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Gravity's Engines: How Bubble-Blowing Black Holes Rule Galaxies, Stars, and Life in the Cosmos
One of The Barnes and Noble Review Editors’ Picks: Best Nonfiction of 2012
Selected by The Christian Science Monitor as one of “21 smart nonfiction titles we think you'll enjoy this summer”
Selected by The New Scientist as one of 10 books to look out for in 2012
We’ve long understood black holes to be the points at which the universe as we know it comes to an end. Often billions of times more massive than the Sun, they lurk in the inner sanctum of almost every galaxy of stars in the universe. They’re mysterious chasms so destructive and unforgiving that not even light can escape their deadly wrath.
Recent research, however, has led to a cascade of new discoveries that have revealed an entirely different side to black holes. As the astrophysicist Caleb Scharf reveals in Gravity’s Engines, these chasms in space-time don’t just vacuum up everything that comes near them; they also spit out huge beams and clouds of matter. Black holes blow bubbles.
With clarity and keen intellect, Scharf masterfully explains how these bubbles profoundly rearrange the cosmos around them. Engaging with our deepest questions about the universe, he takes us on an intimate journey through the endlessly colorful place we call our galaxy and reminds us that the Milky Way sits in a special place in the cosmic zoo—a “sweet spot” of properties. Is it coincidental that we find ourselves here at this place and time? Could there be a deeper connection between the nature of black holes and their role in the universe and the phenomenon of life? We are, after all, made of the stuff of stars.
Selected by The Christian Science Monitor as one of “21 smart nonfiction titles we think you'll enjoy this summer”
Selected by The New Scientist as one of 10 books to look out for in 2012
We’ve long understood black holes to be the points at which the universe as we know it comes to an end. Often billions of times more massive than the Sun, they lurk in the inner sanctum of almost every galaxy of stars in the universe. They’re mysterious chasms so destructive and unforgiving that not even light can escape their deadly wrath.
Recent research, however, has led to a cascade of new discoveries that have revealed an entirely different side to black holes. As the astrophysicist Caleb Scharf reveals in Gravity’s Engines, these chasms in space-time don’t just vacuum up everything that comes near them; they also spit out huge beams and clouds of matter. Black holes blow bubbles.
With clarity and keen intellect, Scharf masterfully explains how these bubbles profoundly rearrange the cosmos around them. Engaging with our deepest questions about the universe, he takes us on an intimate journey through the endlessly colorful place we call our galaxy and reminds us that the Milky Way sits in a special place in the cosmic zoo—a “sweet spot” of properties. Is it coincidental that we find ourselves here at this place and time? Could there be a deeper connection between the nature of black holes and their role in the universe and the phenomenon of life? We are, after all, made of the stuff of stars.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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1086 people want to read
About the author
Caleb Scharf
7 books78 followersCaleb Scharf is a scientist, writer, and speaker. His research career has spanned cosmology, astrophysics, and astrobiology. He is Director of Astrobiology at Columbia University in New York where he pursues fundamental questions about the nature of life in the universe. He is a prolific, critically acclaimed, writer and scientific explainer, with several popular science books and hundreds of articles appearing in publications such as Scientific American, Nautilus, Aeon, and The New Yorker. His public lectures and events have taken him around the globe and he is a frequent consultant for a variety of TV and media science productions. His mantra is: Imagine. Think. Discuss. Repeat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
November 7, 2012
Black holes are the rock stars of cosmology. With the possible exception of the Big Bang, nothing gets better press. And there has been plenty written about the guts of black holes – but in Gravity’s Engines, Caleb Scharf turns the picture on its head and explores the interaction of black holes with the environment around them.
The result is stunning. I can’t remember when I last read a popular science book where I learned as much I hadn’t come across before. In particular Scharf’s descriptions of the super-massive black holes in the centres of galaxies and how they influence the formation and structure of the galaxies is truly fascinating.
What’s more, this is no workmanlike bit of dull scientist droning, like some books by astronomers. Scharf can wax lyrical when taking us on a journey through space. I particularly loved the cosmic zoom fairly early on in the book, where he follows X-ray photons from a distant galaxy 12 billion light years away, very cleverly linking their flight to events on Earth (once it had formed around 4.5 billion years ago) that were happening at the same time.
The book is not without problems. Often the description is great, but sometimes it tips over into the flowery. It’s difficult not to lose interest a bit when Scharf goes into the details of his own work in a lengthy section. The attempt to show that black holes are somehow responsible for life on Earth stretches the credulity. And worst of all, Scharf never admits how much of what’s in the book is speculative, stating almost all of it as if it were unquestioned fact. So, for instance, dark matter is taken for granted with nary a mention of the competing MOND theory. I don’t think scientists (especially cosmologists) do themselves any favours when they pretend they deal in absolute facts.
This doesn’t detract though from the reality that this is the best cosmology book I’ve read all year, and a must for anyone with an interest in black holes. Recommended.
Review first published on www.popularscience.co.uk
The result is stunning. I can’t remember when I last read a popular science book where I learned as much I hadn’t come across before. In particular Scharf’s descriptions of the super-massive black holes in the centres of galaxies and how they influence the formation and structure of the galaxies is truly fascinating.
What’s more, this is no workmanlike bit of dull scientist droning, like some books by astronomers. Scharf can wax lyrical when taking us on a journey through space. I particularly loved the cosmic zoom fairly early on in the book, where he follows X-ray photons from a distant galaxy 12 billion light years away, very cleverly linking their flight to events on Earth (once it had formed around 4.5 billion years ago) that were happening at the same time.
The book is not without problems. Often the description is great, but sometimes it tips over into the flowery. It’s difficult not to lose interest a bit when Scharf goes into the details of his own work in a lengthy section. The attempt to show that black holes are somehow responsible for life on Earth stretches the credulity. And worst of all, Scharf never admits how much of what’s in the book is speculative, stating almost all of it as if it were unquestioned fact. So, for instance, dark matter is taken for granted with nary a mention of the competing MOND theory. I don’t think scientists (especially cosmologists) do themselves any favours when they pretend they deal in absolute facts.
This doesn’t detract though from the reality that this is the best cosmology book I’ve read all year, and a must for anyone with an interest in black holes. Recommended.
Review first published on www.popularscience.co.uk
January 5, 2016
If you only read one book on black holes, let this be that book. Scharf has a rare ability to view the universe from the type of wide scope that allows for a fairly complete understanding of how our beautiful cosmos works. Often concepts are isolated. Scharf has a talent to tie things together.
There have been some updates from Hawking as of late, concerning the event horizon of black holes. This book goes into glorious detail about what sorts of things occur near a black hole. It is easy to think about how different views can all be considered. While working out the exact details of the event (or apparent) horizon, Scharf can give you the big picture. He is simply the best at explaining the relation of black holes and the matter around them. After reading this book, you will have a good grasp on how black holes have influence over the creation, duration of activity, size, and destruction of whole galaxies. Never sensational but always interesting, Scharf provides solid and fantastic arguments to consider. Don't be afraid to take your time in some chapters. At times, he tend to pack a lot of information into a few pages. I read and reread.
There have been some updates from Hawking as of late, concerning the event horizon of black holes. This book goes into glorious detail about what sorts of things occur near a black hole. It is easy to think about how different views can all be considered. While working out the exact details of the event (or apparent) horizon, Scharf can give you the big picture. He is simply the best at explaining the relation of black holes and the matter around them. After reading this book, you will have a good grasp on how black holes have influence over the creation, duration of activity, size, and destruction of whole galaxies. Never sensational but always interesting, Scharf provides solid and fantastic arguments to consider. Don't be afraid to take your time in some chapters. At times, he tend to pack a lot of information into a few pages. I read and reread.
April 9, 2017
This is a wonderful and informative book about galactic black holes and how they drive the evolution of stars in a galaxy. The author overuses flowery/poetic language but sometimes this works with the profundity of the subject matter. Other times it's a bit silly.
August 25, 2013
Gravity’s Engines is a book of two parts. The first part provides a thorough and workmanlike account of black holes -- the “engines” of the title -- for the non-scientist. Although there are several other books around which set out to cover much the same ground, there is always room for another, and this one has the advantage (for the time being at least) of being the most up to date.
Of course, there is no point in being up to date unless the story is told accurately, and Caleb Scharf, who is Director of Columbia University’s Astrobiology Center, clearly knows his stuff. The extra ingredient be adds to the mix is his interest in the origin of life in the Universe, and the role that black holes have played in creating conditions suitable for life. This is the theme of the second part of the book, which becomes the narrative of a personal drama as Scharf describes his own research and the combination of serendipity and hard work which has made it possible to establish those links. This lifts Gravity’s Engines well out of the rut, and leaves most of its competitors trailing in its wake.
This is not to say that Scharf neglects his history. I was delighted to see John Michell, the eighteenth century (yes! eighteenth century) father of black hole theory given his due credit, along with the twentieth century pioneers who rediscovered black holes in the context of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity. Even in this part of the book, the mind-boggling nature of the Universe is brought home with such insights as the fact that the space between a star like the Sun and its nearest neighbour is 30 million times the diameter of the Sun itself, and that there are 10 billion stars in the Universe for every human being who has ever walked the Earth. Closer to home, the role of gravity as an energy “engine” is neatly highlighted by a discussion of how the Hoover Dam converts gravitational energy into electric power. “Cosmic equivalents of the Hoover Dam,” says Scharf, “involve a whole different order of physics that builds on these terrestrial examples,” and then he goes on to explain that whole different order of physics.
Scharf really gets into his stride when he tells the story of the supermassive black holes that lurk at the hearts of many, if not all, galaxies, including our own Milky Way. “Our” black hole is relatively small -- “only” four million times as massive as the Sun. Other galaxies, including our near neighbour in Andromeda, contain black holes hundreds of times more massive even than this. Matter falling in to such objects swirls around and atoms rub together, generating heat “like spinning a stick against another piece of wood to start a fire”, but in this case producing enough heat to make the material radiate across the electromagnetic spectrum, including X-rays and gamma rays. Magnetic fields in this swirling mass are twisted into a kind of “magnetic spaghetti”, and electrically charged particles squirt out through this spaghetti at nearly the speed of light, blasting out into the Universe across thousands of light years. All this activity occurs early in the life of a galaxy, before it settles down into a quiet middle age. This youthful activity, though, profoundly affects the formation of stars in the galaxy itself -- and beyond. Some galaxies contain black holes with billions of times the mass of the Sun, occupying a volume no bigger across than the orbit of Neptune around our Solar System, but extending their influence through a cosmic bubble 30 million light years across.
The story of how we know all this is told through Scharf’s personal experience, based on research using data from successive generations of space observatories probing the Universe with X-ray telescopes, and observations from the largest terrestrial telescopes. He tells a fascinating tale of how, as is so often the case in science, he stumbled into black hole research while looking for something else, and provides insight into the collaborative nature of modern scientific research. But the most stunning insight is into the way modern astronomers extract maximum information from minimum data. One of the key discoveries in the black hole story came from an analysis of just150 photons (particles of light) that had spent 12 billion years on their way across the cosmos to us.
So where does life come in to the story? Scharf makes a persuasive case that galaxies which harbour the largest black holes are just too dangerous for life, since repeated outbursts from the central “engine” will sterilise them. On the other hand, modest black hole activity can stir things up and encourage the formation of the kind of elements (carbon, oxygen and so on) that are essential for life as we know it. The Milky Way, he says, is “smack dab in the sweet spot of supermassive black hole activity”. “That we live in a large spiral galaxy with very little central stellar bulge and a modest central black hole may be a clue to the type of galaxies best suited to life”. In fact, my own research suggests that our Milky Way galaxy is not particularly large, but a rather average spiral; but if anything that makes it more likely that life exists elsewhere in the Universe. Whether there is intelligent life, though, is, of course, another matter.
I very much enjoyed reading Gravity’s Engines. Even on the rare occasions where I disagreed with the author, his ideas made me think. One quibble. The text is badly let down by the inferior illustrations. But this is still an excellent book.
This review first appeared in the Wall Street Journal
February 24, 2014
Gravity's engines is a good, "middling", "one of the books to read" for anyone passionately interested in the latest cosmology. And it is just about that.
The book is certainly not for the neophytes. The author tries hard to make the subject understandable, but moves too superficially on many of the important connected topics and dives perhaps too deep in the narrow field of Black Holes and universe formation to provide a satisfactory overview of reality as it is.
For those well-versed with the basics of astronomy, modern particle physics, relativity and evolutionary universe theories, the book does add some new points based on the latest discoveries and hypotheses but they are few and far between. Somewhat strangely for a book that specializes on a subject, it fails to broach almost any of the counterarguments, alternate theories and critics.
Even for the people experienced on the topics through popular science books, the text is likely to prove a bit heavy. Normal life examples used to make the topic understandable or the explanations provided are not the easiest to grasp despite the author's best efforts. This is likely due to the nature of the topic, which is extremely important and relatively unaddressed in other general books.
The book is certainly not for the neophytes. The author tries hard to make the subject understandable, but moves too superficially on many of the important connected topics and dives perhaps too deep in the narrow field of Black Holes and universe formation to provide a satisfactory overview of reality as it is.
For those well-versed with the basics of astronomy, modern particle physics, relativity and evolutionary universe theories, the book does add some new points based on the latest discoveries and hypotheses but they are few and far between. Somewhat strangely for a book that specializes on a subject, it fails to broach almost any of the counterarguments, alternate theories and critics.
Even for the people experienced on the topics through popular science books, the text is likely to prove a bit heavy. Normal life examples used to make the topic understandable or the explanations provided are not the easiest to grasp despite the author's best efforts. This is likely due to the nature of the topic, which is extremely important and relatively unaddressed in other general books.
June 8, 2015
Terminato ieri sera. Un libro molto scorrevole nonostante l'argomento ostico, ben spiegato e anche aggiornato ai dati attuali. Se volete capire perchè l'universo è quello che è e come abbiamo fatto a capirlo, allora Caleb Scharf è il divulgatore che fa per voi.
December 5, 2015
The idea of singularities, massive black holes - ravenous behemoths, lurking at the center of every galaxy is fairly mind-blowing. Most of the concepts are well illustrated and there are simple but effective diagrams throughout the book.
The ideas behind Caleb Scharf's area of expertise - black holes and their effects on the formation of galaxies and even superclusters of galaxies is intriguing and he makes a very plausible case for most of his speculations and hypotheses.
I liked the author's writing style. He uses many many metaphors to illustrate difficult concepts about the early universe and its evolution, including black hole physics. Sometimes there were too many metaphors and that distracted somewhat from the reading in parts (if a metaphor takes more imagination to unravel mentally than the thing it is supposed to be describing, then that is distracting).
But I enjoyed the book and his way or organizing information to take the reader on a journey from the universe's inception to its current state. He doesn't speculate heavily about the end of the universe, something that I found refreshing in an astrophysical book. He takes us also on a local journey, placing the earth firmly in its not all too glorious place in the galaxy. I was impressed and caught up in the author's enthusiasm in talking about his work which is also clearly his passion.
I will be looking to read more of his popular science books.
The ideas behind Caleb Scharf's area of expertise - black holes and their effects on the formation of galaxies and even superclusters of galaxies is intriguing and he makes a very plausible case for most of his speculations and hypotheses.
I liked the author's writing style. He uses many many metaphors to illustrate difficult concepts about the early universe and its evolution, including black hole physics. Sometimes there were too many metaphors and that distracted somewhat from the reading in parts (if a metaphor takes more imagination to unravel mentally than the thing it is supposed to be describing, then that is distracting).
But I enjoyed the book and his way or organizing information to take the reader on a journey from the universe's inception to its current state. He doesn't speculate heavily about the end of the universe, something that I found refreshing in an astrophysical book. He takes us also on a local journey, placing the earth firmly in its not all too glorious place in the galaxy. I was impressed and caught up in the author's enthusiasm in talking about his work which is also clearly his passion.
I will be looking to read more of his popular science books.
June 19, 2018
A very novel approach can be learnt on reading this wonderfully written book by a active researcher in the study of dynamics of galaxy clusters and their reciprocation with supermassive black holes. From this majestic point of view the author attempts to find a link between the activities of supermassive black holes in their life cycles and existence of life itself, hence the reference in the title as 'other side of black holes'. It is not referring to the domain inside event horizon as it may appear after looking at the title. The tandem of creation of cradles for new stars and destruction to limit the sizes of galaxy clusters as seen to be executed through the activities of the black holes is mind boggling. It is analogous to a gargantuan breathing by the supermassive black holes that shape its neighbourhood. It is very bold and speculative yet if such leaps of thought are not taken then new views or paradigm shifts will not happen.
A very humbling and rich experience after reading this book. I suggest the ever inquisitive minds to definitely read it.
A very humbling and rich experience after reading this book. I suggest the ever inquisitive minds to definitely read it.
July 22, 2014
An amazingly written book. The author really know how to explain things well and tie it into an overriding narrative. If you have any interest in black holes and galaxy formation (and who among us doesn't!), this book is a must listen. You will become completely up to date in the subject.
Usually, I don't like it when the author does his own reading, but Mr. Scharf does an excellent job and makes the reading as exciting as the subject matter deserves.
