Barrow, John D The Book of Nothing ISBN 13: 9780099288459

The Book of Nothing - Softcover

9780099288459: The Book of Nothing
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From the zeros of the mathematician to the void of the philosophers, from Shakespeare to the empty set, from the ether to the quantum vacuum, from being and nothingness to creatio exnihilo, there is much ado about nothing at the heart of things. Recent exciting discoveries in astronomy are shown to shed new light on the nat

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Review:
From our modern perspective, it is easy to deride the wranglings of medieval scholars over the number of angels that could dance of the head of a pin and whether Nature abhors a vacuum. But as John Barrow reveals in this timely and important book, new discoveries in science have shown that these scholars were right to suspect that Nothing has hidden depths.

It is a concept shot through with paradoxes: even innocent-looking phrases like "Nothing is real" flip their meanings as we ponder them, like those illusions that look like a vase one moment, and opposing faces the next. Nothing is fertile, too, as Barrow shows via a stunning trick that allows every number one can think of to be built out of nothing at all.

But his book is about far more than mind games. Arguably, the most important discovery of 20th-century physics is that there is no such thing as nothing: even the tightest vacuum is teeming with subatomic particles popping in and out of existence, according to the dictates of quantum theory. Now, many astronomers suspect that such "vacuum effects" may have triggered the Big Bang itself, filling our universe with matter. Indeed, the very latest observations suggest that vacuum effects will dictate the ultimate fate of the universe.

As an internationally respected cosmologist, Barrow does a fine job of explaining these new discoveries. The result is a book that is required reading for anyone who wants to understand why there will be much ado about Nothing among scientists in the years ahead. --Robert Matthews, Amazon.co.uk

From the Inside Flap:
What conceptual blind spot kept the ancient Greeks (unlike the Indians and Maya) from developing a concept of zero? Why did St. Augustine equate nothingness with the Devil? What tortuous means did 17th-century scientists employ in their attempts to create a vacuum? And why do contemporary quantum physicists believe that the void is actually seething with subatomic activity? You'll find the answers in this dizzyingly erudite and elegantly explained book by the English cosmologist John D. Barrow.
Ranging through mathematics, theology, philosophy, literature, particle physics, and cosmology, The Book of Nothing explores the enduring hold that vacuity has exercised on the human imagination. Combining high-wire speculation with a wealth of reference that takes in Freddy Mercury and Shakespeare alongside Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking, the result is a fascinating excursion to the vanishing point of our knowledge.

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  • PublisherTRAFALGAR SQUARE +
  • Publication date2001
  • ISBN 10 0099288451
  • ISBN 13 9780099288459
  • BindingPaperback
  • Number of pages400
  • Rating

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Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780375726095: The Book of Nothing: Vacuums, Voids, and the Latest Ideas about the Origins of the Universe

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ISBN 10:  ISBN 13:  9780375726095
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2002
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  • 9780375420993: The Book of Nothing: Vacuums, Voids, and the Latest Ideas About the Origins of the Universe

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  • 9780224059626: The Book Of Nothing

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Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. 'Barrow explains nothing with great clarity, a lovely lightness of touch and enormous erudition' SpectatorHow do you begin to understand the concept of nothing?Where does it begin and where does it end?From the zeros of the mathematician to the void of the philosophers, from Shakespeare to the empty set, from the ether to the quantum vacuum, from being and nothingness to creatio ex nihilo, there is much ado about nothing at the heart of things.Recent exciting discoveries in astronomy are shown to shed new light on the nature of the vacuum and its dramatic effect upon the explanation of the Universe. This remarkable book ranges over every nook and cranny of nothingness to reveal how the human mind has had to make something of nothing in every field of human enquiry. Where does it begin and where does it end?From the zeros of the mathematician to the void of the philosophers, from Shakespeare to the empty set, from the ether to the quantum vacuum, from being and nothingness to creatio ex nihilo, there is much ado about nothing at the heart of things. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780099288459

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Book Description Condition: New. 2001. New Ed. Paperback. From the zeros of the mathematician to the void of the philosophers, from Shakespeare to the empty set, from the ether to the quantum vacuum, there is much ado about nothing at the heart of things. This book covers various aspects of nothingness to reveal how the human mind has had to make something of nothing in every field of human enquiry. Num Pages: 400 pages, map, portraits. BIC Classification: HP; PDZ. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 195 x 130 x 26. Weight in Grams: 286. . . . . . Seller Inventory # V9780099288459

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