内容简介
Whatis'nothing'?Whatremainswhenyoutakeallthematteraway?Canemptyspace-avoid-exist?ThisVeryShortIntroductionexploresthescienceandthehistoryoftheelusivevoid:fromAristotlewhoinsistedthatthevacuumwasimpossible,viathetheoriesofNewtonandEinstein,toourverylatestdiscoveriesandwhytheycantellusextraordinarythingsaboutthecosmos.FrankClosetellsthestoryofhowscientistshaveexploredtheelusivevoid,andtherichdiscoveriesthattheyhavemadethere.Hetakesthereaderonalivelyandaccessiblehistorythroughancientideasandculturalsuperstitionstothefrontiersofcurrentresearch.Hedescribeshowscientistsdiscoveredthatthevacuumisfilledwithfields;howNewton,Mach,andEinsteingrappledwiththenatureofspaceandtime;andhowthemysterious'aether'thatwaslongagosupposedtopermeatethevoidmaynowbemakingacomebackwiththelatestresearchintothe'Higgsfield'.Wenowknowthatthevacuumisfarfrombeingempty-itseetheswithvirtualparticlesandantiparticlesthateruptspontaneouslyintobeing,anditalsomaycontainhiddendimensionsthatwewerepreviouslyunawareof.Thesenewdiscoveriesmayprovideanswerstosomeofcosmology'smostfundamentalquestions:whatliesoutsidetheuniverse,and,iftherewasoncenothing,thenhowdidtheuniversebegin?ABOUTTHESERIES:TheVeryShortIntroductionsseriesfromOxfordUniversityPresscontainshundredsoftitlesinalmosteverysubjectarea.Thesepocket-sizedbooksaretheperfectwaytogetaheadinanewsubjectquickly.Ourexpertauthorscombinefacts,analysis,perspective,newideas,andenthusiasmtomakeinterestingandchallengingtopicshighlyreadable.
作者简介
FrankClose,OBE,isProfessorofPhysicsatOxfordUniversityandaFellowofExeterCollege.HewasformerlyvicepresidentoftheBritishAssociationforAdvancementofScience,HeadoftheTheoreticalPhysicsDivisionattheRutherfordAppletonLaboratory,andHeadofCommunicationsandPublicEducationatCERN.Heistheauthorofseveralbooks,includingthebest-sellingLucifer'sLegacy(OUP,2000),andwasthewinneroftheKelvinMedaloftheInstituteofPhysicsforhis'outstandingcontributionstothepublicunderstandingofphysics'.HisotherbooksincludeParticlePhysics:AVeryShortIntroduction(2004),TheCosmicOnion(1983),TheParticleExplosion(1987),End(1988),TooHottoHandle(1991),andTheParticleOdyssey(OUP,2002).In2013ProfessorClosewasawardedtheRoyalSocietyMichaelFaradayPrizeforcommunicatingscience.