Space Oddities - Kestrels Nest: BookWyrm Edition

English language

Published 2024 by Pan Macmillan.

ISBN:: 978-1-5290-9286-8

Newly observed anomalies could transform our understanding of the fundamentals of physics – and of the nature of reality. In this eye-opening account, CERN experimental physicist Harry Cliff takes the reader on a tour of a new universe . . .

Something strange is going on in the cosmos. Scientists are uncovering a catalogue of weird phenomena that simply can’t be explained by our long-established theories of the universe. Particles with unbelievable energies are bursting from beneath the Antarctic ice. Unknown forces seem to be tugging on the basic building blocks of matter. Stars are flying away from us far faster than anyone can explain.

In Space Oddities, Harry Cliff provides a riveting look at the universe’s most confounding puzzles. In a journey that spans continents, he meets the scientists hunting for answers, and asks: Are these anomalies mere accidents of measurement, or could they be pointing us …

Newly observed anomalies could transform our understanding of the fundamentals of physics – and of the nature of reality. In this eye-opening account, CERN experimental physicist Harry Cliff takes the reader on a tour of a new universe . . .

Something strange is going on in the cosmos. Scientists are uncovering a catalogue of weird phenomena that simply can’t be explained by our long-established theories of the universe. Particles with unbelievable energies are bursting from beneath the Antarctic ice. Unknown forces seem to be tugging on the basic building blocks of matter. Stars are flying away from us far faster than anyone can explain.

In Space Oddities, Harry Cliff provides a riveting look at the universe’s most confounding puzzles. In a journey that spans continents, he meets the scientists hunting for answers, and asks: Are these anomalies mere accidents of measurement, or could they be pointing us toward vast, hidden worlds?

With wonder, clarity, and a dose of humour, Cliff leads us on a a mind-expanding investigation of physics and cosmology as they transform before us.

3 editions

plutonian reviewed Space Oddities by Harry Cliff

"Nature does not yield its secrets easily; they must be fought for."

4 stars

I adore reading books about cosmology and physics, and I am the perfect audience for them. Just smart enough to get the gist (let's just say I barely passed Astronomy and Physics 101), but just dumb enough that I can read the same information over and over again and be amazed by our universe's mystery and complexity every time.

I did get lost in the weeds at times during this book, but overall Cliff does an excellent job at delivering an approachable and engaging read, while still not skimping on the hard science. I'm definitely interested in reading his first book now. ("How to make an apple pie from scratch"... actually I may have already read it. This is why I need to track my books.) This is not the best book if you want an overview of the fundamentals, although Cliff does a good job of covering concepts …

I adore reading books about cosmology and physics, and I am the perfect audience for them. Just smart enough to get the gist (let's just say I barely passed Astronomy and Physics 101), but just dumb enough that I can read the same information over and over again and be amazed by our universe's mystery and complexity every time.

I did get lost in the weeds at times during this book, but overall Cliff does an excellent job at delivering an approachable and engaging read, while still not skimping on the hard science. I'm definitely interested in reading his first book now. ("How to make an apple pie from scratch"... actually I may have already read it. This is why I need to track my books.) This is not the best book if you want an overview of the fundamentals, although Cliff does a good job of covering concepts as he needs to. You'll have a better time if you're coming in with at least a vague awareness of the standard model.

But because this book is new, and written by someone actually involved in the research, it's just an EXCITING read. These are scientists who are poking at and prying apart our fundamental understanding of the universe. I was running to the internet constantly to find any current news on these experiments or theories. If you are similarly excited by scientists having heated arguments about the Hubble constant, or dramatic experiment unblindings that may or may not result in new physics, you will have an excellent time. I mean I now have a news alert set up for Fermilab because I REALLY want to know if they get a five-sigma result when they unblind the latest results on the Muon g-2 experiment. I am now personally invested in the magnestism of muons. Mission accomplished, Harry Cliff.

Subjects

Astronomy