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Full Description
Humanity's relationship with black holes began in 1783 in a small English village, when clergyman John Michell posed a startling question: What if there are objects in space that are so large and heavy that not even light can escape them? Almost 250 years later, in April 2019, scientists presented the first picture of a black hole. Profoundly inspired by that image, physicist Jonas Enander has traveled the world to investigate how our understanding of these elusive celestial objects has evolved since the days of Michell.
With the particular goal of discovering our human connection to black holes, Enander visits telescopes and observatories, delves deeply into archives, and interviews over 20 world-leading experts, including several Nobel laureates. With Facing Infinity, he takes us on a spellbinding journey into the universe's greatest mystery, deciphers the most mind-bending science, and answers questions surrounding how black holes work, where they come from, and what role they play in the universe.
Along the way Enander discovers how our desire to understand black holes inadvertently paved the way for the invention of Wi-Fi and the calibration of our global navigation satellites, how astronomical discovery became entangled with colonial conflicts, and how our looking outward gave us critical evidence of the impact of climate change. Facing Infinity helps us appreciate and understand as never before these mysterious celestial objects and our surprising connections to them.
Contents
Prologue: The Ring of Light at the Edge of the Darkness
PART I: AMONG STARS, WAR AND DARKNESS
The Priest Who Wanted to Weigh the Stars
The Dark Heart of the Milky Way
The Astronomer at the Mountain of Death
Einstein and the Blind Beetle
Beyond the Event Horizon
PART II: BLACK HOLES IN THE DEPTHS OF SPACE
The Death of a Star and the Spacetime Vortex
A Cosmic Symphony
Shadowhunters
The Origin of Giants
PART III: BLACK HOLES AND OUR PLACE ON EARTH
Powehi and Power Over the Land
The Threat From the Sea
Black Holes Are Our Fathers
Hawking's Last Journey
Are We Living in a Black Hole?
Acknowledgments
Notes
Sources
