Have you ever wondered how the great researchers, explorers, and scientists achieved all they had in the past? Perhaps, a glimpse into the more recent past period and present period would suffice. How would you like to go to the edge of the Earth in search of discovery? Well, it just so happens I know of a very good book that will indeed take you there. Not just to one location, but to many locations all over the globe where great discoveries were made, discoveries that rocked the scientific community and changed the way we think, challenging past theories and understandings of all that is.
This is a wonderful book, and one I’ve had the pleasure of reading personally. Today it sits in my personal library alongside so many of the most popular science books of the greatest scientists of our day. Yes, I highly recommend that you read this book as well. The name of the book is:
“The Edge of Physics – A Journey to the Earth’s Extremes to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe” by Anil Ananthaswamy, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishers, New York, NY, (2010), 322 pages, ISBN: 978-0-618-88468-1.
In this work the reader will learn of all the stories behind the scenes of some of the greatest scientists of our time, their personalities, idiosyncrasies, and work ethic. This book will inspire any scientist, future scientist, or researcher who is out for adventure to achieve major breakthroughs. Many of the stories are so amazing they are almost unbelievable. In fact, the author has carefully chosen events and tales frozen in time which seem surreal to the rest of us.
There are fascinating stories, such as the search for neutrinos in the deep polar ice, far underground. Imagine working in such a ruthless and cold environment. Well, you will meet and get to know the researchers who are making that happen. There are chapters of the great cosmologists and their telescopes and remote locations as they piece together all they can about our universe. The author takes you to the SETI project in search of extra-terrestrials, and the potential chance of first contact.
There are stories of Einstein visiting such remote locations and the meeting of minds of these great discoverers. You will also get a clear view of the ruthless (at times) competition in the sciences for accolades and Nobel Prizes in physics. This book is well footnoted, with lots of information so the reader can fully comprehend exactly the theories and research the scientists are doing in these remote parts of the globe. I hope you will enjoy this book as much as I do.