Stephen Hawking's Universe

Author: (USA) Fairzen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-03-01
Features: This book is a rare popular science read about the history and frontiers of modern physics and astronomy. It introduces step by step, in plain language, Stephen Hawking's understanding of the universe and humanity's place in it. The author's style is profound yet accessible, using storytelling to introduce the emergence, development, and current research frontiers of modern physics and astronomy. The language is simple and vivid, making it engaging for readers with a high school education to explore the process and principles of modern scientific development, delve into the frontiers of current physics and cosmology, and consciously choose science over superstition.
Stephen Hawking, a renowned theoretical physicist and cosmologist, was born on January 8, 1942, in Oxford, England, which coincidentally marked the 300th anniversary of Galileo's death. At the age of 8, due to his father's work, the family moved to a small town 20 kilometers north of London, Elsternwick, where he completed his secondary education before entering Oxford University to study physics. Later, under the guidance of Dennis Sciama, he earned his doctorate from Cambridge University. In 1974, he became the youngest Fellow of the Royal College. In 1979, he succeeded in the Lucasian Chair of Mathematics at Cambridge University (a title symbolizing supreme academic status, held first by the mathematician Isaac Barrow, whose student Newton succeeded him as the second, and Hawking as the 17th).
The understanding of the recession of galaxies led scientists to develop the Big Bang theory, a theory about the origin of the universe. From this theory, Stephen Hawking and other physicists found themselves challenged when addressing fundamental questions about the universe—such as "What is the nature of the universe?" The Universe of Stephen Hawking narrates their work and provides concise explanations for phenomena that have piqued our curiosity. The author, with a fluent and accessible style, tells us a story about the universe, and each step in the story will help us understand Hawking's universe more clearly. However, Hawking's universe is not the end of the story, and Hawking himself did not believe so either. The author continually conveys a similar viewpoint in the narrative.
"If we assume that our current understanding of the universe has reached a final conclusion, we are likely to repeat the mistakes of the past." "Striving to understand the nature of the universe, as Stephen Hawking and other cosmologists in history have done, will make our lives more complete and perfect."