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The Universe: From Flat Earth to Quasar
Book
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
90 people are currently reading
1191 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Asimov
2,771 books27.6k followersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
August 10, 2020
Asimov bestial. Es tan increíble que la dedicatoria va para Carl Sagan!
No conocía la faceta de astrofísico de Asimov. Verdaderamente es una enciclopedia. Creería que el libro serviría mucho para personas que desean conocer sobre la historia de todo lo que es la astronomía y los inicios de la radioastronomía y la cosmología. Es una especie de efemérides sumamente prolijo que explica de manera muy amena y clara todo, desde la concepción de nucleosíntesis primordial, hasta la reacción termonuclear dentro de las estrellas.
No ingresa mucho al tema de las singularidades como de los agujeros negros, y es importante considerar que el libro fue escribo en la década de 1960, por lo que conceptos que ahora nos son conocidos, o descubrimientos estén plasmados en esta obra únicamente como conjeturas.
Esta edición del año 2012 (actualmente desactualizada) de Alianza Editorial incluye las notas del traductor en donde expone los datos actualizados a la fecha de la edición, por lo que sirve de gran ayuda.
En síntesis, creo que Asimov si se hubiera dedicado netamente a la divulgación y a la astronomía y no a la ciencia ficción, estimo que se hubiera ganado un Nobel; el tipo es una enciclopedia y más allá de eso, era tan bueno, que muchas de las predicciones escritas por él hace 40 o 50 años, se han cumplido! esto va desde el impacto de las tecnologías de la información (que lamentablemente usan para sacar una estúpida cuenta en Tik Tok o para reseñar libros de Jodorowski), hasta el comportamiento de cuerpos celestes.
Sumamente recomendado.
No conocía la faceta de astrofísico de Asimov. Verdaderamente es una enciclopedia. Creería que el libro serviría mucho para personas que desean conocer sobre la historia de todo lo que es la astronomía y los inicios de la radioastronomía y la cosmología. Es una especie de efemérides sumamente prolijo que explica de manera muy amena y clara todo, desde la concepción de nucleosíntesis primordial, hasta la reacción termonuclear dentro de las estrellas.
No ingresa mucho al tema de las singularidades como de los agujeros negros, y es importante considerar que el libro fue escribo en la década de 1960, por lo que conceptos que ahora nos son conocidos, o descubrimientos estén plasmados en esta obra únicamente como conjeturas.
Esta edición del año 2012 (actualmente desactualizada) de Alianza Editorial incluye las notas del traductor en donde expone los datos actualizados a la fecha de la edición, por lo que sirve de gran ayuda.
En síntesis, creo que Asimov si se hubiera dedicado netamente a la divulgación y a la astronomía y no a la ciencia ficción, estimo que se hubiera ganado un Nobel; el tipo es una enciclopedia y más allá de eso, era tan bueno, que muchas de las predicciones escritas por él hace 40 o 50 años, se han cumplido! esto va desde el impacto de las tecnologías de la información (que lamentablemente usan para sacar una estúpida cuenta en Tik Tok o para reseñar libros de Jodorowski), hasta el comportamiento de cuerpos celestes.
Sumamente recomendado.
October 8, 2018
There is nothing better to get you through I boring teleconference than having a handy book to read. Okay I am not advocating you ignore work and read (although it would be so tempting) but there are times I do wonder why I have to be dragged in to these things and thankfully Asimov was at hand to help me - although to be honest I was pretty close to finishing already
Now before I go to far after being quizzed by a friend who saw me reading this book I have to admit that I suspect some of the findings and statements in this book are now a little dated - hence the 3 stars- simply because there is so much out there still to be discovered and yes a tiny fraction of that has been since this book was published.
However for a total novice and amateur like me you have to start somewhere and this book is as good as any as apart from nothing else you have Asimov gentle charm and wisdom to guide you through what can be at times a very daunting and complicated subject - go on I dare you to read some of the higher papers my friend was trying to push on to me!!
Anyway what of the book - well as the title says it starts small and ends big - very big. After all early astronomy (if it can be called that) really related to what you could see around you and that is where this book start but it rapidly progresses from there.
Now it must be remembered that this book was written before the internet before cable and before to be honest many of the popular science tools that we take for granted now existed so you had to work with what you had. So if you want a bit of science history from for me one of the greatest popular science writers this is as good as any,
Now before I go to far after being quizzed by a friend who saw me reading this book I have to admit that I suspect some of the findings and statements in this book are now a little dated - hence the 3 stars- simply because there is so much out there still to be discovered and yes a tiny fraction of that has been since this book was published.
However for a total novice and amateur like me you have to start somewhere and this book is as good as any as apart from nothing else you have Asimov gentle charm and wisdom to guide you through what can be at times a very daunting and complicated subject - go on I dare you to read some of the higher papers my friend was trying to push on to me!!
Anyway what of the book - well as the title says it starts small and ends big - very big. After all early astronomy (if it can be called that) really related to what you could see around you and that is where this book start but it rapidly progresses from there.
Now it must be remembered that this book was written before the internet before cable and before to be honest many of the popular science tools that we take for granted now existed so you had to work with what you had. So if you want a bit of science history from for me one of the greatest popular science writers this is as good as any,
September 16, 2017
I really enjoy reading about the Universe, but I don't have that much knowledge about it, if I'm being honest. I saw this at my public library and decided to pick it up. As many others have said, it is a bit outdated, but it's to be expected, if you see the publication date. Even so, the information is accurate and you not only learn about the Universe, but about history and the people involved in finding out more about it. I think it's a great book for anyone who doesn't know much about the Universe, but wants to learn more about it.
More reviews on my blog: Lipstick and Mocha
More reviews on my blog: Lipstick and Mocha
May 27, 2021
Digamos que soy un hombre que llegó tarde a la fascinación por las ciencias como la física, la química y la astronomía (que es una mezcla de ambas, pero con el mágico toque universal). Y esto se debe a que este tipo de conocimiento no se suele enseñar (de manera atrayente y simple) en las escuelas e institutos; todo se basa en fórmulas y repetir conceptos ajenos a nuestro entendimiento (no es lo mismo que te enseñen la ley de la termodinámica empleando formulas a que te la expliquen con ejemplos reales y comunes que todo el mundo entiende y las apreciamos día a día).
A lo que voy es lo siguiente: Asimov, aparte de ser un escritor de ciencia ficción, también fue un divulgador científico y ensayista. En su amplia gama de obras se encuentran trabajos dedicados a explicar la historia humana y las ciencias y el universo, como si crease una gran enciclopedia interconectada; y no importa la complejidad de ciertos temas científicos: Asimov lo explica simple, detallada y comprensiblemente para todos los tipos de público y para todas las edades (porque el fin de la divulgación científica, parafraseando a Carl Sagan, es expandirse para todos y que entiendan cómo funciona nuestra realidad).
A lo que voy es lo siguiente: Asimov, aparte de ser un escritor de ciencia ficción, también fue un divulgador científico y ensayista. En su amplia gama de obras se encuentran trabajos dedicados a explicar la historia humana y las ciencias y el universo, como si crease una gran enciclopedia interconectada; y no importa la complejidad de ciertos temas científicos: Asimov lo explica simple, detallada y comprensiblemente para todos los tipos de público y para todas las edades (porque el fin de la divulgación científica, parafraseando a Carl Sagan, es expandirse para todos y que entiendan cómo funciona nuestra realidad).
April 11, 2009
A grand survey of our understanding of the cosmos, from the ancient Greeks and Babylonians through the early 1960s. As always, Dr. Asimov writes clearly and simply, and as usual emphasizes the history behind our knowledge. Unfortunately, some chapters are frightfully outdated, and any mention of even neutron stars or black holes, let alone dark matter or dark energy, is completely absent. I don't mean to say that The Universe is not worth reading—quite the opposite, in fact—but that anyone seeking an up-to-date review of astronomy will need to supplement this book with newer sources.
August 30, 2024
Este libro me ha encantado!! Es cierto que la parte en la que habla de las estrellas se me ha hecho un poco pesada y repetitiva, pero aún así no podría haberme saltado esos capítulos, ya que cuenta cosas muy interesantes que luego sirven para entender otros conceptos. Por otro lado, ha habido capítulos de lo más intrigantes y solo con el título me despertaba curiosidad. Para ser el primer libro de divulgación que leo, no me ha resultado difícil de entender.
July 23, 2021
In Asimov's 22484th popular science book, The Universe, he writes about theories and discoveries as they become relevant to his winding path from Earth to the Andromeda Galaxy, back to Earth and the Sun, and outwards to the edge of the the Universe. His explanations are clear though truncated and stubbornly non-mathematical, and his history is informative if a little scattered and flat. One can't complain too much about his transparent, muted writing style when you consider the generation of excitable gee willikers pop-scientists coming a generation or two later. I think what is most interesting about this book is Asimov's graceful approach to historical sense: he writes long passages about stellar parallax or the nebular hypothesis of solar system formation (subjects that certainly don't come right to mind when one thinks of astronomy today) so that the reader can understand how and why scientists in the history of astronomy were thinking in the ways they did or did not. That's a sign of a thoughtful historian of science, and it evokes what is so culturally fascinating about astronomy --- the first and last subject, the space of both humanity's decentering and embarkation, the changeless or the feverishly out of date.
October 25, 2015
No contaba con mucha edad ni conocimientos cuando me dispuse a leer por primera vez un libro científico (digamos unos 14). Ese era "El universo" de Isaac Asimov. Pero salí completamente asombrado, con una visión nueva. Si bien el libro cuenta con sus años y algunas de las hipótesis del autor o de los datos están (y estaban ya hace años) anticuados no deja de ser magnífico. No se contenta el autor como otros divulgadores en hablarte por encima de la historia de la física, no, sino que hace un repaso grande, pasando por muchos puntos y dando detalles interesantes de los conocimientos que se fueron adquiriendo en los campos de la astronomía, de la astrofísica, etc. Habla de todo tipo de objetos celestes super interesantes, avivando la imaginación y la curiosidad con cada nuevo capítulo que viene muy a cuento siempre. Podría seguir hablando de un libro que abrió de par en par mi joven imaginación, pero mejor animarles a descubrirlo por ustedes mismos.
