The Constants Of Nature: From Alpha to Omega--The Numbers that Encode the Deepest Secrets of the Universe.JOHN D. BARROW
John David Barrow FRS (born November 29, 1952, London) is an English cosmologist, theoretical physicist, and mathematician. The constants of nature are fundamental to the laws of physics governing gravity, electromagnetism electromagnetism Branch of physics that deals with the relationship between electricity and magnetism. Their merger into one concept is tied to three historical events. Hans C. , and quantum phenomena. They encode the deepest secrets of the universe and define mathematically, for instance, why every electron seems to be the same as every other electron. Barrow, a mathematician and noted popularizer pop·u·lar·ize tr.v. pop·u·lar·ized, pop·u·lar·iz·ing, pop·u·lar·iz·es 1. To make popular: A famous dancer popularized the new hairstyle. 2. of astrophysics astrophysics, application of the theories and methods of physics to the study of stellar structure, stellar evolution, the origin of the solar system, and related problems of cosmology. , considers how we have attempted to understand these constants of nature and their role in our understanding about the nature of the universe. Then he questions whether those numbers are really constant at all and considers whether they're all linked. Barrow theorizes that if some of them were even slightly different, we wouldn't be here at all. As scientists grapple with defining a Theory of Everything, Barrow details the role important numbers play in answering questions about the makeup of the universe. Pantheon, 2002, 352 p., b&w photos/illus., hardcover, $26.00. |
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