I can't recommend this book strongly enough. He explains flawlessly. For example, he explained Einstein's gravitational equation in words in such a way that for the moment I was listening to it, I really understood what it meant. He is that good at explaining.
Usually, I don't like it when the author does his own reading, but Mr. Scharf does an excellent job and makes the reading as exciting as the subject matter deserves.
I can't recommend this book strongly enough. He explains flawlessly. For example, he explained Einstein's gravitational equation in words in such a way that for the moment I was listening to it, I really understood what it meant. He is that good at explaining.
May 16, 2020
Excellent, accessible, but I'm going to have to read it again to really understand it.
June 13, 2013
The first half of this book discusses gravity and Scharf clears up a few points that have been confusing. Does an object free float in space or free fall? Scharf answers this indirectly (this is probably not a question for him) when he writes about an object "falling in the gravity field of a massive object." Does gravity "pull" light, thereby bending it? Again, indirectly, Scharf notes that light has no mass, but "simply follows the shortest path in time and space" toward a massive body. We also learn that space is not so empty after all. It consists of electro-magnetic radiation, atomic and sub-atomic particles and dark matter (and dark energy?).
I also like his statement that the colder gas is, "the more sluggish the particles get. Eventually, close to absolute zero, they should all stand still, but for their inherent quantum qiggling and jostling." But he is really making a point about the tension between inward gravity and outward pressure. The hotter the gas, the faster the motion of particles and "the greater the particles' thermal energy." This creates pressure, "which resists efforts to contain it." As matter falls into gravity wells (black holes), "the incessant motion of that matter is like having an infestation of springy fleas that you're trying to trap inside smaller and smaller boxes. The moving molecules just don't want to be confined." I'm thinking "explosion" is next, but then Scharf begins the next paragraph with "Objects can also explode," suggesting that explosion is not the inevitable result.
The author states that it is "light's constant pace that actually defines what we mean by space and time," but how that is so, is not clear. Throughout this book, he refers to spacetime, but then tucks in a problematic reference to "the immense stretchng out of space," leaving the reader to wonder what happened to "time."
The second half of this book on black holes and gravity is more challenging, but Scharf opens up a whole new cosmic territory to explore. Black holes are not just a collapsed star. They exist at the centers of galaxies. In such "colossal" black holes, matter flows inward, where it is compressed into smaller space and convered into higher temperatures. Then what happens? Energy is "liberated" and flows outward. This is new information as a general impression is that what goes into a black hole does not come out. Scharf seems to argue that energy flows outward from many of these black holes (from explosions or otherwise (?)), and thereby furnishes the cosmos with new material to work with - to form new stars, new planets and, in our case at least, the materials necessary for life. He writes that "...[As]cosmic gas, dust, and stars appreoach the event horizon, their dissolution generates vast amounts of energy that pours noisily back out into the universe. In all of nature, black holes are the most efficient engines for converting matter into energy." In other words, black holes, millions and billions (?) of years old, are the hearts of the cosmos, pulsating with the inward death of matter and outward life of energy. I believe this is what the author means by "Gravity's Engines."
I also like his statement that the colder gas is, "the more sluggish the particles get. Eventually, close to absolute zero, they should all stand still, but for their inherent quantum qiggling and jostling." But he is really making a point about the tension between inward gravity and outward pressure. The hotter the gas, the faster the motion of particles and "the greater the particles' thermal energy." This creates pressure, "which resists efforts to contain it." As matter falls into gravity wells (black holes), "the incessant motion of that matter is like having an infestation of springy fleas that you're trying to trap inside smaller and smaller boxes. The moving molecules just don't want to be confined." I'm thinking "explosion" is next, but then Scharf begins the next paragraph with "Objects can also explode," suggesting that explosion is not the inevitable result.
The author states that it is "light's constant pace that actually defines what we mean by space and time," but how that is so, is not clear. Throughout this book, he refers to spacetime, but then tucks in a problematic reference to "the immense stretchng out of space," leaving the reader to wonder what happened to "time."