Ojalá alguien me hubiera recomendado leer este libro mucho antes. Solo mi curiosidad me llamó a hacerlo, ¡y ay qué suerte!
Releeré sí o sí este libro, y espero encontrármelo tan bien o mejor de lo que me lo encontré en su tiempo.
Ojalá alguien me hubiera recomendado leer este libro mucho antes. Solo mi curiosidad me llamó a hacerlo, ¡y ay qué suerte!
Releeré sí o sí este libro, y espero encontrármelo tan bien o mejor de lo que me lo encontré en su tiempo.
August 18, 2018
Una vez más, Asimov te atrapa en una clase magistral maravillosamente explicada, esta vez sobre astrofísica. Lo interesante es que aunque el libro ya tiene sus años, se siguen revisando las ediciones y contienen numerosas notas con las actualizaciones de las teorías. Recomendadísimo.
November 6, 2021
Conocía la faceta de divulgador científico de Asimov. Recuerdo mis veranos, en la adolescencia, leyendo algún libro de ciencia generalista del conocido escritor de origen ruso. Solían ser esos libros que regalaban como suplemento en los periódicos.
Quizás por ello, me animé a leer este libro sobre el Universo. Primeramente, me reencontré en un rastro con uno de esos libros de suplemento. Abarcaba solamente los cinco primeros capítulos de este libro. Finalmente, investigando un poco más, encontré esta edición de la obra completa.
Es un libro maravilloso, suponiendo que te guste la astronomía, claro está. A mi personalmente, me fascina la manera de explicar de Asimov. Creo que esta es la razón por la cual el libro se merece 5 estrellas.
En su pedagogía, Asimov tiende a partir de lo más elemental, y también del origen mismo de las cosas, construyendo poco a poco y cronológicamente, sin dar grandes saltos, hasta llegar a conceptos muy avanzados. Me hubiera gustado aprender así en el instituto, posiblemente hubiese tenido más interés por la física. Otra característica que me gusta mucho de la manera de exponer de Asimov, es que abarca también los caminos cerrados, los caminos que no han llevado a ninguna parte, y que a veces resultan fundamentales para poder comprender aproximaciones posteriores. No me extraña, después de haber leído este libro, y viendo la ingente obra de Asimov, que casi todos sus libros de divulgación científica estén tan bien considerados.
Respecto a la actualidad de los contenidos, creo que como se tratan de conceptos fundamentales, siguen siendo muy vigentes. El libro abarca desde los temas más básicos (la Tierra, el Sistema Solar), hasta los temas más avanzados (física de partículas, radioastronomía). Los únicos puntos que han quedado obsoletos son aquellos que cubren hipótesis cercanas a la fecha de publicación de la primera edición, que fue a principios de los años 70. Para esos puntos, esta edición incluye notas a pie de página actualizando datos o aclarando la validez de las hipótesis o teorías mencionadas. Creo que las notas a pie de página son un acierto.
En definitiva, un gran libro si te gusta la astronomía, o tienes un mínimo interés. Me cuesta que pueda haber un libro mejor que este.
Quizás por ello, me animé a leer este libro sobre el Universo. Primeramente, me reencontré en un rastro con uno de esos libros de suplemento. Abarcaba solamente los cinco primeros capítulos de este libro. Finalmente, investigando un poco más, encontré esta edición de la obra completa.
Es un libro maravilloso, suponiendo que te guste la astronomía, claro está. A mi personalmente, me fascina la manera de explicar de Asimov. Creo que esta es la razón por la cual el libro se merece 5 estrellas.
En su pedagogía, Asimov tiende a partir de lo más elemental, y también del origen mismo de las cosas, construyendo poco a poco y cronológicamente, sin dar grandes saltos, hasta llegar a conceptos muy avanzados. Me hubiera gustado aprender así en el instituto, posiblemente hubiese tenido más interés por la física. Otra característica que me gusta mucho de la manera de exponer de Asimov, es que abarca también los caminos cerrados, los caminos que no han llevado a ninguna parte, y que a veces resultan fundamentales para poder comprender aproximaciones posteriores. No me extraña, después de haber leído este libro, y viendo la ingente obra de Asimov, que casi todos sus libros de divulgación científica estén tan bien considerados.
Respecto a la actualidad de los contenidos, creo que como se tratan de conceptos fundamentales, siguen siendo muy vigentes. El libro abarca desde los temas más básicos (la Tierra, el Sistema Solar), hasta los temas más avanzados (física de partículas, radioastronomía). Los únicos puntos que han quedado obsoletos son aquellos que cubren hipótesis cercanas a la fecha de publicación de la primera edición, que fue a principios de los años 70. Para esos puntos, esta edición incluye notas a pie de página actualizando datos o aclarando la validez de las hipótesis o teorías mencionadas. Creo que las notas a pie de página son un acierto.
En definitiva, un gran libro si te gusta la astronomía, o tienes un mínimo interés. Me cuesta que pueda haber un libro mejor que este.
