The Substance of Spacetime
Infinity, Nothingness, and the Nature of Matter
by Andrew M. Ryan
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date May 01 2016 | Archive Date Oct 30 2016
Description
Does Spacetime Exist?
If spacetime does not exist, it certainly does so in a curiously conspicuous way, not at all like other geometric abstractions. Consider this mindbender: spacetime does not exist at all, but it doesn’t exist in the void even more than it doesn’t exist in the universe. Is that the description of something that does not exist?
Relativity theory treats spacetime as a mathematical abstraction—a four-dimensional coordinate system analogous to the three dimensions of Cartesian geometry. It does not exist, per se. It is not a “thing” in any tangible sense. It merely serves as the background needed to describe the behaviors of the “real” things that exist within it. It is no more than the stage on which the cosmic drama plays out. That’s the theory.
What if spacetime exists after all? Are we not obliged to take this stuff seriously and start asking questions? What are its properties? Where did it come from? Is spacetime a simple or a composite thing? Can it be broken into simpler parts? If not, are we compelled to wonder if spacetime is actually the fundamental substance of the universe? And how does this remarkable stuff come together to form the physical world around us?
The Substance of Spacetime sets out to investigate these very mysteries and the results are truly exciting. Treating spacetime, not merely as a coordinate system, but as a real physical substance, opens a window onto reality that would otherwise be impossible to even contemplate.
If spacetime exists, everything changes.
A Note From the Publisher
Also available in paperback $16.99
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9780980208856 |
| PRICE | $9.99 (USD) |
Links
Average rating from 7 members
Featured Reviews
Jennifer C, Reviewer
I really enjoyed The Substance of Spacetime by Andrew Ryan. I don't have any official background in physics beyond the basic high school classes. As an adult, I began taking some free online physics and cosmology courses for personal interest. This book reminded me that I love this area of science and I want to learn more. Ryan speaks in a concise and intelligent manner, yet it is easy to understand. You do not need to be a scientist to understand this book but you will feel like you understanding more after reading it. The concept of spacetime as a real physical thing versus merely a concept is quite intriguing. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in physics and/ or in space. I will be reading his other books as well.
This review was published on amazon.ca and Goodreads on June 18.
Dannii E, Reviewer
I received this book in exchange for an honest review on NetGalley. Thank you to the author, Andrew M. Ryan, and the publisher, Gadfly, for this opportunity.
Wow: that is pretty much all I can say at the moment. The density of information and the level of knowledge imparted in this book was absolutely astounding. I have an interest in space, but this non-fiction just took everything I thought I knew and made me realize that it amounted to exactly nothing in the grand-scheme and labyrinthine nature of the study of space. This is space science on a whole new level!
This is phenomenally complex and obscure, yet brilliant. In many parts the mathematics and elaborate formulas went completely over my head but the parts I could grasp gave me a new understanding in areas covering black holes, relative theory, gravity, and so much more.
If, like me, you have a passing interest in space science then I wouldn't recommend this book for you as the complexities and knowledge are more suited to those with an already more in-depth knowledge.
Educator 55283
Enjoyed the book thoroughly. Author has a deep understanding of physics and is able to impart a LOT of dense information to the reader. Not for the average reader, must love science! Recommend this book highly as well as author's Law of Physics book from a few years ago.
Readers who liked this book also liked:
