Combining fragility and endurance, delicacy and power, light has always fascinated us; as the phenomenon that keeps matter together and may hold the key to time itself, it remains the universes greatest puzzle. This book offers an accessible history of scientific investigation into light, from early theories of Chinese, Greek and Arab thinkers through Newton and Einstein to possible future applications of its quantum behaviour.
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This is the story of light and the people who were determined to unlock the secrets of one of the greatest puzzles of the Universe.
Brian Clegg is fascinated by light, and his sense of wonder comes across clearly in the engagingly written Light Years. He takes us on a tour of the human exploration of light, from early Chinese and Greek philosophers through Arabic and medieval European investigations to the most recent scientific breakthroughs, pausing on the way to admire how artists such as Turner and Manet incorporated ideas about light into their work. Light has many crucial functions: sunlight is the source of all life on Earth; the speed of light is fundamental to Einstein's theory of special relativity; a constant exchange of photons within atoms helps keep matter stable. It's a fascinating subject, and Clegg clearly explains the evolving theories of the nature of light, covering the work of dozens of scientists. In a series of refreshingly lively short biographies, he animates their varied lives and places their research into historical context, as light's complex nature was gradually revealed and some of its power harnessed. From photography to lasers, light has opened up vast realms of technical possibilities--from fibre optic communications to holographic storage of data. Recent research activity has seen light slowed down almost to a standstill, while others have even pushed light beams faster than Einstein's absolute-maximum speed limit of 300,000 kilometres per second. It seems certain that light will play a major part in the technologies of the 21st century, and this book may well whet the reader's appetite to learn more. --Elizabeth Sourbut
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