Dimensions
129 x 197 x 19mm
The Historical Quest to Quantify Space.
An exciting and accessible mix of history and cutting-edge science, 'Measuring the Universe' chronicles man's attempts to push back the frontiers of understanding.
How far . . . how fast . . . how big . . . how old . . . who are we? The questions range from the mechanical to the metaphysical, but all are rooted in centuries-old curiosity, and much besides mathematics and astronomy has gone into answering them. Politics, religion, philosophy and personal ambition have all played roles in this drama.
'Measuring the Universe' examines these scientific puzzles and the tricky human milieu in which they have been studied, argued, and sometimes solved. From the early Greeks' experiments in working out the circumference of the earth, to the latest probings beyond the borders of the observable universe, intelligent minds have asked questions about our universe, and our place in it. This compelling adventure story whisks us through three millennia of scientific ingenuity and intellectual history, and leaves us poised on the twenty-first century cutting edge of science.
