Thompson is a knowledgeable and capable guide, but his many fans may prefer to stick to his TV shows.
The popular host of the BBC's award-winning Stargazing Live takes readers on an imaginary journey throughout our solar system.
Although many elements of such a trip are not yet possible, Thompson (A Down to Earth Guide to the Cosmos, 2013, etc.) makes it believable enough. First, as the author notes, traveling toward Mercury and Venus is relatively easy because the sun's gravitational pull would provide assistance. Journeying to the outer planets such as Neptune and Pluto is, of course, more difficult. Fortunately, an advanced propulsion system, the newly developed “Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket,” could do the job. Thompson explores the latest thinking about the origins of the moon and planets—e.g., the idea that our moon was created out of debris when “a large object about the size of Mars [may have] struck earth around 4.5 billion years ago.” A serious problem that voyagers would face is shielding themselves from cosmic radiation, which has been experienced by astronauts who report “seeing flashes of white,” a phenomenon currently attributed to “cosmic rays passing through their heads.” Growing food, disposing of waste, exercise, recreation, and even intimate relations would need to be factored in to planning such a lengthy trip. Another necessity would be replicating gravity. A tempting stopover might be Jupiter's moon, Titan, which appears to be “similar to Earth when it was in a more primitive state.” Thompson claims that it could support “primitive alien life, and he discusses the 1972 “ ‘flotilla’ of unmanned space ships that…already visited the outer Solar System” and relayed information back to Earth. It is this data that informs Thompson’s speculations, many of which are intriguing. Unfortunately, the author is writing about a well-mined subject. Despite his mostly appealing prose and useful details, the book, which could have been more fully fleshed out, suffers in comparison to Julian Guthrie’s recent How to Make a Spaceship (2016).
Thompson is a knowledgeable and capable guide, but his many fans may prefer to stick to his TV shows.Pub Date: Nov. 8, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-68177-239-4
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Pegasus
Review Posted Online: Aug. 23, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2016
A fertile physics funhouse for the highly curious and motivated lay reader.
Bender examines string theory and stirs up some interesting notions.
The author, a well-versed amateur theoretical physicist, is an enthusiastic guide to the complex world of string theory, a world full of caveats–conflicting and alternative theories abound, and defining equations have yet to be written because experimentation is beyond human capacity. But that doesn’t mean the journey isn’t intriguing, and Bender embarks with all the eagerness–if not the ringing clarity–of Brian Greene. Initially drawn to string theory because of seeming incompatibilities between quantum mechanics and relativity, the author examines the realm of gravitationally isolated regions of spacetime, and how to overcome violations in our laws of inertia and mass so as to move through spacetime at unimaginable speeds without the time penalties of increased velocity (as time stays constant). He also explores the theoretical possibilities of a gravity-wave generator to power a vehicle within the isolated region. Such a ship would prove useful if the second of Bender’s proposals should bear out: the membrane theory of gravity. This theory suggests that gravity is created by vibrating strings stretching the membrane–the sheets formed by the interaction of the strings–to which they are attached. A collision of these membranes may have given rise to our universe, and it’s possible that there is another side to the membrane into which we could travel–a concept similar to that of traveling through a wormhole. The author also offers a hypothesis for the end of the universe. Despite his love for string theory–and the infinite possibilities inherent in the subject–some of Bender’s theories could be fleshed out a bit more, and augmented with a meatier bibliography (two entries are culled from Wikipedia).
A fertile physics funhouse for the highly curious and motivated lay reader.Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2006
ISBN: 0-595-40822-2
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A leading critic of artificial intelligence research returns to the attack, attempting to lay the groundwork for an analysis of the true nature of intelligence. Building on his arguments in The Emperor's New Mind (not reviewed), Penrose (Mathematics/Oxford) begins by refuting the assertion that true intelligence can be attained—or even adequately simulated—by the strictly computational means to which current computers are ultimately limited. Much of his argument depends closely on the application of Gîdel's Undecidability Theorem to Turing machines—deep waters for laypeople, although the fundamentals of his argument are accessible to readers without sophisticated mathematical training. Having disposed of the central tenets of current AI research, Penrose then turns to an even more fundamental question: the actual foundations in modern physics (i.e., relativity and quantum theory) of the phenomenon of consciousness. Here much of his summary depends on fairly complex mathematical reasoning, although the key points are summarized for the general reader who has been willing to follow him so far. Penrose feels that a new physical synthesis, reconciling the paradoxes of quantum theory and bringing them into harmony with Einstein's gravitational theories, is ultimately necessary to explain the noncomputational elements of consciousness and intelligence. He speculates on the possible role of cellular structures called microtubules in creating a quantum phenomenon on a macroscopic scale within the brain, but grants that more research is needed to establish any connection between physical and mental phenomena. His conclusion steps back to a philosophical overview of the subject, paying homage to Plato, among others. A challenging examination of a central problem of modern philosophy, with no final answers but plenty of food for thought. (76 line drawings) (First printing of 50,000; $50,000 ad/promo)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-19-853978-9
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Oxford Univ.
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1994
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