The Universal Force: Gravity - Creator of Worlds
Louis Girifalco
Abstract
This book conveys the excitement of science and the mystery of nature. It describes gravitation by examining the achievements of those great scientists who have struggled with the seemingly simple facts and managed to extract some truth about the nature of gravity, its origins, and its effects. Gravity is intimately tied up with motion, time, and space. It is responsible for planetary systems, the evolution of stars, the existence of black holes, and the very beginning of the Universe. To look at gravity is to look at the deepest aspects of nature. The historical context ranges from Aristotle' ... More
This book conveys the excitement of science and the mystery of nature. It describes gravitation by examining the achievements of those great scientists who have struggled with the seemingly simple facts and managed to extract some truth about the nature of gravity, its origins, and its effects. Gravity is intimately tied up with motion, time, and space. It is responsible for planetary systems, the evolution of stars, the existence of black holes, and the very beginning of the Universe. To look at gravity is to look at the deepest aspects of nature. The historical context ranges from Aristotle's teleology through Galileo's study of falling bodies and Newton's universal law, to Einstein's curved space. It displays the evolution of the scientific description of gravity as one of the greatest and most fascinating human achievements. Gravity is an excellent example of the scientific search for the ultimate roots of nature, and therefore pursues a kind of mysticism. It reveals mysteries that are stranger and more enthralling than can be imagined. All important science can be understood by any clear thinking, intelligent person with or without a scientific background. The beauty and mysteries of science can be shared with everyone.
Keywords:
gravity,
Galileo,
Newton,
Einstein,
curved space,
mysticism of science,
motion,
time,
space
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2007 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780199228966 |
| Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: January 2008 |
DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199228966.001.0001 |
