i'll be going on vacation soon and need something to read...can anyone recommend any books with interesting theories and things like that having to do with origins of the universe and things of that nature? nothing too obscure please.. i'd like to find these in my local library.
2006-07-26 16:06:53 · 11 answers · asked by timn 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Well, there's a very good biography of Johannes Kepler, by Max Casper.
Kepler was the first scientist to determine 1) that Mars' orbit is elliptical, not circular, and 2) the universal principle of gravitation.
He was quite a guy. Really worked hard, to make a discovery.
2006-07-26 16:11:34 · answer #1 · answered by Joya 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you haven't read the two fundamental books in the area you describe, you should do so, because for a change, the hype about them is justified.
I'm talking about A Brief History of Time, and The Universe in a Nutshell, both by Stephen Hawking. If you do read them, read them in that order. The first is a bit more on the scientific side, but is still very much accessible to most of us, while the second was written as somewhat of an explanation and extrapolation of the first, with additional information, which I found to be even more interesting. Both are fascinating reads, and you should be able to find them at your library.
2006-07-26 16:12:01 · answer #2 · answered by murzun 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"The Inflationary Universe" by Alan Guth. A very good explanation of inflationary theory and why it's the best explanation for the origin of our universe. Also includes a bit on its rather wild implications.
You may want to also check out the book in the link below. Click on the "Imagining the Ten Dimensions" link on the left of that page & turn up your speakers.
2006-07-26 17:09:29 · answer #3 · answered by R[̲̅ə̲̅٨̲̅٥̲̅٦̲̅]ution 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The most easy to understand and most informative is Carl Sagans "Cosmos".I think that it is the most thought provoking and interesting book of any books on the topics you describe.If you like it he also has a DVD series of the same title.A close second would be Stephen Hawkings"The Universe in a Nutshell".Have fun and pass along the information.
2006-07-26 16:14:45 · answer #4 · answered by isaac a 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't read much, but I have read this one. It's flippin amazing!!!
No wonder it's a classic, also made into a movie by director Stanley Kubrick.
2001:A space oddessey
It'll blow your mind.......mannnn......
Seriously though, it's not a trekkie book "we need to re-configure the proton emmisions to reverbreate off the blah blah blah....."
Very good book. Also....kinda funny cause it was written in the 60's so the time is a little off. There's a space station on the moon built in 1997.....ha.
Quoted the line "I can't do that Dave". Trust me....read it!
2006-07-26 16:57:07 · answer #5 · answered by send_felix_mail 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Coming of Age in the Milky Way by Timothy Ferris. It's a well-written history of cosmology, with an emphasis on the scientists and thinkers who advanced our knowledge over the centuries.
2006-07-26 17:50:58 · answer #6 · answered by injanier 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene
2006-07-26 17:13:54 · answer #7 · answered by Tim C 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, a great fan-fiction that seems to fall into a similar category is the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Not only does it pose interesting ideas, it's a riot to read!
2006-07-26 16:12:12 · answer #8 · answered by cadence_lost 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The brief history of time............stephen hawking
THe first three minutes.........steven weinberg
Frontiers of astronomy.................George Gamow
and the best at the last internet search
2006-07-26 16:15:02 · answer #9 · answered by want~an~IQ 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i will say u must read "a brief history in time" by professor stephen hawking
2006-07-26 16:14:52 · answer #10 · answered by ghulamalimurtaza 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