September 30, 2017
Little outdated but provides fantastic insight to the development of techniques and tools in the field of cosmology. absolutely loved it.
January 11, 2014
Yay. This book re-captured for me my love of reading Asimov's nonfiction. I found myself hopping online continually, asking "But what have we learned since 1966 about that?" I was surprised that almost all of the book holds up - where he makes guesses, he's usually right. The fuzzy-sideburned genius.
What was missing? Well, black holes. They'd been theorized by the time the book came out in 1966, but clearly Asimov felt they were too theorhetical to include. He would write about them, if I remember correctly, in his later book "The Exploding Suns". This book ends with the discovery of Quasars and a lot of "Hell if we know what these things are! But here is what we found so far."
A lot of what we've discovered since them makes the universe even weirder. Like... the continuous expansion of spacetime. It... time... expanding... and... brain hurt.
The best compliment to a non-fiction book is that it makes you want to read more on the same subject.
The vast majority of the book, of course, is history - he starts with the earliest recorded guesses about the nature of the universe. I was amazed how far back some discoveries go. "I'm off to record the parallax of nearby stars to confirm the relationship of periodicity to luminosity in Cepheid variable stars! Oh, but first I have lace up my corset and hook this horse up to my buggy," said Henrietta Swan Leavitt, in my imagination.
What was missing? Well, black holes. They'd been theorized by the time the book came out in 1966, but clearly Asimov felt they were too theorhetical to include. He would write about them, if I remember correctly, in his later book "The Exploding Suns". This book ends with the discovery of Quasars and a lot of "Hell if we know what these things are! But here is what we found so far."
A lot of what we've discovered since them makes the universe even weirder. Like... the continuous expansion of spacetime. It... time... expanding... and... brain hurt.
The best compliment to a non-fiction book is that it makes you want to read more on the same subject.
The vast majority of the book, of course, is history - he starts with the earliest recorded guesses about the nature of the universe. I was amazed how far back some discoveries go. "I'm off to record the parallax of nearby stars to confirm the relationship of periodicity to luminosity in Cepheid variable stars! Oh, but first I have lace up my corset and hook this horse up to my buggy," said Henrietta Swan Leavitt, in my imagination.
September 13, 2023
I bought this book a long time ago but never managed to read it. To tell the truth, I thought it would be hopelessly outdated. (And it is.) It appeared in 1967.
At the end Asimov says that the last 25 we had learned more about the Universe than people in all the time before. And what did we learn since then? For example, Asimov spends quite some time on the Steady-State-theory. Although he admits that even Fred Hoyle had admitted (in 1965) that there was a Big Bang.
It is a very good book. In the Asimov style meaning he begins at the beginning and comes to the present and as always it is a delight to learn how theories are born and then die. The problem is that the first part up until say Kant’s hypothesis on the origin of the solar system I have read about a zillion times before (mostly in Asimov books) and the second part is both too detailed for a layman. And in addition I was not sure how much of it is actually still considered true.
The reason I read the book is that I have found an excellent first edition of the German version. So I read part of it in this book whose title is Weltall ohne Grenzen (Space without Frontiers). Which is strange since the whole point of the book is to show how the frontiers moved.
Interestingly, Asimov introduces Henrietta Swan Leavitt and calls her Miss Leavitt from then on. The German translator (a woman) calls her H.S. Leavitt throughout. Good move.
At the end Asimov says that the last 25 we had learned more about the Universe than people in all the time before. And what did we learn since then? For example, Asimov spends quite some time on the Steady-State-theory. Although he admits that even Fred Hoyle had admitted (in 1965) that there was a Big Bang.
It is a very good book. In the Asimov style meaning he begins at the beginning and comes to the present and as always it is a delight to learn how theories are born and then die. The problem is that the first part up until say Kant’s hypothesis on the origin of the solar system I have read about a zillion times before (mostly in Asimov books) and the second part is both too detailed for a layman. And in addition I was not sure how much of it is actually still considered true.
The reason I read the book is that I have found an excellent first edition of the German version. So I read part of it in this book whose title is Weltall ohne Grenzen (Space without Frontiers). Which is strange since the whole point of the book is to show how the frontiers moved.
Interestingly, Asimov introduces Henrietta Swan Leavitt and calls her Miss Leavitt from then on. The German translator (a woman) calls her H.S. Leavitt throughout. Good move.
August 29, 2020
Un libro grande entre los grandes libros de Asimov. Solo con mirar el índice:
nos damos cuenta de que nos estamos apuntando a un viaje de los grandes. Cósmico, si me lo permiten. Asimov habla de todo, y todo nos lo cuenta con esa facilidad y esa claridad que pocos han conseguido. Este libro es uno de los pilares de mi vocación científica.
La Tierra
El sistema solar
Las estrellas
La galaxia
El tamaño de la Galaxia
Otras galaxias
La edad de la Tierra
La energía del Sol
Tipos de estrellas
Evolución estelar
Explosiones estelares
Evolución galáctica
La recesión de las galaxias
El Universo observable
El origen del Universo
Bombardeo de partículas
Fotones energéticos
Radioastronomía
El borde del Universo
nos damos cuenta de que nos estamos apuntando a un viaje de los grandes. Cósmico, si me lo permiten. Asimov habla de todo, y todo nos lo cuenta con esa facilidad y esa claridad que pocos han conseguido. Este libro es uno de los pilares de mi vocación científica.
