Death By Blackhole Pa

by Tyson,Neil Degrasse

• ISBN13: 9780393330168
• ISBN10: 0393330168
• Edition: 00
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2007-11-17
• Publisher: W W NORTON

Summary

"One of today\'s best popularizers of science." -- Kirkus ReviewsLoyal 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 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 just what would happen to your body if you fell into one, while "Hollywood Nights" assails Hollywood\'s feeble efforts to get its night skies right. Tyson is the world\'s best-known astrophysicist, and he\'s at his best here, as a natural teacher who simplifies the complexities of astrophysics while sharing his infectious excitement for our universe.

Author Biography

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist with the American Museum of Natural History and serves as director of the world-famous Hayden Planetarium

Table of Contents

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