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Death by black hole : and other cosmic quandaries / Neil deGrasse Tyson.

By: Material type: TextTextPublication details: New York : W.W. Norton, c2007.Edition: 1st edDescription: 384 p. ; 22 cmISBN:
  • 0393062244 :
  • 9780393062243
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 523.8/875 22
Fiction notes: Click to open in new window
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Item type Current library Collection Shelving location Call number Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Phillipsburg Free Public Library Adult Non-Fiction Adult Non-Fiction 523.8875 TYS Available 36748001686908
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A vibrant collection of essays on the cosmos from the nation\'s best-known astrophysicist.

Loyal readers of the monthly "Universe" essays in Natural History magazine have long recognized Neil deGrasse Tyson\'s talent for guiding them through the mysteries of the cosmos with stunning clarity and almost childlike enthusiasm. Here, Tyson compiles his favorite essays across a myriad of cosmic topics. The title essay introduces readers to the physics of black holes by explaining the gory details of what would happen to your body if you fell into one. "Holy Wars" examines the needless friction between science and religion in the context of historical conflicts. "The Search for Life in the Universe" explores astral life from the frontiers of astrobiology. And "Hollywood Nights" assails the movie industry\'s feeble efforts to get its night skies right.

Known for his ability to blend content, accessibility, and humor, Tyson is a natural teacher who simplifies some of the most complex concepts in astrophysics while simultaneously sharing his infectious excitement about our universe.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [363]-368) and indexes.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

  • Preface (p. 11)
  • Acknowledgments (p. 13)
  • Prologue: The Beginning of Science (p. 15)
  • Section 1 The Nature of Knowledge: The challenges of knowing what is knowable in the universe
  • 1 Coming to Our Senses (p. 25)
  • 2 On Earth as in the Heavens (p. 31)
  • 3 Seeing Isn't Believing (p. 38)
  • 4 The Information Trap (p. 48)
  • 5 Stick-in-the-Mud Science (p. 60)
  • Section 2 The Knowledge of Nature: The challenges of discovering the contents of the cosmos
  • 6 Journey from the Center of the Sun (p. 69)
  • 7 Planet Parade (p. 75)
  • 8 Vagabonds of the Solar System (p. 85)
  • 9 The Five Points of Lagrange (p. 95)
  • 10 Antimatter Matters (p. 102)
  • Section 3 Ways and Means of Nature: How Nature presents herself to the inquiring mind
  • 11 The Importance of Being Constant (p. 111)
  • 12 Speed Limits (p. 119)
  • 13 Going Ballistic (p. 127)
  • 14 On Being Dense (p. 135)
  • 15 Over the Rainbow (p. 144)
  • 16 Cosmic Windows (p. 152)
  • 17 Colors of the Cosmos (p. 161)
  • 18 Cosmic Plasma (p. 168)
  • 19 Fire and Ice (p. 175)
  • Section 4 The Meaning of Life: The challenges and triumphs of knowing how we got here
  • 20 Dust to Dust (p. 185)
  • 21 Forged in the Stars (p. 192)
  • 22 Send in the Clouds (p. 199)
  • 23 Goldilocks and the Three Planets (p. 207)
  • 24 Water, Water (p. 213)
  • 25 Living Space (p. 221)
  • 26 Life in the Universe (p. 229)
  • 27 Our Radio Bubble (p. 238)
  • Section 5 When the Universe Turns Bad: All the ways the cosmos wants to kill us
  • 28 Chaos in the Solar System (p. 249)
  • 29 Coming Attractions (p. 254)
  • 30 Ends of the World (p. 263)
  • 31 Galactic Engines (p. 268)
  • 32 Knock 'Em Dead (p. 275)
  • 33 Death by Black Hole (p. 283)
  • Section 6 Science and Culture: The ruffled interface between cosmic discovery and the public's reaction to it
  • 34 Things People Say (p. 291)
  • 35 Fear of Numbers (p. 298)
  • 36 On Being Baffled (p. 303)
  • 37 Footprints in the Sands of Science (p. 309)
  • 38 Let There Be Dark (p. 320)
  • 39 Hollywood Nights (p. 327)
  • Section 7 Science and God: When ways of knowing collide
  • 40 In the Beginning (p. 337)
  • 41 Holy Wars (p. 346)
  • 42 The Perimeter of Ignorance (p. 353)
  • References (p. 363)
  • Name Index (p. 369)
  • Subject Index (p. 373)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

