Discusses relativity theory and quantum physics, introducing and explaining the ground-breaking ideas of Newton and Boltzmann, Einstein and Schroedinger, Penrose and Hawking. It zooms in on the behaviour of molecules and atoms, and pulls back to survey the expansion of the universe. Two Concepts of Time; 2. Taking Space-Time Seriously; 4.
The Labyrinth of Time: Introducing the Universe
From Flat to Curved Space-Time; 5. Weaving the Cosmic Tapestry; 6. Science Fact or Science Fiction? Physical Systems and their State Spaces; 9. Time Asymmetry and the Second Law; Entropy, Electrodynamics and the Role of Gravity; The Unyielding Past; The Emergence of Order; From Quantum Leaps to Schrodinger's Cat; Schrodinger's Time Traveller; Space, Time, and Quantum Gravity: Physics at the Frontier; I'm confused, to say the least! Aug 20, Michael Chase rated it liked it. This is a quite interesting book, filled with interesting discussions and tidbits of information, although perhaps lacking structure overall.
It has the flavor of being based on a series of articles that are more or less closely related although the author nowhere acknowledges this. He provides interesting insight on time in Einsteinian relativity and the tensed versus non-tensed view of time otherwise known as presentism vs. Lockwood ultimately supports the block view of time, i.
The Life of Psi
It is astonishing, however, that Lockwood can write p. Some parts are fairly technical on Hamiltonians or Fitzgerald-Lorentz length contractions, or pseudo-Riemannian manifolds, hyper-surfaces of constant mean extrinsic curvature, Riemann, Ricci and Weyl tensors, etc. Perhaps the book's most disappointing feature is how it ends: There is no attempt to tie all the book's themes together in a conclusion, so that everything ends - ironically enough, given that it devotes quite a bit of discussion to Big Bang cosmology - not with a bang but with a whimper.
Jun 16, Peter Mcloughlin rated it really liked it Shelves: A fun book for lay people that explores the major problems of time in Physics and Philosophy. It starts with the first question is time real scientists and philosophers disagree and the author seems to think it doesn't exist. The next question is do we live in a block universe i. This idea can be expressed by a god's eye view of the universe.
God would know every position of every object at every moment.
The entire past and future would be known to Him A fun book for lay people that explores the major problems of time in Physics and Philosophy. The entire past and future would be known to Him. The universe would appear an intricate 4 dimensional sculpture to Him. General and special relativity imply the same picture.
We move onto questions of why the future seems different than the past. We remember the past but not the future. This has to do with entropy in daily life you cannot unscramble a scrambled egg. That is entropy the universe and most things in it go from a low amount of disorder to higher amounts of disorder. Locally some parts of the universe can lower the amount of disorder but only at a cost in terms of even greater disorder to the universe.
This loophole allows for life to come into existence of course this ordering of life adds to the disorder of the universe so the second law of thermodynamics increasing entropy is not violated. The book also talks about backward time travel and paradoxes around it an even brings in Quantum Mechanics and the many worlds theory as a possible resolution of this paradox.
The book covers most of the things that scientists and philosophers are working on in regards to time and explains it a relatively straightforward manner. Mar 05, Erik rated it really liked it.
Michael Lockwood is one of my favorite philosophers, but this is not his best work. A brilliant writer, Lockwood illuminates the philosophical questions about past, present, and future, our experience of time, and the possibility of time travel, in a book that is both challenging and great fun.
- The Labyrinth of Time.
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- Introducing the Universe.
Indeed, he provides the most careful, lively, and up-to-date introduction to the physics of time and the structure of the universe to be found anywhere in print. He guides us step by step through relativity theory and quantum physics, introducing and explaining the ground-breaking ideas of Newton and Boltzmann, Einstein and Schroedinger, Penrose and Hawking.
The Labyrinth of Time:Introducing the universe
We zoom in on the behavior of molecules and atoms, and pull back to survey the expansion of the universe. We learn about entropy and gravity, black holes and wormholes, about how it all began and where we are all headed. Lockwood's aim is not just to boggle the mind but to lead us towards an understanding of the science and philosophy. A model of balance and clarity. Two Concepts of Time 2. Taking Space-Time Seriously 4. From Flat to Curved Space-Time 5. Weaving the Cosmic Tapestry 6.
The Labyrinth of Time - Paperback - Michael Lockwood - Oxford University Press
Science Fact or Science Fiction? Physical Systems and their State Spaces 9. Time Asymmetry and the Second Law Entropy, Electrodynamics and the Role of Gravity The Unyielding Past The Emergence of Order