Author : Martin Harwit
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1107661188
Total Pages : 413 pages
Book Rating : 4.89/5 ( download)
Book Synopsis In Search of the True Universe by : Martin Harwit
Download or read book In Search of the True Universe written by Martin Harwit and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2013-11-18 with total page 413 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Astrophysicist and scholar Martin Harwit examines how our understanding of the cosmos advanced rapidly during the twentieth century and identifies the factors contributing to this progress. Astronomy, whose tools were largely imported from physics and engineering, benefited mid-century from the US policy of coupling basic research with practical national priorities. This strategy, initially developed for military and industrial purposes, provided astronomy with powerful tools yielding access - at virtually no cost - to radio, infrared, X-ray, and gamma-ray observations. Today, astronomers are investigating the new frontiers of dark matter and dark energy, critical to understanding the cosmos but of indeterminate socio-economic promise. Harwit addresses these current challenges in view of competing national priorities and proposes alternative new approaches in search of the true Universe. This is an engaging read for astrophysicists, policy makers, historians, and sociologists of science looking to learn and apply lessons from the past in gaining deeper cosmological insight.