Black Holes and Baby Universes

A collection of essays from the noted scientist includes personal reminiscences, a call for better science education, and explorations of the origins of the universe

Readers worldwide have come to know the work of Stephen Hawking through his phenomenal million-copy hardcover best-seller A Brief History of Time. Bantam is proud to present the paperback edition of Dr. Hawking's first new book since that event, a collection of fascinating and illuminating essays, and a remarkable interview broadcast by the BBC on Christmas Day, 1992. These fourteen pieces reveal Hawking variously as the scientist, the man, the concerned world citizen, and-always-the rigorous and imaginative thinker. Hawking's wit, directness of style, and absence of pomp characterize all of them, whether he is remembering his first experience at nursery school; calling for adequate education in science that will enable the public to play its part in making informed decisions on matters such as nuclear disarmament; exploring the origins of the future of the universe; or reflecting on the history of A Brief History of Time. Black Holes and Baby Universes is an important work from one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century.

In his phenomenal bestseller A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking literally transformed the way we think about physics, the universe, reality itself. Widely regarded as the most brilliant theoretical physicist since Einstein, he has opened our minds to today's most important scientific ideas about the cosmos. Now Stephen Hawking returns to shed new light on the darkest regions of space and time...and to reveal an extraordinary array of possibilities for our understanding of the universe.
These thirteen essays and one remarkable extended interview broadcast over the BBC on Christmas day 1992 range from the autobiographical to the purely scientific. Building on his earlier work, Stephen Hawking discusses imaginary time, how black holes can give birth to baby universes, and scientists' efforts to find a complete unified theory that would predict everything in the universe, a concept that he believes will come to seem as natural to the next generation as the idea that the world is round.
With the great unfolding mysteries of the universe as a backdrop, Stephen Hawking also reflects on free will, the value of life, and his perceptions of death. He looks at how science theory converges with - and diverges from - science fiction, as well as how science fact interfaces with our own lives.
The pieces in this collection reveal Stephen Hawking variously as the scientist, the concerned world citizen, the man, and - always - the rigorous and imaginative thinker. Severely disabled by ALS - Lou Gehrig's disease - he describes the way in which this has affected but not constrained his personal and intellectual life: from the special computer technology that lets him translate his thoughts into words and his words into sounds, enabling him to write and speak, to the process of evolving his ideas, teaching his students, and working with his colleagues.
Using his characteristic mastery of language, his sense of humor, his commitment to plain speaking, and his disdain for pompousness, Stephen Hawking invites us in this book to know him better and to share his passion for the voyage of intellect and imagination that has opened new ways to understanding the very nature of the universe.

A collection of brilliant and insightful essays from the scientist and author of A Brief History of Time includes personal reminiscences, a call for better science education, and explorations of the origins of the universe. 135,000 first printing. $135,000 ad/promo.

General

ISBN		9780553095234
Fiction/Non-Fiction		Non-Fiction
Publisher		Bantam Dell Pub Group
List Price		$21.95
Author		Hawking, Stephen W.
Publication Date		10/01/1993
Release Status		Out of Stock Indefinitely
Format		Hardcover
Language		English
Measurements		Height: 9.5 Inches (US) Width: 6.25 Inches (US) Thickness: 0.75 Inches (US) Unit Weight: 0.9 Pounds (US)