In theory, at least, gravitational waves do exist. We are
constantly bathed in gravitational radiation, which is generated
when stars explode or collide and a portion of their mass becomes
energy that ripples out like a disturbance on the surface of a
serene pond. But unfortunately no gravitational wave has ever been
directly detected even though the search has lasted more than forty
years.
As the leading chronicler of the search for gravitational waves,
Harry Collins has been right there with the scientists since the
start. The result of his unprecedented access to the front lines of
physical science is "Gravity's Ghost, "a thrilling chronicle of
high-stakes research and cutting-edge discovery. Here, Collins
reveals that scientific discovery and nondiscovery can turn on
scientific traditions and rivalries, that ideal statistical
analysis rests on impossible procedures and unattainable knowledge,
and that fact in one place is baseless assumption in another. He
also argues that sciences like gravitational wave detection, in
exemplifying how the intractable is to be handled, can offer
scientific leadership a moral beacon for the twenty-first century.
In the end, "Gravity's Ghost" shows that discoveries are the
denouements of dramatic scientific mysteries.
General
| Imprint: |
University of Chicago Press
|
| Country of origin: |
United States |
| Release date: |
December 2010 |
| First published: |
December 2010 |
| Authors: |
Harry Collins
|
| Dimensions: |
236 x 153 x 21mm (L x W x T) |
| Format: |
Hardcover - Cloth over boards
|
| Pages: |
200 |
| ISBN-13: |
978-0-226-11356-2 |
| Categories: |
Books >
Science & Mathematics >
Science: general issues >
General
Promotions
|
| LSN: |
0-226-11356-6 |
| Barcode: |
9780226113562 |
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