Amazing!

I am so grateful to this book for helping me visualize a fourth dimension. I've used the 2D world + 3D sphere analogy many times with remarkable success in helping people visualize it too. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

Very interesting but at times hard to understand without a proper background..

O lectura introductiva asupra gaurilor negre, gaurile de vierme, calatoriile in timp ( trecut - viitor), teoria relativitatii a lui Einstein (generala si speciala), teoria gravitationala a lui Newton, mecanica cuantica, Big Bang, viteza sunetului, unde, expansiunea universului, dimensiuni, multivers, bosonul Higgs („particula Dumnezeu”, 2013), a carui descoperire este anticipata de autor la CERN (Geneva), prin acceleratorul de particule (un tunel de 23 km cu particule ale caror viteze sunt apropiate de viteza luminii) etc. Autorul a incercat sa stocheze foarte sumar cat mai multe notiuni despre univers, intr-un limbaj simplificat, comun, insa nu mi se pare edificator in explicatii. Acesta subliniaza ca stiinta progreseaza intr-un ritm accelerat, insa raman anumite enigme: daca acest univers e inchis/deschis, daca exista multivers, cum poate fi combinata mecanica cuantica cu teoria relativitatii, cum se poate construi o masina a timpului, cum sa depasesti viteza luminii etc. Nu se stie daca vor putea fi demonstrate empiric aceste teorii.

Einstein, in 1915, prin faimoasa ecuatie E = mc², a schimbat si revolutionat intelegerea noastra despre univers, iar autorul, prin aceasta carte, nu ezita sa-i elogieze meritele.

Sa afli ca suntem doar niste entitati organice microscopice in acest univers, un punct in marele plan cosmic, o magaldeata in oceanul infinit, ca exista si altceva in afara acestei planete... Te invata sa apreciezi mai mult acest patos energetic al vietii, ca nimic nu e garantat, ca egocentrismul nostru este insignifiant si lamentabil in fata universului necrutator. As fi vrut ca aceste notiuni sa fie predate in scoli, ca curiozitatea elevilor sa fie stimulata prin misterele nebanuite ale universului.

This is a great book for the layman enthusiast like myself. It got off to a very slow start. I thought I was in for a book written for 12 year-olds. However, as the book added on more and more to the base content, I was damn motivated to continue, just to see if I could wrap my head around each concept.

My biggest fear with this book is that it is now dated by a few years, and new advances have proven or disproved some of the theorems discussed. That's ok though, as I do not need to write my own research paper on the subject of cosmology. :)

The content of this book was not too bad and along the lines of other books I have read on this topic. I like Jim as a writer and a presenter and am generally impressed by his work. My criticism of this book and its low rating are grounded on it being ludicrously overpriced for such a slim volume. I hope that Jim Al-Khalili had no influence over the price and that the blame can be put on a greedy publisher.

actual rating: 4.5

Stay true to its title

This is amazing book for non-scientists new comers to this field.

Why you should read this book?

if you love knowing stuff about universe, black holes etc. The writing is very easy going and concepts are made very easy to understand. If you have read any other book on these topics, I still recommend this book, because it further clarifies some concepts. It's a short book, that's why it doesn't get too dense for not-so-smart guys like me.

Why you shouldn't read this book?
This book is very basic. If you have already read few books on the topic and know about Black Holes, Wormholes, this book won't add anything new.
This book is written a while back. I hope the theories mentioned in this book are still acceptable among scientist.

Interesting, if somewhat condescending. The author seems to be a rather conservative physicist, which makes me wonder why he wrote the book at all. Nevertheless, it's loaded with facts about high-energy physics and easy-to-grok explanations.

"Buchi neri, wormholes e macchine del tempo”; di Jim Al-Khalili; titolo originale: “Black Holes, Wormholes & Time Machines”; traduzione di Elisabetta Maurutto, edizioni Dedalo, Isbn 9788822062673.
Avevo già letto altri libri del medesimo Autore (“La fisica dei Perplessi”, isbn 9788833925158 e la “Fisica del Diavolo”, isbn 9788833923123) e mi ero trovato benissimo con il suo stile veramente accessibile a tutti; quindi, sono andato a “colpo sicuro” e, anche questa volta, sono stato pienamente soddisfatto nelle mie aspettative.
Il Saggio parla, ovviamente della fisica moderna e del suo status quo (anche se ormai ci sono sicuramente pubblicazioni più recenti sull’argomento), soffermandosi sulle meraviglie e sui paradossi che ancora emergono considerando le tre grandi teorie che si cerca di far convergere insieme nella cosiddetta “Teoria del Tutto”: le due teorie di Einstein sulla relatività (generale e ristretta) e gli studi sulla fisica quantistica.
In specifico però, con una strizzatina d’occhio a “Flatlandia”, si parla dello “Spazio” (prima parte), della sua bizzarra natura, delle sue molteplici dimensioni (fino alle 11 previste nella “Teoria delle Stringhe” ... ma pare che non bastino!), della sua origine, insieme a tutto il resto dell’Universo e delle strane caratteristiche di alcuni suoi “corpi” e/o “luoghi” (un buco nero è un corpo, un luogo ... oppure un “non” luogo?). Una seconda parte è dedicata al “Tempo” e alla sua relatività e direzionalità, infine, nella terza parte ci si avventura nel tema dei viaggi nel Tempo. Potremo un giorno viaggiare nel tempo? ... come si viene a capo dei tanti paradossi che questa possibilità renderebbe manifesti? ... cos’è, come si trova o come si “crea” un “Tunnel temporale” o “Wormhole”?
Buona lettura!

Excellent book whose purpose is to familiarize the reader with the universe, how it was created, what it is made of, and how time affects everything.

In order to explain how time travel could be possible (At least in theory), we are treated to a history of science, form the precursors of Newton, to the successors of Einstein.

Despite the fact that this book is now 11 years old, it remains a good and compact introduction to physics, astronomy and cosmology.

I particularly appreciated the description of how a 2D world would cope with 3 dimensions. All sorts of weird things would stat happening. It is an interesting analogy when we consider what happens in our 3D world when scientists focus on quantum mechanics.

A crash course into astrophysics, particles physics, quantum mechanics and of course black holes, wormholes and time machines.

Great book, bit slow to start due to laying down the ground work but worth it when things start to get weird.