October 30, 2016
En su faceta de divulgador, Asimov demuestra una maestria única para explicar tópicos que si bien son complicados, él logra hacerlos entendibles y digeribles para el común de los mortales.
Siempre me he sentido fascinado por los misterios del vasto universo, he visto toda la saga "Cosmos" de Carl Sagan, he leído varios libros de Stephen Hawking y ahora terminé este presente libro.
Ciertos temas ya estan desfasados, otros siguen en vigencia. Pero el conjunto general de este escrito, es sencillamente apasionante.
Lo recomiendo muchísimo a quien guste de estos temas, se llevará un grandioso rato en compañia de uno de los escritores más célebres del mundo.
February 10, 2020
Un libro increiblemente bueno, considero que es lectura obligada para quien tiene la astronomía como afición, este es mi caso, el libro no está en absoluto desactualizado a pesar de los años que hace que fue escrito. El estilo de Isaac Asimov explicando conceptos abstractos es único y muy eficaz. No existen fórmulas matemáticas en el libro y básicamente es un recorrido en la historia de como se fue ampliando las distancias del Universo conocido partiendo de una Tierra que se creía plana. Este libro deberían leerlo los terraplanistas. Sin duda lo volveré a leer porque son de esos libros que en la segunda lectura disfrutas más por todo lo que enseña.
March 27, 2011
It's very outdated, but since it's about the evolution of human knowledge on the universe, what it says about our first discoveries is still very interesting. And the author, as always, is very able to translate complex thought into simple words.
September 9, 2016
The only physics book I have ever read. A little out of date, but accurate and immersive. Isaac Asimov the non fiction writer seemed (to me) to write more passionately than Asimov the sci-fi novelist.
June 26, 2018
I read this book several times in high school. I'm not sure how relevant it is today. Our view of the Universe has changed quite a bit from days gone by.
I suppose I would read this again to get a better feel for how much science has changed.
I suppose I would read this again to get a better feel for how much science has changed.
November 3, 2010
An interesting book, although obviously dated. Asimov documents what we know about the universe, and how our knowledge evolved through history.
March 21, 2015
I find this book educational but i lost myself few times in that much of informations. I liked the pictures in the end .:"D
August 24, 2020
En las primeras paginas Asimov introduce un termino que no había notado antes (para un lector aficionado a la ciencia es algo común); Cosmogonía: origen y evolución del universo, en mi entender sólo tenia presente Cosmología: comprensión del universo como un todo.
Al cabo de 482 páginas, es la tercera edición (2012) de este libro (1976) el recorrido es ameno y atrayente, del autor he leído ciencia ficción, pero quería comprobar esa faceta de divulgador científico del que ahora puedo dar una primera opinión y del que antes solo tenia comentarios.
Confirmo esa fama que se tiene sobre él y su amplio conocimiento mas allá de su profesión y sus aportes como uno de los padres de la ciencia ficción, me identifico por completo con esa motivación de conocer, estudiar, cuestionar y darle mil vueltas al asunto hasta que se logre satisfacer las dudas, aunque de cuando en cuando, las dudas regresan y el proceso comienza de nuevo, pero esta vez se está mas preparado para enfrentar los nuevos retos.
Y así es como podemos tomar algo extra de lo que leemos, y nos lo dejamos como una herramienta adicional para aplicarlo a determinadas situaciones que surjan, si no fuese de esa forma que inútil seria invertir nuestro tiempo en algún texto que no nos invite a pensar (en el termino amplio de la palabra), hay poco tiempo y mucho que aprender.
Los finales de los libros siempre tienen una parte interesante, si nos muestra la enseñanza que desea el autor, un final cortado y que te deja con un sin sabor, una indicación de que la historia puede (y tal vez debe) continuar o bien, como en este caso, Asimov nos deja un final con puntos suspensivos por así decirlo, pero está en decisión de cada quien si se continua o bien si se pasa de largo.
Mi elección por supuesto es continuar; el libro termina así:
“Si convenimos en que escarbar en lo desconocido arrojar luz sobre lo que antes era oscuro constituye un juego sumamente intrigante, entonces es seguro que el futuro nos deparará cada vez mas intrigas”.
Al cabo de 482 páginas, es la tercera edición (2012) de este libro (1976) el recorrido es ameno y atrayente, del autor he leído ciencia ficción, pero quería comprobar esa faceta de divulgador científico del que ahora puedo dar una primera opinión y del que antes solo tenia comentarios.
Confirmo esa fama que se tiene sobre él y su amplio conocimiento mas allá de su profesión y sus aportes como uno de los padres de la ciencia ficción, me identifico por completo con esa motivación de conocer, estudiar, cuestionar y darle mil vueltas al asunto hasta que se logre satisfacer las dudas, aunque de cuando en cuando, las dudas regresan y el proceso comienza de nuevo, pero esta vez se está mas preparado para enfrentar los nuevos retos.
Y así es como podemos tomar algo extra de lo que leemos, y nos lo dejamos como una herramienta adicional para aplicarlo a determinadas situaciones que surjan, si no fuese de esa forma que inútil seria invertir nuestro tiempo en algún texto que no nos invite a pensar (en el termino amplio de la palabra), hay poco tiempo y mucho que aprender.
Los finales de los libros siempre tienen una parte interesante, si nos muestra la enseñanza que desea el autor, un final cortado y que te deja con un sin sabor, una indicación de que la historia puede (y tal vez debe) continuar o bien, como en este caso, Asimov nos deja un final con puntos suspensivos por así decirlo, pero está en decisión de cada quien si se continua o bien si se pasa de largo.
Mi elección por supuesto es continuar; el libro termina así:
“Si convenimos en que escarbar en lo desconocido arrojar luz sobre lo que antes era oscuro constituye un juego sumamente intrigante, entonces es seguro que el futuro nos deparará cada vez mas intrigas”.
October 7, 2025
THE FAMED SCIENCE WRITER SUMMARIZES OUR PAST AND FUTURE KNOWLEDGE
Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) was a chemist who is best-known for his voluminous writings (he wrote or contributed to about 500 books) on science, science fiction, and even topics such as the Bible.
He wrote in the first chapter of this 1966 book, “Does the universe extend forever or is there an end somewhere? Does it expand and contract like an accordion, with each in and out motion lasting billions of years? Was there a time when it exploded once and for all and will the flying fragments separate until our own fragment is virtually alone in the universe? Does the universe renew itself and is it eternal, unborn, and undying? We are a fortunate generation, for we are watching a period of astronomy in which the answers to such questions and to many others equally intriguing may actually be at hand…
“[I]f we go back 2500 years to, say, 600 B.C., we will find that the entire Universe known to man was but a patch of flat ground, and not a very large patch either… By what process of reasoning, then, did the narrow surroundings visible to ourselves fade outward and outward and outward until no man’s mind can possibly grasp the size of the Universe we now speak of, or imagine the tiny insignificance of our physical surroundings in comparison with it? In this book I want to trace the steps by which man’s grasp of the Universe as a whole (‘cosmology’) and of its origin and development (‘cosmogony’) widened and deepened.” (Pg.13-14)
He points out, “Indeed, the flat Earth did not even appear to be commonsensical, if one used one’s eyes properly. If the Earth were really flat, then the same stars ought to be visible in the sky from all points… Yet it was the universal experience of travelers that if one traveled north, some stars disappeared beyond the southern horizon and new stars appeared from behind the northern horizon. If one traveled south, the situation was reversed. This could most easily be explained by supposing that the Earth curved in a north-south direction…
“Yet a cylindrical Earth was insufficient. It was the experience of men who lived on the seashore and dealt with ships that vessels heading out to sea did not merely grow smaller and smaller until they disappeared … Instead, they disappeared and did so hull-first as though they were moving beyond the top of a hill. This would be exactly what would be expected if the surface of the Earth were curved. What is more, ships disappeared in much the same fashion no matter toward which point of the compass they moved. Therefore the Earth was curved… in all directions equally; and the only surface that curves in all directions equally is a sphere.” (Pg. 16-17)
He states, “The celestial sphere appears to revolve about the Earth once in 24 hours... In so doing, it seems to carry the stars with it ‘all in one piece.’ … the stars do not shift position relative to one another but remain fixed in place year after year… It seemed natural to believe that the stars were attached to the vault of the sky… and until the 17th century that was, indeed, the common opinion. However, even prehistoric man must have noticed that some of the heavenly bodies moved in relation to the stars and were near one star at one time and near a different star at another. These bodies, therefore, could not be attached to the vault of the sky but must be closer to the Earth than was the sky itself. There were seven such bodies known to the ancients… These seven bodies were called 'planets’ ("wanderers’’) by the Greeks, because they wandered among the stars.” (Pg. 22-23)
He explains, “Once Copernicus had done his work, and the heliocentric theory was… slowly accepted, it became more difficult to attach the proper importance to man. After all, he inhabited only one planet of many, and man’s planet, moreover, was not the largest nor the most spectacular by far. Earth could not begin to compare with Jupiter for size or with Saturn for beauty.” (Pg. 62)
He states, “Isaac Newton was the first to study a man-made rainbow in detail. In 1666, Newton allowed a beam of light to enter a darkened room through a hole… and then pass through a triangular piece of glass or ‘prism.’ The light beam was bent, or ‘refracted’ … and fell on the wall opposite as a broadened spot of successive colors… Newton called the band of colors a ‘spectrum.’” (Pg. 75)
Harlow Shapley calculated the distances of the various 'globular clusters'. “By 1920, then, the position of man in the Universe had again been altered, drastically, and once again in the direction of increased humility. Copernicus had shown that the Earth was not the center of the universe, but he had been certain that the Sun was… Now Shapley showed, quite convincingly, that this was not so, that the Sun was on the far outskirts of the Galaxy.” (Pg. 84)
He asks, "Is it possible for the Sun to support this steady stream of mass at the rate of millions of tons per second? Yes, it certainly is, for the loss is infinitesimally small compared with the total vast mass of the Sun and trillions of years would have to pass before the loss at such a rate would consume even 1 percent of the mass of the Sun. Nor would the loss of mass seriously affect the nature of the Earth’s gravitational field.”(Pg. 121)
He argues, “If we ask… whether the Universe might not be eternal, we are essentially asking whether hydrogen fusion might not go on forever… For a finite Universe to be eternal… there must be some process that can reverse the fusion of hydrogen, restore the hydrogen and make it available for fusion once more… [A]t first glance this does not seem possible… the second law of thermodynamics… tells us that the amount of energy available for conversion to work decreases constantly… We could conclude, then, that … the energy of the Universe will be tied up irrevocably… and that will be the end of the Universe from our standpoint…Yet this conclusion rests on the assumption that the … laws of thermodynamics are really valid everywhere in the Universe… and that they are valid under all possible circumstances and not only those we have been able to witness.” (Pg. 185-186)
He concludes, “the salvation of the steady-state theory seems now a rather forlorn hope. Even [Fred] Hoyle, in 1965, finally gave up and accepts the Big Bang. He speculates, however, that the big bang may still be a local phenomenon; and that we are living in a big bang ‘bubble’ within a much larger Universe… There seems at present, however, no way of checking such a far-ranging supposition.” (Pg. 302)
Nearly sixty years old, this book is obviously ‘out-of-date’ in some aspects of its cosmology; but Asimov’s clear explanations of earlier matters remains very helpful to a general reader.
Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) was a chemist who is best-known for his voluminous writings (he wrote or contributed to about 500 books) on science, science fiction, and even topics such as the Bible.
He wrote in the first chapter of this 1966 book, “Does the universe extend forever or is there an end somewhere? Does it expand and contract like an accordion, with each in and out motion lasting billions of years? Was there a time when it exploded once and for all and will the flying fragments separate until our own fragment is virtually alone in the universe? Does the universe renew itself and is it eternal, unborn, and undying? We are a fortunate generation, for we are watching a period of astronomy in which the answers to such questions and to many others equally intriguing may actually be at hand…
“[I]f we go back 2500 years to, say, 600 B.C., we will find that the entire Universe known to man was but a patch of flat ground, and not a very large patch either… By what process of reasoning, then, did the narrow surroundings visible to ourselves fade outward and outward and outward until no man’s mind can possibly grasp the size of the Universe we now speak of, or imagine the tiny insignificance of our physical surroundings in comparison with it? In this book I want to trace the steps by which man’s grasp of the Universe as a whole (‘cosmology’) and of its origin and development (‘cosmogony’) widened and deepened.” (Pg.13-14)
He points out, “Indeed, the flat Earth did not even appear to be commonsensical, if one used one’s eyes properly. If the Earth were really flat, then the same stars ought to be visible in the sky from all points… Yet it was the universal experience of travelers that if one traveled north, some stars disappeared beyond the southern horizon and new stars appeared from behind the northern horizon. If one traveled south, the situation was reversed. This could most easily be explained by supposing that the Earth curved in a north-south direction…
“Yet a cylindrical Earth was insufficient. It was the experience of men who lived on the seashore and dealt with ships that vessels heading out to sea did not merely grow smaller and smaller until they disappeared … Instead, they disappeared and did so hull-first as though they were moving beyond the top of a hill. This would be exactly what would be expected if the surface of the Earth were curved. What is more, ships disappeared in much the same fashion no matter toward which point of the compass they moved. Therefore the Earth was curved… in all directions equally; and the only surface that curves in all directions equally is a sphere.” (Pg. 16-17)
He states, “The celestial sphere appears to revolve about the Earth once in 24 hours... In so doing, it seems to carry the stars with it ‘all in one piece.’ … the stars do not shift position relative to one another but remain fixed in place year after year… It seemed natural to believe that the stars were attached to the vault of the sky… and until the 17th century that was, indeed, the common opinion. However, even prehistoric man must have noticed that some of the heavenly bodies moved in relation to the stars and were near one star at one time and near a different star at another. These bodies, therefore, could not be attached to the vault of the sky but must be closer to the Earth than was the sky itself. There were seven such bodies known to the ancients… These seven bodies were called 'planets’ ("wanderers’’) by the Greeks, because they wandered among the stars.” (Pg. 22-23)
He explains, “Once Copernicus had done his work, and the heliocentric theory was… slowly accepted, it became more difficult to attach the proper importance to man. After all, he inhabited only one planet of many, and man’s planet, moreover, was not the largest nor the most spectacular by far. Earth could not begin to compare with Jupiter for size or with Saturn for beauty.” (Pg. 62)
He states, “Isaac Newton was the first to study a man-made rainbow in detail. In 1666, Newton allowed a beam of light to enter a darkened room through a hole… and then pass through a triangular piece of glass or ‘prism.’ The light beam was bent, or ‘refracted’ … and fell on the wall opposite as a broadened spot of successive colors… Newton called the band of colors a ‘spectrum.’” (Pg. 75)
Harlow Shapley calculated the distances of the various 'globular clusters'. “By 1920, then, the position of man in the Universe had again been altered, drastically, and once again in the direction of increased humility. Copernicus had shown that the Earth was not the center of the universe, but he had been certain that the Sun was… Now Shapley showed, quite convincingly, that this was not so, that the Sun was on the far outskirts of the Galaxy.” (Pg. 84)
He asks, "Is it possible for the Sun to support this steady stream of mass at the rate of millions of tons per second? Yes, it certainly is, for the loss is infinitesimally small compared with the total vast mass of the Sun and trillions of years would have to pass before the loss at such a rate would consume even 1 percent of the mass of the Sun. Nor would the loss of mass seriously affect the nature of the Earth’s gravitational field.”(Pg. 121)
