Ever tried to understand Einstein’s Theory of Relativity? Or even just wondered if time travel was possible? How about if the ever wonderful warp speed in Star Trek was feasible?
These and many other questions have a serious grounding in the new book Why Does E=MC2? by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw I was exceedingly lucky in high school to have a teacher that sparked a life long interest in physics for me. He would jump up on the lab tables in his enthusiasm and stride up and down the aisles, ensuring that we were paying attention and catching the fire of how is our world defined.
So I was elated when Gear Diary was asked to review this book ,and I answered immediately to take this one on. Besides I was on holiday and wanted to be able to say that I studied Einstein on my holiday!
The book is deceptively small, and yet is packed with information as to how we can approach understanding Relativity and Mass Energy Equivalence. From Aristotle, Galileo, Newton, Maxwell and to Einstein. And don’t forget Pythagoras and Euclid, very important in defining our initial views of space.
Our intrepid authors don’t hesitate to cover themselves in chalk dust while walking us through the mathematics of how to arrive at E=MC2, and showing how the scientific methods used in physics are important at arriving at our understanding of the world..
So now that time and space are mostly an intuition, stated by Immanuel Kant in his Critique of Pure Reason, and confirmed by Einstein, what was I doing buying a Patek Philippe?
Read this book if you are interested in your universe and if you have ever stared at a starry sky and wondered how the twinkling stars you were looking at sent their twinkle billions of years ago at the speed of light..
Why Does e=MC2 is available from Amazon and from Perseus Books Group
August 2009
Hardcover
$24.00 U.S. · $30.50 CAN
ISBN 9780306817588
Published by Da Capo Press
What I liked: A concise, captivating, passionate, and well written explanation of Einstein’s Mass Energy Equivalence
What I didn’t Like: Nothing! Read this book!