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The Book of Nothing

Vacuums, Voids, and the Latest Ideas about the Origins of the Universe

John D. Barrow

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English
Random House Inc
13 August 2002
What conceptual blind spot kept the ancient Greeks (unlike the Indians and Maya) from developing a concept of zero?

Why did St. Augustine equate nothingness with the Devil?

What tortuous means did 17th-century scientists employ in their attempts to create a vacuum?

And why do contemporary quantum physicists believe that the void is actually seething with subatomic activity? You’ll find the answers in this dizzyingly erudite and elegantly explained book by the English cosmologist John D. Barrow.

Ranging through mathematics, theology, philosophy, literature, particle physics, and cosmology, The Book of Nothing explores the enduring hold that vacuity has exercised on the human imagination. Combining high-wire speculation with a wealth of reference that takes in Freddy Mercury and Shakespeare alongside Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking, the result is a fascinating excursion to the vanishing point of our knowledge.

By:  
Imprint:   Random House Inc
Country of Publication:   United States
Dimensions:   Height: 203mm,  Width: 132mm,  Spine: 22mm
Weight:   346g
ISBN:   9780375726095
ISBN 10:   0375726098
Pages:   384
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

John D. Barrow is research professor of mathematical sciences in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at Cambridge University. His previous books include Theories of Everything, The Artful Universe, Impossibility, Between Inner and Outer Space, The Universe That Discovered Itself, and The Origin of the Universe. He lives in England. From the Hardcover edition.

Reviews for The Book of Nothing: Vacuums, Voids, and the Latest Ideas about the Origins of the Universe

Entertaining and informative... I am happy to report that nothing is full of interesting reading. -- New Scientist Convincing...authoritative . . . tells the story persuasively. -- Nature Barrow's efforts to relate scientific developments to wider cultural themes must be applauded. --Los Angeles Times Book Review Stuffed with wonderful stories. . . . [A] feast of clear thinking and fine writing. --BookPage


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