The Lightness of Being
Big Questions, Real Answers
Published on 4. February 2010
Book
Paperback/Softback
292 pages
978-0-14-104314-2 (ISBN)
Description
The Lightness of Being is a tour de force, revealing a universe where matter is the hum of strange music, mass doesn't weigh, and empty space is a multilayered, multicoloured superconductor. Physicists' understanding of the essential nature of reality changed radically over the past quarter century. And Frank Wilczek has played a lead role in establishing the new paradigms. Transcending the clash and mismatch of older ideas about what matter and space are, Wilczek presents some brilliant and clear syntheses.
Extraordinarily readable and authoritative, The Lightness of Being is the first book to unwrap these exciting new ideas for the general public. Pointing to new directions where great discoveries in fundamental physics are likely, and providing a visionary context for the experiments in CERN, he envisions a new Golden Age in physics.
Extraordinarily readable and authoritative, The Lightness of Being is the first book to unwrap these exciting new ideas for the general public. Pointing to new directions where great discoveries in fundamental physics are likely, and providing a visionary context for the experiments in CERN, he envisions a new Golden Age in physics.
Reviews / Votes
The Lightness of Being is an apt description of Wilczek's writing style ... at once profound and light, filled with humour, wordplay and original explanations * New Scientist * Read Wilczek's book ... to share some of the excitement and enlightenment ... as the Large Hadron Collider goes into operation in Switzerland * Natural History * Wilczek possesses a compelling writing style ... The beauty of the intellectual leaps, the grandness of the discovery, are palpable * St Petersburg Times * Frank Wilczek has the rare ability to communicate scientific ideas and insights with exceptional clarity - but also with a delightful playfulness * Jerome I. Friedman, Nobel Laureate, MIT *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
222 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-14-104314-2 (9780141043142)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
06/2009
1st Edition
Penguin Books Ltd
€9.49
Available for download
Person
Born in New York, Frank Wilczek studied at the University of Chicago and gained his Ph.D. in physics at Princeton University. Frank won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2004 for work he did as a twenty-one-year-old graduate student. His writing has featured twice in Best American Science Writing and his exposition of modern physics, Longing for the Harmonies was named New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Frank is currently Herman Feshbach Professorship of Physics at MIT. He lives in Massachusetts, with his wife, Betsy Devine.