Vignettes from General Relativity

Einstein's theory of general relativity provides our modern description of gravitation, supplanting Newton's law of universal gravitation that held sway for more than 200 years. General relativity describes gravity as a geometric property of space and time, with space-time being curved by an object's energy and momentum. Although the predictions of general relativity have been confirmed experimentally, there remain many questions. Because general relativity is at the heart of our understanding of astrophysics and cosmology, these questions concern our comprehension of the properties of bodies such as black holes and even the evolution of the universe. In this enlightening book Beverly K Berger demonstrates how science progresses using Einstein's theory of general relativity as a central theme. Starting each chapter with an introduction to the topic to be discussed in both a conceptual and mathematical manner, the author then proceeds to describe the key research questions in that field, with a focus on lessons learnt for the progress of science and with personal touches from her own extensive research career. This book will help readers not only understand general relativity but also how it is central to the big questions in modern cosmology and how science is neither a linear process nor a finite one, but something that has developed through coincidence, confrontation, collaboration, conscientiousness and chance.