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hk_read's review
4.0
It was Einstein’s dream to discover the grand design of the universe, a single theory that explains everything. Hawking, considered one of the most intelligent man alive today and the coauthor Mlodinow's with his exceptional writing style brings out this masterpiece; trying to explain the intricacies of the Universe we live in. The book tries to answer some of the basic questions we all ask every time. Why do we exist? Why are the laws of nature what they are? Did the universe need a designer and creator?
Authors have done a great job in explaining the scientific point of view while answering these questions. The last one attracted a lot of controversies due to its blatant attack on Biblical theory of Origin and creation. Hawking tries to prove that the Universe does not need a creator but can spontaneously appear out of nothing, each with different laws of nature.
The book gives us a lot of smart but simple examples and pictures and along with brilliant narration, it has attained the status of a must have on your shelf. For grownups like us it’s like revisiting your old physics class and for younger generation it is the future reference book.
Authors have done a great job in explaining the scientific point of view while answering these questions. The last one attracted a lot of controversies due to its blatant attack on Biblical theory of Origin and creation. Hawking tries to prove that the Universe does not need a creator but can spontaneously appear out of nothing, each with different laws of nature.
The book gives us a lot of smart but simple examples and pictures and along with brilliant narration, it has attained the status of a must have on your shelf. For grownups like us it’s like revisiting your old physics class and for younger generation it is the future reference book.
jesperhauge's review against another edition
4.0
The good thing about Hawkings popular science books, is that they're always very much up to date on the latest discoveries and theories, so you'll seldom miss out on any of the latest developments in modern physics.
In this book Hawkings describes what implications the latest discoveries in physics, has for metaphysical thinking and theories of mind and will. This is very interesting, but I can't help but feel that Hawkings, who on the first page in this book declares philosophy dead, miss out on a lot of philosophical discussions the thoughts and theories in this book points at.
In this book Hawkings describes what implications the latest discoveries in physics, has for metaphysical thinking and theories of mind and will. This is very interesting, but I can't help but feel that Hawkings, who on the first page in this book declares philosophy dead, miss out on a lot of philosophical discussions the thoughts and theories in this book points at.
_ash0_'s review against another edition
4.0
Just some months back, there was a lot of hullabaloo about Stephen Hawking’s new book, where he stated : “Modern physics has now proved that God played no role in the creation of the universe.” Atheists and theists, everyone was commenting on this statement. Theists wrote a lot of posts (just on WordPress) refuting Hawking’s statement and saying that god was indeed instrumental in creating the Universe. I so badly wanted to read this book, when I heard about it in February. Finally I got hold of the book recently and finished it in just 2 days. The book was so interesting that I could not put it down. Even though I knew a lot about M-theory and String theory, it was still nice to hear all this from Stephen Hawking. I went gaga over his Brief history of Time when I read it during my school days. This book if not as good as his earlier bestseller, is still a great book to read.
In Brief History of Time, he suggested there might be God’s hand in creating the Universe, but now with the new theories that have come up, he says it is possible to explain everything from quantum mechanics to large objects like planets and galaxies, using a set of theories.
The book starts with a mention of inventions/discoveries made by scientists in the past, starting with the Greek mathematicians to the modern day scientists. In this book, we find answers to these questions:
What is the origin of the laws of nature?
Are there any exceptions to the laws i.e miracles?
Is there only one set of possible laws?
“Traditionally these are questions for philosophy, but philosophy is dead. Philosophy has not kept up with modern developments in science, particularly physics.” : an excerpt from the book.
The book starts with an introduction to various laws like the Maxwell’s electromagnetism, Newton’s gravity and interference, Einstein’s general relativity and photoelectric effect, quantum mechanics, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, Fenyman’s alternative histories and wave/particle duality of light. Then it explains the 4 forces in nature which need to be bound into a single law: Gravity, Electromagnetism, Strong nuclear force and Weak nuclear force. M-theory claims to unite all these forces into a single theory and using Fenyman’s sum over histories, the laws no more breakdown at the time of origin of the Universe, the way Einstein’s equations did.
I am sure anyone who has read something about string theory would know some of the stuff explained in the book, but the narration was still good. Only feature the book lacked in was that there was absolutely no mathematics and most of the theories were just “touched”, not explained in lot of detail. This is a good book if you are looking for an introduction to all the theories that have been proposed by scientists regarding birth of the Universe. But if you already know these theories and are looking for something more, then this is not the book for you.
This statement is something that I loved in the book – “Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist.” It feels great to see how much science has progressed, from the days when people thought Earth was the center of the universe and everything else went around it, or the days when people thought wolves ate sun during Solar Eclipse to the present day when we know that Earth is nothing more than a speck of dust in the entire Universe. And with the new theories in place, our universe is again one amongst the many many universes that exist
I give this book 4/5 since it made a very interesting read.
