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
*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
*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
*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
*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
*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
*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
*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
*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*
Levin is a master of storytelling […] this book […]keeps the reader
hooked in awe page after page. Black Hole Blues is a captivating
study of the process of scientific discovery.
*Independent*
Levin brilliant captures the immense challenges of today’s big
science, from the clash of huge egos to the final triumphant proof
of a century-old theory
*Guardian*
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