#1233 - Brian Cox

This book provides a detailed and accessible account of the evolution of black hole theory, starting from the crisis in Newtonian physics and the development of Einstein's theory of special and general relativity. It covers the initial skepticism and later acceptance of black holes, the work of key physicists such as Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar and Stephen Hawking, and the search for gravitational waves. The book also delves into speculative topics like wormholes and time travel, and includes historical and sociological aspects of scientific research, particularly the rivalry between the USA and the Soviet Union. The text is enriched with illustrations, biographical summaries, a chronology of key events, and technical notes.

In 'A Brief History of Time', Stephen Hawking delves into fundamental questions about the universe, including its origin, the nature of space and time, and the fate of the cosmos. The book discusses key concepts such as the Big Bang, black holes, and the theories of general relativity and quantum mechanics. Hawking also explores the possibility of time travel and wormholes, and he reflects on the intersection of science and philosophy, including the search for a unifying theory of everything and the implications for our understanding of existence and the universe.