In Brief History of Time, he suggested there might be God’s hand in creating the Universe, but now with the new theories that have come up, he says it is possible to explain everything from quantum mechanics to large objects like planets and galaxies, using a set of theories.
The book starts with a mention of inventions/discoveries made by scientists in the past, starting with the Greek mathematicians to the modern day scientists. In this book, we find answers to these questions:
What is the origin of the laws of nature?
Are there any exceptions to the laws i.e miracles?
Is there only one set of possible laws?
“Traditionally these are questions for philosophy, but philosophy is dead. Philosophy has not kept up with modern developments in science, particularly physics.” : an excerpt from the book.
The book starts with an introduction to various laws like the Maxwell’s electromagnetism, Newton’s gravity and interference, Einstein’s general relativity and photoelectric effect, quantum mechanics, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, Fenyman’s alternative histories and wave/particle duality of light. Then it explains the 4 forces in nature which need to be bound into a single law: Gravity, Electromagnetism, Strong nuclear force and Weak nuclear force. M-theory claims to unite all these forces into a single theory and using Fenyman’s sum over histories, the laws no more breakdown at the time of origin of the Universe, the way Einstein’s equations did.
I am sure anyone who has read something about string theory would know some of the stuff explained in the book, but the narration was still good. Only feature the book lacked in was that there was absolutely no mathematics and most of the theories were just “touched”, not explained in lot of detail. This is a good book if you are looking for an introduction to all the theories that have been proposed by scientists regarding birth of the Universe. But if you already know these theories and are looking for something more, then this is not the book for you.
This statement is something that I loved in the book – “Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist.” It feels great to see how much science has progressed, from the days when people thought Earth was the center of the universe and everything else went around it, or the days when people thought wolves ate sun during Solar Eclipse to the present day when we know that Earth is nothing more than a speck of dust in the entire Universe. And with the new theories in place, our universe is again one amongst the many many universes that exist
I give this book 4/5 since it made a very interesting read.
goguma's review against another edition
4.0
I would like to say kalau buku ini mewakili perjalanan mengikuti mata kuliah peminatan tentang lahirnya jagat raya seperti kosmologi, astrofisika, dan relativitas umum. Entah 3 atau 2 sks dengan 16kali pertemuan lumayan buat mual melihat cacing-cacing kosmik lol.
Buku hawking dengan buku kuliah yang bersangkutan perbedaannya ada di penyampaian yang ringkas dan to the point, tidak ada rumus, dan timelinenya juga runtut.
untuk orang yang masih berusaha open sama pemikiran saintis yang ego seperti saya, aku harus menyampaikan bahwa ilmu/teori/pengetahuan itu dinamis. and its okay to change your perspective when you know the new one.
“Nobody understands quantum mechanics.” - Rick Feynman
Buku hawking dengan buku kuliah yang bersangkutan perbedaannya ada di penyampaian yang ringkas dan to the point, tidak ada rumus, dan timelinenya juga runtut.
untuk orang yang masih berusaha open sama pemikiran saintis yang ego seperti saya, aku harus menyampaikan bahwa ilmu/teori/pengetahuan itu dinamis. and its okay to change your perspective when you know the new one.
“Nobody understands quantum mechanics.” - Rick Feynman
bupdaddy's review
2.0
I really looked forward to reading this, and I was really disappointed.
First of all, it's a very short 180 pages. Each new chapter gets a title on one page, then a blank page, then the chapter starts. There are several full page pictures with the backs blank. Even the number of words on a page seems small. They really stretched to make this thing a book. It's a long essay.
Second, having read [b:The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory|771|The Elegant Universe Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory|Brian Greene|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1430864039l/771._SY75_.jpg|907243], I can say that that book explains things much better. I only have a layperson's understanding of anything physics, and the usual discussions of relativity (imagine someone shining a beam of light who's in a moving train or on a jet or whatever, and the perceived speed of light from an observer on the train or jet or whatever and a person on the ground, but now accept that the speed of light stays the same but that time must be different for the two observers) are done so casually here that the diagram of a photon bouncing between two plates shows it going vertically while moving laterally, while the discussion is of a beam of light going front to back on an airplane moving forward.
I also found the discussions on quantum theory wanting. Again, I'm comparing it to Greene's discussion, and some famous experiments shooting photons through one slit or two. I can't wrap my head around it entirely, but I still want more than this too-brief discussion that concludes that our universe has many histories. I mean, if you want me to accept that, sell me on it!
Finally, and I guess they were trying to make it 'friendly,' there are a lot of one-liners that aren't funny. They tip their hands, they try too hard, and there's exactly one per section.
I have to acknowledge one thing I liked - there was a short section explaining why we are lucky to exist in three dimensions, and not more, even if the universe itself has more dimensions. Apparently they're aren't simple stable orbits in four dimensions. Oops, I spoiled it.
