John Gribbin is a British science writer and astrophysicist whose work spans a vast array of topics, from quantum physics and the origins of the universe to human evolution and climate change. He is celebrated for his engaging prose, which masterfully translates complex scientific ideas for a general audience. Gribbin's writings often delve into fundamental questions about reality and humanity's place within the cosmos. In addition to his non-fiction, he also explores speculative themes through science fiction.
Gribbin presents the recent dramatic improvements in experimental techniques that have enabled physicists to formulate and test new theories about the nature of light. He describes these theories not in terms of hard-to-imagine entities like spinning subnuclear particles, but in terms of the fate of two small cats separated at a tender age and carried to opposite sides of the universe.
Obvious questions do not always have obvious answers. John Gribbin is known for giving us simple explanations of big concepts in science. But there is another way to probe the mysteries of the Universe and our place in it. Faced with persistent enquiries from his grandchildren, Gribbin realised that simple questions, such as 'Why is the sky blue?', sometimes require big answers, understandable in straightforward language. In answering those simple questions, he discovered that he was telling the story of our place in the Universe, from the Big Bang to the evolutionary reasons why men are, on average, bigger than women. The questions may be obvious, but the answers are sometimes surprising and highlight one of the main joys of science - discovering the unexpected. In this book, Gribbin invites the reader to join him on this voyage of discovery, where you may think you already know the answers but should be prepared to be surprised - or at least, tantalised by the truth.
A scintillating collection of short essays that really does cover 'life, the Universe, and everything'.
Exploring the bewildering realm of quantum mechanics, this book delves into the scientific breakthroughs that have shaped modern understanding of the universe. John Gribbin presents the key figures behind quantum theory and examines its implications on various fields, including molecular biology and technology. Through engaging narratives, he tackles complex concepts like atoms, radiation, and the nature of reality, culminating in the iconic thought experiment of Schrödinger's Cat. This edition celebrates the centenary of quantum theory, making it an essential read for anyone curious about the science that underpins our world.
Originally published: Get a grip on new physics. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1999.
In this exploration of our relationshop with the universe, the authors search for the grand design of the universe and the meaning of the so-called coincidences that allow life to exist on our planet. They present the latest advances in understanding of the nature of dark matter, explore mini and massive black holes, brown dwarfs and novel forms of matter such as quarks and quark nuggets. They discuss the search for a unified theory of all the particles and forces of nature: cosmic strings, superstrings and the possibility of a theory of everything. The authors also speculate on the possibility of the existence of other universes and of other intelligent life in our own.
The dishevelled figure of Albert Einstein is prominent in 20th-century history. This book attempts to elucidate his special and general theories of relativity, as well as electromagnetism, space-time and other mysteries. It aims to enable readers to appreciate the great physicist's achievements by laying out the context in which he developed his theories and the way that they were received. It also links Einstein's political and personal life with the turbulent history of his time, giving readers the background and an insight into this remarkable man.
Covers time, space, measurement, the structure of the universe, the theory of relativity, black holes, quantum mechanics, and string theory.
From the bestselling author of A History comes the enthralling story of a revolution that shook the world. Seventeenth-century England was racked by civil war, plague and fire; a world ruled by superstition and ignorance. A series of meetings of 'natural philosophers' in Oxford and London saw the beginning of a new method of thinking based on proof and experiment. John Gribbin's gripping, colourful account of this unparalleled time of discovery explores the impact of the Royal Society, culminating with Isaac Newton's revolutionary description of the universe and Edmund Halley's prediction of the return of a comet in 1759. This compelling book shows the triumph not as the work of one isolated genius, but of a Fellowship.
There is about 10 times more dark matter (DM, also known here as Alice matter) than bright stuff in our Galaxy. The DMis spread out in a roughly uniformsphere (a spherical distribution of Alice stars), with our flattened disk Galaxy embedded in it. The Alice matter , is a kind of mirror image shadow stuff; the term looking glassmatter has been used by some scientists. Alicematter can be turned into ordinary matter (and vice versa) by sending it through a loop of Alice string, a naturally occurring cosmic phenomenon. Aliens in the DM world, more advanced than we are, have discovered the trace of 10 per cent normal matter in their universe. And have come to investigate it. Our disk is a perturbation that they are puzzled about. Publisher