The second half of this book on black holes and gravity is more challenging, but Scharf opens up a whole new cosmic territory to explore. Black holes are not just a collapsed star. They exist at the centers of galaxies. In such "colossal" black holes, matter flows inward, where it is compressed into smaller space and convered into higher temperatures. Then what happens? Energy is "liberated" and flows outward. This is new information as a general impression is that what goes into a black hole does not come out. Scharf seems to argue that energy flows outward from many of these black holes (from explosions or otherwise (?)), and thereby furnishes the cosmos with new material to work with - to form new stars, new planets and, in our case at least, the materials necessary for life. He writes that "...[As]cosmic gas, dust, and stars appreoach the event horizon, their dissolution generates vast amounts of energy that pours noisily back out into the universe. In all of nature, black holes are the most efficient engines for converting matter into energy." In other words, black holes, millions and billions (?) of years old, are the hearts of the cosmos, pulsating with the inward death of matter and outward life of energy. I believe this is what the author means by "Gravity's Engines."
July 28, 2019
Well, now I am familiar with universe terms and mechanisms of working.
August 24, 2012
Really a wonderful book, despite the ridiculously long subtitle. If you're interested in cosmology, this is a must-read. It's about real science, with real evidence, and real uncertainty. This is what popular science books should be.
May 14, 2017
While this was totally enjoyable, I feel like there wasn't a heck of a lot of information or decisive opinion in here. I liked the almost poetic nature in which the subject of black holes was discussed, but I'm not entirely sure what I was supposed to get out of it.
August 25, 2021
Very accessible writing about often difficult-to-grasp concepts. I enjoyed the history of scientific thinking and discovery about the nature of the universe.
I found the latter chapters more challenging than the earlier ones. The author throws a lot of information at the reader. It's a difficult subject. He makes it as easy as possible, but it's still tough to wrap one's brain around.
My end-of-the-book takeaways are these. (1) Carl Sagan said in "Cosmos" that we are made of "star stuff". Scharf expands on what that simple statement means. (2) Supermassive black holes and a few other big things in the universe aren't just curiosities of nature. We wouldn't be here if they didn't function as they do. Hence the subtitle "How Bubble-Blowing Black Holes Rule Galaxies, Stars, and Life in the Cosmos." Which is us.
I found the latter chapters more challenging than the earlier ones. The author throws a lot of information at the reader. It's a difficult subject. He makes it as easy as possible, but it's still tough to wrap one's brain around.
My end-of-the-book takeaways are these. (1) Carl Sagan said in "Cosmos" that we are made of "star stuff". Scharf expands on what that simple statement means. (2) Supermassive black holes and a few other big things in the universe aren't just curiosities of nature. We wouldn't be here if they didn't function as they do. Hence the subtitle "How Bubble-Blowing Black Holes Rule Galaxies, Stars, and Life in the Cosmos." Which is us.
November 3, 2024
Mind Boggling!
Mr. Scharf writes (in a condensed paragraph):
“In 4 billion to 5 billion years, the curved spacetime containing the masses of Andromeda and the Milky Way will cause them to merge. In fact, they’ve already started falling toward each other. … But eventually the combined content of these two great systems may settle into something resembling an elliptical galaxy, and Andromeda and the Milky Way will be no more. … (long before) This tiny scrap of rock and water that took life from microscopic single-celled organisms to beings like us in just a few billion years will be erased.”
So, although this book is probably as close as any layman will get to understanding Black Holes, one has to wonder when the expenditure of brainpower and money necessary to arrive at this understanding will ever turn out to be worthwhile.
Mr. Scharf writes (in a condensed paragraph):
“In 4 billion to 5 billion years, the curved spacetime containing the masses of Andromeda and the Milky Way will cause them to merge. In fact, they’ve already started falling toward each other. … But eventually the combined content of these two great systems may settle into something resembling an elliptical galaxy, and Andromeda and the Milky Way will be no more. … (long before) This tiny scrap of rock and water that took life from microscopic single-celled organisms to beings like us in just a few billion years will be erased.”
So, although this book is probably as close as any layman will get to understanding Black Holes, one has to wonder when the expenditure of brainpower and money necessary to arrive at this understanding will ever turn out to be worthwhile.
December 18, 2021
Outstanding. A model of popular science writing, this book by a practitioner of XRay astronomy of far away galaxy superclusters draws you step by step into very recent discoveries of properties of supermassive black holes and their prevalence. Along the way, white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes are very originally (and correctly) explained. Next comes the puzzles of quasars. A fine mix of references to how theoretical work supplemented and helped explained these powerful quasi stellar radio sources, which continue to be discovered. How the early universe has a different fraction of these.
I would rate this as one of the best books on the subject, and it is very easy to read. A Christmas gift to yourself if you like science.
I would rate this as one of the best books on the subject, and it is very easy to read. A Christmas gift to yourself if you like science.