I would have given this one star except that I realized I might have thought more of this book if I hadn't read Greene's first.
First of all, it's a very short 180 pages. Each new chapter gets a title on one page, then a blank page, then the chapter starts. There are several full page pictures with the backs blank. Even the number of words on a page seems small. They really stretched to make this thing a book. It's a long essay.
Second, having read [b:The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory|771|The Elegant Universe Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory|Brian Greene|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1430864039l/771._SY75_.jpg|907243], I can say that that book explains things much better. I only have a layperson's understanding of anything physics, and the usual discussions of relativity (imagine someone shining a beam of light who's in a moving train or on a jet or whatever, and the perceived speed of light from an observer on the train or jet or whatever and a person on the ground, but now accept that the speed of light stays the same but that time must be different for the two observers) are done so casually here that the diagram of a photon bouncing between two plates shows it going vertically while moving laterally, while the discussion is of a beam of light going front to back on an airplane moving forward.
I also found the discussions on quantum theory wanting. Again, I'm comparing it to Greene's discussion, and some famous experiments shooting photons through one slit or two. I can't wrap my head around it entirely, but I still want more than this too-brief discussion that concludes that our universe has many histories. I mean, if you want me to accept that, sell me on it!
Finally, and I guess they were trying to make it 'friendly,' there are a lot of one-liners that aren't funny. They tip their hands, they try too hard, and there's exactly one per section.
I have to acknowledge one thing I liked - there was a short section explaining why we are lucky to exist in three dimensions, and not more, even if the universe itself has more dimensions. Apparently they're aren't simple stable orbits in four dimensions. Oops, I spoiled it.
I would have given this one star except that I realized I might have thought more of this book if I hadn't read Greene's first.
lizella's review against another edition
4.0
I love these types of books on science. This is one of the most concise and thought-provoking I’ve come across on our understanding of the universe and how we define reality as well as a brief history on how our understanding has progressed through history. I would not expect any less from the mind of Stephen Hawking, with a smattering of humor throughout. I am sure this is one I will revisit from time to time.
okcomp16's review
4.0
I'm surprised about how much I understood excluding the more complicated math that was mentioned but not explained.
It was mostly theoretical, I understood just about everything or at least I think I did, I can't really know, but for a person that isn't a physicist, the certainty that I have right now surprises me.
That is the biggest compliment I can give this book, despite the fact that is an incredibly complicated subject, It was hard sometimes, but I could read it and finish it. Sometimes information piled and I needed to stop to take a break from all the information but the writing in itself is very accessible.
Regarding the topic, I don't know if it's possible to prove this theory, I need to read more about it, but I understood the logic behind it, the book perfectly explains how this theory came to be.
In the beginning, the book claims "philosophy is dead" but ironically this reads a great deal like a philosophy book and I loved every philosophical moment in here, the chapter "What is reality?" was my favorite and the model-dependent realism has now become my new answer to the question. This mix of philosophy with physics is ideal for me, I felt fascinated by everything I learned and now I have an urge to annoy people by telling them about it.
It was mostly theoretical, I understood just about everything or at least I think I did, I can't really know, but for a person that isn't a physicist, the certainty that I have right now surprises me.
That is the biggest compliment I can give this book, despite the fact that is an incredibly complicated subject, It was hard sometimes, but I could read it and finish it. Sometimes information piled and I needed to stop to take a break from all the information but the writing in itself is very accessible.
Regarding the topic, I don't know if it's possible to prove this theory, I need to read more about it, but I understood the logic behind it, the book perfectly explains how this theory came to be.
In the beginning, the book claims "philosophy is dead" but ironically this reads a great deal like a philosophy book and I loved every philosophical moment in here, the chapter "What is reality?" was my favorite and the model-dependent realism has now become my new answer to the question. This mix of philosophy with physics is ideal for me, I felt fascinated by everything I learned and now I have an urge to annoy people by telling them about it.
wannabekingpin's review
5.0
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: A scientific take on philosophical questions: how, why, and what made the Universe, our planet, us, the way it all is? A beautiful explorative book, full of history, ideas, theories, and known facts.
My Opinion: It’s a very easy to read, and easy to follow book on mysteries of the universe, its very existence. Touching upon many a relevant experiment, and discoveries, Stephen Hawking, and Leonard Mlodinow guides us through the life as we know it.
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: A scientific take on philosophical questions: how, why, and what made the Universe, our planet, us, the way it all is? A beautiful explorative book, full of history, ideas, theories, and known facts.
My Opinion: It’s a very easy to read, and easy to follow book on mysteries of the universe, its very existence. Touching upon many a relevant experiment, and discoveries, Stephen Hawking, and Leonard Mlodinow guides us through the life as we know it.