This essay collection was originally published over 11 years in Natural History magazine. Professional astrophysicist Tyson (director, New York City's Hayden Planetarium) talks here mostly about the cosmos as seen by contemporary science, also touching on the history of science. He demonstrates a good feel for explaining science in an intelligible way to interested lay readers; his rather rakish sense of humor should aid in making the book enjoyable. The two concluding chapters address the relationship between science and religion (Tyson is forthright in arguing that "intelligent design" is not science). Because some of the essays concern overlapping topics, certain brief sections might seem repetitious for those reading the volume straight through, but this does not detract significantly from the overall value of the book. Recommended for public and undergraduate college libraries.-Jack W. Weigel, formerly with the Univ. of Michigan Lib., Ann Arbor (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

What would it feel like if your spaceship were to venture too close to the black hole lurking at the center of the Milky Way? According to astrophysicist Tyson, director of New York City's Hayden Planetarium, size does matter when it comes to black holes, although the chances of your surviving the encounter aren't good in any case. Tyson takes readers on an exciting journey from Earth's hot springs, where extremophiles flourish in hellish conditions, to the frozen, desolate stretches of the Oort Cloud and the universe's farthest reaches, in both space and time. Tyson doesn't restrict his musings to astrophysics, but wanders into related fields like relativity and particle physics, which he explains just as clearly as he does Lagrangian points, where we someday may park interplanetary filling stations. He tackles popular myths (is the sun yellow?) and takes movie directors most notably James Cameron to task for spectacular goofs. In the last section the author gives his take on the hot subject of intelligent design. Readers of Natural History magazine will be familiar with many of the 42 essays collected here, while newcomers will profit from Tyson's witty and entertaining description of being pulled apart atom by atom into a black hole, and other, closer-to-earth, and cheerier, topics. 9 illus. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

CHOICE Review

The title is a little misleading; this is a collection of short articles that appeared in Tyson's column in Natural History over the last decade. Astrophysicist Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York, has become a leader in the effort to educate the general public concerning science in general and astronomy in particular. The chapters describe the observations and reasoning that tell astronomers about the universe and the strange objects it contains; they also emphasize that no one knows the nature of most of its matter or of the overall gravitational field that guides its motion. The science is clearly explained in very simple terms, but it is sound; the few errors noticed were in history. An excellent, enjoyable introduction for people who are interested in these questions but know little about them. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. General readers; lower-division undergraduates. D. Park emeritus, Williams College

Booklist Review

Whenever astronomy intrudes on the news, interviewers flock to the telegenic Tyson for an explanation. The high-profile astrophysicist is also an essayist for Natural History, the American Museum of Natural History's monthly that is the source for this volume. His pieces are organized under whimsical banners such as All the ways the cosmos wants to kill us, and Tyson's style will connect with general readers who are interested in the form the apocalypse will take. Scientists know that in a few billion years, an expanding sun will vaporize the earth, provided it's not been previously destroyed by a rogue black hole. Besides regaling spooky stories, the selections deploy movies as an astronomy popularizer, with Tyson critiquing the accuracy of the sky depicted in various scenes. Elsewhere, topics in the history of astronomy and physics fall into two categories: essays about the discovery of physical laws, and about cosmic objects such as galactic gas clouds and quasars. Whatever readers' scientific tastes, something in Tyson's wide-ranging collection will sate them. --Gilbert Taylor Copyright 2006 Booklist

Kirkus Book Review

A collection of the author's astronomy columns from Natural History. Astrophysicist Tyson (Origins, 2004, etc.), director of the American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium, groups his essays into several broad categories. The first, "The Nature of Knowledge," includes pieces on how science has grown because of extensions to our senses via instruments that collect data none of us could otherwise obtain; one essay shows what can be learned by measuring and making calculations from a stick poked into the ground. "The Knowledge of Nature" looks at basic astronomical facts: the planets, the asteroids, the points where gravity holds an object in orbit. "Ways and Means of Nature" discusses natural constants such as the speed of light and the surprisingly complicated question, "What color are the objects around the universe?" (Many published astronomical photographs show colors that correspond not to what an observer in space might see, but to phenomena the astronomer wishes to display graphically, such as the relative temperature of the objects portrayed.) "The Meaning of Life" addresses various conditions that seem to be necessary for life to evolve in a planetary system, including the "Goldilocks" question of the right temperature to allow liquid water on a planet's surface. "When the Universe Turns Bad" discusses cosmic disasters, notably the earth's being incinerated as the sun becomes (in several billion years) a red giant. "Science and Culture" looks at the sometimes uncomprehending reaction of the public to theories and discoveries; in Tyson's opinion, a wider knowledge of simple math might solve many of the most bizarre responses. Finally, "Science and God" touches on those areas where science and religion appear to compete for the same turf: notably, the origin of the universe, and whether it betrays evidence of design. Smoothly entertaining, full of fascinating tidbits and frequently humorous, these essays show Tyson as one of today's best popularizers of science. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
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