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Time Travel in Einstein’s Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time
Product Description
In this fascinating book, the renowned astrophysicist J. Richard Gott leads time travel out of the world of H. G. Wells and into the realm of scientific possibility. Building on theories posited by Einstein and advanced by scientists such as Stephen Hawking and Kip Thorne, Gott explains how time travel can actually occur. He describes, with boundless enthusiasm and humor, how travel to the future is not only possible but has already happened, and he contemplates whe… More >>
Time Travel in Einstein’s Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time
Sep 6th, 2010 at 1:57 am
…Time to cut to the chase ['cause life is short]: I really loved Richard Gott’s Time Travel In Einstein’s Universe! Let’s get a few things straight: this isn’t New Age sewage, this isn’t a book about quantum mechanics [obviously it comes up, but general and special relativity are the backstory for this volume], this is a book that will be understood by folks who like diagrams [there are plenty] AND folks who like verbal descriptions [lots of those, too], this is Richard Gott’s book and he does focus on HIS ideas about time travel and other things, the author does use examples from popular culture [mainly, in the first chapter] and always to good purpose. Gott outlines ways that time travel is and might be possible. He even shows how the origin of our universe might depend on time travel. He ends the book with an exposition on his thinking on the Copernican principle [it fits - read the book and see why]. I don’t want to blow the ending, but I will tell you that it has a bit of a suprise. I don’t think it should come down to a choice between this book or Clifford Pickover’s excellent book on time travel because both books take a different tack and both books will expand your brainpan. In my opinion, this book is tasty brainfood. Now it’s….
Rating: 5 / 5
Sep 6th, 2010 at 2:39 am
I heard the author of this book last weekend on NPR, and when he mentioned ‘Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure’ when talking about time travel, I knew this book was for me.
The author makes the material approaching by first introducing concepts from movies you may already know. Did you know that ‘Back To The future’ was an example of the ‘many worlds theory’, while ‘Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure’ was the ‘one world theory’? Other movie references are made as an intro to concepts.
If it stopped there, it would be trite… But starting with a foundation that makes you feel comfortable, the author manages to explain some advanced principles of General Relativity such as time dilation, how time travel to the future is possible, if not very practical, and theories as to why time travel to the past may, and may not, be possible.
While you can’t help get into philosophical discussions when pondering the possibility of going back in time, that is not the point of this book – the book is rooted in real science.
Rating: 5 / 5
Sep 6th, 2010 at 4:45 am
Time Travel in Einstein’s Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time written by J. Richard Gott is a very well-written book about time travel and what it might consist.
This book is easily read and is a delightfully refreshing as I found for the first time that the author was the first to completely explain Einstein’s theory of relativity to me and I understand it and the ramifications.
The author explains how some of the best science fiction can stimulate science fact in the world’s finest scientific people. Thus, time travel has been conceived.
The book only has five chapters all of which dedeal with the subject of time travel as seen of different angles. Cosmic strings, space folding upon itself, traveling back to a past event via two cosmic strings are discussed in detail along with wormholes and warpdrive. A warpdrive creates a U-shaped distortion in the spacetime creating a shortcut.
A self-creating universe according to the author, in which the universes give birth to other universes, a time loop at the beginning allows the Universe to be its own mother. I found thiss book to be some serious mind candy… some very deep level physical philosophy… indeed.
The prose moves quickly and you will not be bored as the author drives home his insightful points one after the other. The layperson will not be lost in space reading this book, but your mind could be bent as you read this very engaging book.
Rating: 5 / 5
Sep 6th, 2010 at 5:38 am
This book stands out from the now-ubiquitous books on quantum physics in several ways. First, it establishes a link between the science of quantum physics and the effect it has had on popular culture. It uses this as a jumping-off point for discussing some rather odd predictions of current theory, then delves into more detail than most similar books on why these predictions exist. The math is fairly easy to understand, and the book presents one of the most lucid explanations of the various states of vacuum and the possible geometries of space-time. The cover illustration is actually a 2-D model for a multidimensional concept that the author holds off until the end (and it is worth the wait), providing rare suspense to an otherwise dry topic.
Provocative, though it stops just short of the neo-Taoist theosophy of _The Dancing Wu Li Masters_ and _The Tao of Physics_. You will enjoy, I promise! Also in Discover Magazine’s list of recommended reading.
Rating: 5 / 5
Sep 6th, 2010 at 6:08 am
What always bugs me about a new book is the “Praise for” on the dust jacket, usually written by another author, or friend of the author, or someone who has close dealings with the author. I read them critically and usually shun them. Alas, this book has three of them! Beware!
I didn’t like this book for three main reasons. First, Gott acknowledges that he is a right-hemisphere brain type, one who finds diagrams more compelling than verbal descriptions, yet sorely ignores this in spades in the book. He relies on rather verbose descriptions, instead of supplementing them with a few more well-placed diagrams on several of his descriptions. The second reason for not liking this book is the author’s apparent egoism. There are a few instances where the explanations of his findings are tertiary to how he made them, or how he boasted about them, or how he appeared in magazines, etc. That’s fine for some, but I would have liked those wordy texts and pages substituted with a deeper understanding of the finding. The third reason is the style of writing, It isn’t inspiring and it doesn’t come alive. In a few cases Gott prefers to describe in detail the plot of movies related to time travel! Again, I would have liked those pages to be filled up with diagrams for the above examples, instead of reading about movies like Back to the Future.
Overall, it had little impact on my understanding of Time Travel, and I would direct the reader to Clifford Pickover’s Time: A Traveller’s Guide. Pickover’s book is well written, chock full of diagrams for the right-hemisphere brain types, compelling and interesting even for those who aren’t afraid of a few formulae. Pickover’s Time: A Traveller’s Guide is HIGHLY recommended.
Now, I only wish I had a time machine to prevent me from having bought Gott’s Time Travel in Einstein’s Universe, and other dumb actions I made!
Rating: 1 / 5