on the broader scientific and philosophical implications of the great revolution that has taken place over the past century.
These seven lessons, which first appeared as articles in the Sunday supplement of the Italian newspaper Sole 24 Ore, are addressed to readers with little knowledge of physics. In less than 100 pages, the author, who teaches physics in both France and the United States, cogently covers the great accomplishments of the past and the open questions still baffling physicists today. In the first lesson, he focuses on Einstein's theory of general relativity. He describes Einstein's recognition that gravity "is not diffused through space [but] is that space itself" as "a stroke of pure genius." In the second lesson, Rovelli deals with the puzzling features of quantum physics that challenge our picture of reality. In the remaining sections, the author introduces the constant fluctuations of atoms, the granular nature of space, and more. "It is hardly surprising that there are more things in heaven and earth, dear reader, than have been dreamed of in our philosophy—or in our physics,” he writes. Rovelli also discusses the issues raised in loop quantum gravity, a theory that he co-developed. These issues lead to his extraordinary claim that the passage of time is not fundamental but rather derived from the granular nature of space. The author suggests that there have been two separate pathways throughout human history: mythology and the accumulation of knowledge through observation. He believes that scientists today share the same curiosity about nature exhibited by early man.
An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both scientists and general readers.Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-399-18441-3
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Riverhead
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
The Johnstown Flood was one of the greatest natural disasters of all time (actually manmade, since it was precipitated by a wealthy country club dam which had long been the source of justified misgivings). This then is a routine rundown of the catastrophe of May 31st, 1889, the biggest news story since Lincoln's murder in which thousands died. The most interesting incidental: a baby floated unharmed in its cradle for eighty miles.... Perhaps of local interest-but it lacks the Lord-ly touch.
Pub Date: March 18, 1968
ISBN: 0671207148
Page Count: 312
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1968
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