The full inside story of the detection of gravitational waves at LIGO, one of the most ambitious scientific experiments of all time
Janna Levin is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Barnard College of Columbia University and Director of Sciences at Pioneer Works, a centre for art and innovation in Brooklyn. She has contributed to the understanding of black holes, the cosmology of extra dimensions and gravitational waves. She was the first scientist-in-residence at the Ruskin School of Fine Art and Drawing at Oxford University with an award from NESTA, and was recently named a Guggenheim fellow. Her previous books are How the Universe Got Its Spots and a novel, A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines, which won the PEN/Bingham prize. She has also appeared at TED and contributes to numerous radio and television programmes.
Gripping ... very, very well written ... I reached the beautiful
ending of this book with a little sob of gratitude ...
heartbreaking ... brilliant -- Bryan Appleyard * Sunday Times
*
It is hard to imagine that a better narrative will ever be
written about the behind-the-scenes heartbreak and hardship that
goes with scientific discovery. Black Hole Blues is a
spectacular feat - a near-perfect balance of science,
storytelling and insight ... It is as inevitable as gravity that
this book will win a swath of awards -- Michael Brooks * New
Statesman *
Astonishing ... superb ... Ms Levin is able to tell the tale
so soon, and so well, because she has had privileged access to the
experiment. She has also known the experimenters for several years
... Ms Levin is herself a scientist, which explains her access, but
more than that she is a writer ... readers feel as if they are
sitting in on her interviews or watching over her shoulder as she
describes two black holes colliding ... A splendid book that I
recommend to anyone with an interest in how science works and in
the power of human imagination and ability -- John Gribbin *
Wall Street Journal *
A superb storyteller. This is the most vivid account I can
remember of science policy in action ... I'll be surprised if
anyone brings out a more readable book on gravitational waves in
the near future -- Clive Cookson * Financial Times *
The definitive account of how we completed the hundred-year
hunt for gravitational waves ... Punchy, witty, timely and deeply
insightful; I haven't read a better book on the realities of
doing science -- Michael Brooks * New Statesman, Books of the
Year *
A remarkable achievement that potentially opens up a whole
new chapter in our understanding of the cosmos and, with perfect
timing, Janna Levin's elegant and lucid book is here to tell
us how it was done ... the human drama is compelling ... The main
protagonists ... comprise as fascinating a triumvirate as you
will find anywhere in scientific literature. Levin, a
distinguished astrophysicist in her own right, writes eloquently,
sometimes even poetically, about the search for what she calls
gravity's music -- Simon Griffith * Mail on Sunday *
Taking on the simultaneous roles of expert scientist, journalist,
historian and storyteller of uncommon enchantment, Levin delivers
pure signal from cover to cover ... Levin harmonizes science and
life with remarkable virtuosity ... exposing the invisible,
incremental processes that produce the final spark we call genius
... As redemptive as the story of the countless trials and unlikely
triumph may be, what makes the book most rewarding is Levin's
exquisite prose -- Maria Popova * The New York Times *
The most important development in astronomy since the invention of
the telescope ... [Levin] excels in conveying the personalities
of the scientists and their professional and personal struggles
... With the success of Ligo, we stand at the dawn of a new era in
astronomy, Levin says in her excellent book -- Marcus Chown
* Times Higher Education *
Brilliant and timely -- James Gleick
Explains in clear terms the scientific heart of this achievement
and the deep and personal fascination that pursuing it has held for
several generations of scientists. She also captures the cost of
getting to this point, both financial - this is big science in
its truest sense - and, in many cases, personal ... the plot is
too compelling ... genuinely painful to read in places ...
illuminating ... interesting * Nature *
A beautifully written account of the quest to open the
'gravitational-wave window' onto our universe. As a participant in
this wonderful quest, I applaud Janna Levin for capturing so well
our vision, our struggles, and the ethos and spirit of our
torturous route toward success -- Kip Thorne, co-founder of
LIGO
Riveting. Janna Levin immerses us in the heady world of
scientists straining to detect gravitational waves, the faintest
whispers in the universe. Keenly observed and lyrically written,
her account of this quest will move you -- Steven Strogatz,
author of The Joy of x
If Hunter Thompson had taken a break to get a PhD in physics and then become obsessed with gravitational waves, he might have written a book like this
-- Alan Lightman, author of The Accidental Universe |
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