October 19, 2024
Another book in my interest of astrophysics and black holes. This one focuses on how black holes tend to shape the environment such as serving to regulate the size of galaxies and the growth of stars within them. Interesting subject matter but I think the key concepts covered in the book could have been covered much more quickly. There was a fair bit of repetition in the book with basic concepts touched on over and over again. The author also wrote entire sections that were based on the story of his scientific work which was a departure from the rest of the book which was focused on the actual physics concepts. In summary, I found the book a bit tedious but did enjoy reading about how black holes shape the surrounding environment.
June 26, 2020
Most often what we hear about black holes is about their physical characteristics only, the various theories and paradoxes of a singularity, an event horizon. This book is about how black holes function in nature, the emergent systems and balance of forces that result from galaxies, star clusters, and black holes developing together in our universe. The message I take is one of interconnectedness. Black holes may be strange, but they are not a science horror story to scare kids with — they are a beautiful and essential part of nature that shapes what our universe is, and plays a vital role in our universe's capacity to be a living one.
August 26, 2020
The author had good intentions, but lacked the explanations for neophytes, and the depth for those looking for new information. He explained concepts with great analogies, but anyone who isn’t familiar with many of the principals may get lost in them. I enjoyed the whole overview of the entire history, even the small contributions scientists made, and the first-hand experience of his. He explained beyond the physical characteristics, and discussed all kinds of different theories from many different viewpoints. However, I wish he also discussed some of the counter-evidence to black holes and some of the other concepts brought up.
October 21, 2018
An excellent primer, enthusiastic but not overwhelming, and understandable but never simple. Starting with Einstein's explanations of how gravity is just the curvature of spacetime, affecting even light, to the discovery that objects could collapse to be massive and small enough to trap even light within their event horizons, and to recent developments in cosmology and telescopy that fit black holes into the history and geography of our universe. Not sure I understood it all, but I still gained a lot.
June 16, 2018
There is a lot we still don’t know about the Universe, but we are slowly getting there and this book has some intriguing theories about how black holes effect galactic formations. Lots of new information for the amateur Cosmologist, and some speculations that may soon be tested with new space telescopes.
April 4, 2019
Would have been nice to have an explanation of hawking radiation and how blackholes are seemingly a counter to the universal laws of entropy. Still, the author writes charmingly with an ear for the ignorance of the layman. He uses metaphors without overloading the prose with unecessary analogies. This book is the perfect length.
June 10, 2023
I enjoyed it a lot. It's certainly impressive and inspiring to read about new discoveries in astronomy at this scale. Great for people looking to learn, in very readable pop-sci style, about recent (2012) understanding of black holes. I only wish it had more images or diagrams, not just words. Science is best communicated by a variety of means.
September 22, 2024
Reads like an exciting adventure novel
I enjoyed this book so much. Mind blowing concepts told with remarkable clarity and a good sense of humor. I found that it also made me more aware of the everyday physics going on around me that I usually take for granted. Highly recommended.
I enjoyed this book so much. Mind blowing concepts told with remarkable clarity and a good sense of humor. I found that it also made me more aware of the everyday physics going on around me that I usually take for granted. Highly recommended.
October 5, 2024
Well written and researched. Great prose. My issue- too much math in the prose; I need formulas for to conceptualize what is going on. I felt a bit like a firehose of numbers flying at me. Selection from MIT Club of Austin and San Antonio book group. Note, many of the other members really enjoyed this book a lot.
November 14, 2024
This is a challenging read. My rating reflects an appreciation for acquiring new information about black holes and cosmology, in general, and not necessarily for the skill of the author in conveying it in a manner that wasn’t confusing. I’m not qualified to make a grander judgement about how reasonable that might be for an interested reader who is not an astrophysicist.
September 26, 2017
The idea of black holes was not completely thought out when I was studying, it was so incredible to read up on the current state of research into black holes. It is clearly written, interestingly told and the writer includes personal touches in his story.
October 2, 2017
I don't see the structure, synthesis and simple language I expect from a science book. It looks to me like an excellent magazine article of 220 pages. Nevertheless the point of view is different from other black hole literature, and the topic very interesting.
January 27, 2018
I probably need to re-listen as I haven't paid enough attention. Sometimes the book gets into redundant, not-quite-accurate analogy building for the physical processes described. The book popularizes astrophysics (i.e. it's closer to astronomy than to speculative theoretical physics).
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