Book Review: “The Dialogues” Past Times Clifford Johnson

Clifford Johnson is a veteran of the scientific discipline blogosphere, a long-term survivor, around already when I began blogging together with 1 of the few still at it today. He is professor at the Department of Physics together with Astronomy at the University of Southern California (in LA).

I had the pleasance of coming together Clifford inwards 2007. Who’d bring idea dorsum together with thus that 10 years afterward nosotros would both move inwards the midst of publishing a pop scientific discipline book?

Clifford’s majority was published past times MIT Press but 2 months ago. It’s titled The Dialogues: Conversations close the Nature of the Universe and it’s non but a book, it’s a graphic novel! Yes, that’s right. Clifford doesn’t exclusively write, he too draws.

His majority is a collection of curt stories which are by together with large physics-themed, but too deport upon overarching questions similar how does scientific discipline move or what’s the role of basic inquiry to start with. I would characterize these stories every bit conversation starters. They are supposed to brand y'all wonder.

But but because it contains a lot of pictures doesn’t hateful The Dialogues is a shallow book. In contrast, a huge amount of physics is packed into it, from electrodynamics to the multiverse, the cosmological constant, a theory of everything together with to gravitational waves. The reader too finds references for farther reading inwards illustration they wishing to acquire more.

I constitute the drawings were seat to proficient job together with frequently add together to the explanation. The Dialogues is also, I must add, a large book. With to a greater extent than than 200 illustrated pages, it seems to me that offering it for less than $30 is a existent bargain!

I would recommend this majority to everyone who has an involvement inwards the foundations of physics. Even if y'all don’t read it, it volition all the same await proficient on your java tabular array ;)

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Win a copy!

I bought the majority when it appeared, but afterward received a gratis review copy. Now I bring 2 together with I am giving 1 away for free!

The majority volition become to the kickoff mortal who submits a comment to this blogpost (not elsewhere) listing 10 songs that job physics-themed phrases inwards the lyrics (not but inwards the title). Overly full general words (such every bit “moon” or “light”) or words that are non-physics price which but occur to bring a technical important (such every bit “force” or “power”) don’t count.

The time-stamp of your comment volition determine who was first, thus delight produce non shipping your listing to me per email. Also, delight exclusively brand a submission if y'all are willing to furnish me amongst a mailing address.

Good luck!

Update: The majority is gone.