Free shipping on orders over $99
Empire of the Stars

Empire of the Stars

Friendship, Obsession and Betrayal in the Quest for Black Holes

by Arthur I. Miller
Publication Date: 07/10/2010

Share This Book:

 
$32.99
In August 1930, on a boat trip from Bombay to England, the young Indian scientist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar calculated that certain stars could end their lives by collapsing indefinitely to a point - to nowhere. This idea brought Chandra into conflict with Sir Arthur Eddington, the grand old man of British astrophysics, who publicly ridiculed the idea. EMPIRE OF THE STARS teases out the major implications of this infamous event, setting it against the backdrop of the turbulent growth of astrophysics, and provides a unique window on our unfolding view of the cosmos. In its clash of personalities, epochs and cultures, the story reveals the deep-seated psychological and philosophical prejudices at work in the acceptance and rejection of new scientific ideas. Beautifully written, artfully constructed, EMPIRE OF THE STARS is a serious book but one which also deals with classic themes -- a lone man struggling against the establishment, intellectual rivalry and the highs and lows of great individuals set against the broader sweep of history.
ISBN:
9780349123608
9780349123608
Category:
Popular science
Publication Date:
07-10-2010
Language:
English
Publisher:
Little, Brown Book Group
Country of origin:
United Kingdom
Pages:
416
Dimensions (mm):
198x129x25mm
Weight:
0.35kg
Arthur I. Miller

Arthur I. Miller is Emeritus Professor History and Philosophy of Science, University College London.

Click 'Notify Me' to get an email alert when this item becomes available

Reviews

Be the first to review Empire of the Stars.