March 1, 2024
Theoretical physicist de Rham explores the essence of gravity, the basic physical force of attraction in the universe as well as a force in the intense situations that shape human life. Her sense of wonderment is infectious. She describes gravity as ""the overarching miracle connecting everything, everywhere, forever in the Universe."" We are, indeed, subject to gravity's relentless pull but still find ways to briefly defy it by jumping or flying in an airplane. Gravity has a dual nature, comprised of fundamental particles (gravitons) and waves (light). De Rahm discusses the curvature of spacetime, black holes, pulsars, the Big Bang, cosmic voids, the Higgs boson, and dark energy. She shares aspects of her life, from her education to travel, family, a dashed dream of becoming an astronaut, and research. Readers without a background in science will find this book very challenging. Yet de Rham's writing sometimes floats beyond gravity when considering concepts of curiosity, rules, uncertainty, perseverance, and, most notably, failure. She decides that the benefit of falling is the opportunity to successfully get back up.
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January 1, 2024
An acclaimed physicist takes a deep dive into one of the most fundamental and mysterious forces of the universe. On a superficial level, gravity seems to be a fairly simple concept--it makes objects fall--but to inquiring minds like de Rham's, a professor of theoretical physics at Imperial College London, gravity represents a series of puzzling challenges. The author admits to a long-standing obsession with it, fueled by her pursuits of scuba diving and piloting a light airplane. She recounts how she was extremely close to becoming an astronaut but was thwarted at the last minute by a diagnosis of latent tuberculosis. The setback led de Rham to delve even further into the subject of gravity; in this book, she explains its nature and operations, from Newton's theories to black holes. This is an inherently complex subject, and the author sometimes seems to forget that not everyone has an advanced degree in physics. She works through Einstein's theory of gravity, taken as scientific gospel for decades. The emergence of quantum mechanics led to cracks in the Einsteinian picture, and de Rham capably traces the arguments. Gravity appears to work in light-like waves, known to physicists as "glight." The author and her colleagues, however, believed that the jigsaw puzzle still had missing pieces, so they began to develop a theory of a new force called "massive gravity," which has led to a widespread questioning of prevailing views. The theory is the subject of heated debate within the physics community; if proven, it would create a critical shift in thinking about astrophysics. This book may lose general readers in the scientific thickets, but those who enjoy the work of James Gleick and Brian Greene will find it an intriguing read. At the leading edge of science, this book combines innovative research with a personal story.
COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.