Mad about Modern Physics: Braintwisters, Paradoxes, and Curiosities Paperback - 2004 - 1st Edition

From the rear cover

A treasure trove of tantalizing puzzles and fascinating trivia in modern physics!

Can a person travel to a star 7,000 light years away and return having aged only 40 years? Could we find a portal in space and travel back in time? Is light a wave or a particle? Are our bodies radioactive? Science experts Franklin Potter and Christopher Jargodzki answer these and many other mind-bending questions in this entertaining book, guiding you through the curiosities of modern physics.

The sequel to the popular Mad About Physics, Mad About Modern Physics is a fascinating collection of braintwisters and paradoxes that will captivate and educate everyone from students to science buffs. You'll discover why space has three dimensions, how laser light can determine the age of a painting, why the night sky filled with bright stars remains dark, how the total energy of the observable universe could add up to zero, and much more--all while learning about the relevance of modern physics in our everyday lives. Featuring nearly 250 provocative questions and intuition-defying answers as well as diagrams and illustrations throughout, this collection of modern physics challenges promises endless hours of entertainment! An extensive set of marginalia including historical tidbits, eerie coincidences, and unusual quotations from Albert Einstein to comedian Steven Wright complete this volume.