He argues, “If we ask… whether the Universe might not be eternal, we are essentially asking whether hydrogen fusion might not go on forever… For a finite Universe to be eternal… there must be some process that can reverse the fusion of hydrogen, restore the hydrogen and make it available for fusion once more… [A]t first glance this does not seem possible… the second law of thermodynamics… tells us that the amount of energy available for conversion to work decreases constantly… We could conclude, then, that … the energy of the Universe will be tied up irrevocably… and that will be the end of the Universe from our standpoint…Yet this conclusion rests on the assumption that the … laws of thermodynamics are really valid everywhere in the Universe… and that they are valid under all possible circumstances and not only those we have been able to witness.” (Pg. 185-186)
He concludes, “the salvation of the steady-state theory seems now a rather forlorn hope. Even [Fred] Hoyle, in 1965, finally gave up and accepts the Big Bang. He speculates, however, that the big bang may still be a local phenomenon; and that we are living in a big bang ‘bubble’ within a much larger Universe… There seems at present, however, no way of checking such a far-ranging supposition.” (Pg. 302)
Nearly sixty years old, this book is obviously ‘out-of-date’ in some aspects of its cosmology; but Asimov’s clear explanations of earlier matters remains very helpful to a general reader.
December 6, 2020
Un libro que si bien fue escrito hace ya mi hos años la última edición (2012) incluye algunas notas actualizando algunos datos y si bien del 2012 al 2020 han pasado pocos (o muchos años) la tecnología, I e stigacion y discubrimiwbtos avanzan a un ritmo impresionante donde estoy seguro que mucha información está por actualizarse (Como el descubrimiento de las ondas gravitacionales donde dicen en el libro que no se han podido encontrar).
Libro que habla de la historia que ha hecho el Hombre por entender y descubrir la magia y misterios del universo, empezando por un simple pedazo de tierra que creían "plano" hasta tratar de descubrir que hay más allá del universo Visible.
Por momentos algo denso pero informacion entendible y fácil de comprender.
Libro que habla de la historia que ha hecho el Hombre por entender y descubrir la magia y misterios del universo, empezando por un simple pedazo de tierra que creían "plano" hasta tratar de descubrir que hay más allá del universo Visible.
Por momentos algo denso pero informacion entendible y fácil de comprender.
February 4, 2024
An insightful overview of astronomical models through history. Regression to belief systems that had already been disproven is a common sign of societal decay. The book is full of such examples and we are living another one right now, with the rebirth of new age pseudosciences and the skepticism or outright denial of technological advances mixed with a blind belief in the magical and the extraterrestrial. We feel lost and it's easier to live by a vision we had while drugged than to actually study, work and innovate in a putrid society.
June 9, 2024
Written in 1966 by one of the finest science writers (who wasn't too shabby with sci-fi either) he covers in 'the in-depthest way ever' literally flat earth to quasars. Heavy going it took me, at a couple of pages a time, an extraordinarily long time to read. It's like time travel back to 1966 where all the scientists have (1901- ) open parentheses and the major discoveries are still theory and speculation. Amazing. He has, oh, I dunno 200 more books, so there's that.
March 13, 2021
I read this book in High School study hall. By today’s standards it is now horribly outdated. At the time, however, it explained so many wonderous things that we now take for granted; speed of light, enormity of galaxies, Big Bang theory, etc. If published in the current vernacular, it might be titled “Astrophysics for Dummies”. It had the readability that Carl Sagan later capitalized on.
August 28, 2023
one of the best guides to increase your knowledge about the universe, from both a historical and physical point of view. The vocabulary is quite complex and specific but it explains a lot of information in just a few pages. A great work by Asimov, recommended if you are curious about topics like astrophysics.
December 24, 2023
Aunque hubo partes en las que evidentemente eran exagerados los términos científicos, el resto consistió en una lectura amena, aveces divertida y entretenida. Asimov tiene la habilidad de relatar estos hechos históricos que han marcado la astronomía. Que lindo sería contarle todo lo que ahora sabemos del espacio, que cosas eran ciertas y cuales descubrimos que no lo eran.
May 2, 2024
Para los que la física y la química estaban relegados al recuerdo del colegio, ha servido para volver a recordar muchos conceptos que estaban totalmente olvidados por su desuso en la vida cotidiana y me ha resultado un libro esclarecedor en muchos aspectos. Seguiremos leyendo libros actuales sobre el tema pues este libro es de 1970, pero merece la pena su lectura.
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