Hubble, Humason and the Big Bang

The story of Hubble and Humason is one for the agesand in particular, the Cosmic Age. In this compelling book, science writer Ron Voller digs deep into how and why the two scientists continued to investigate their theory of universal expansion in the face of persistent doubt, contrary theories, and calamitous world events.

The evolution of this dynamic duo's tenuous friendship and professional partnership is in many ways as intriguing as their groundbreaking work on the evolution of the universe. The book therefore traces their lives from their childhoods into their burgeoning careers, revealing how a World War and their own personal differences stood in the way of initial cooperation. It then shows how despite all this, the two opposites eventually came together in the pursuit of something far greater than themselves.

This grand story is inextricably interwoven with that of Albert Einstein, Willem de Sitter, and other great physicists of the era, all of whom tookpart in the staggering quest to make sense of the Big Bang and what followed.

Edwin Hubble has often been considered as an island of sorts a lone wolf of astronomy. But Voller's book shows otherwise, as he examines Milt Humason's essential contributions to our understanding of the expanding universe. - Daniel Lewis, Dibner Senior Curator, History of Science & Technology, The Huntington Library

Written for general readers interested in the history of science and physics Provides a full recounting of the partnership between Edwin Hubble and Milton Humason Explores the political and cultural context in which the theory of the expanding universe arose

Auteur
Ron Voller is a writer and producer based in Brooklyn, NY. A native of Chicago, he earned his undergraduate degree in literature from the University of Denver before moving to New York City in 1999. He is currently working on his graduate degree in interdisciplinary studies at Johns Hopkins University's Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. In addition to his ongoing historical research, he is working on several works of children's fiction as well as screenplays for documentary and feature films and the development of various television series. Other literary work includes magazine articles and a memoir. Actively engaged in a variety of artistic disciplines, he is an avid songwriter and sculptor and volunteers as a board advisor for a charitable organization that focuses on community development abroad. When not working, he enjoys spending his leisure time with his large family and friends.

Résumé

"I can strongly recommend this book as a skilful and informative mixture of vivid biography and the history of science at a unique time when our picture of cosmology was first coming into focus." (John Peacock, The Observatory, Vol. 142 (1289), August, 2022) "The book is a very helpful source for someone attempting to dig into Hubble and Humason's work in some depth. ... anyone investigating Hubble or the development of the understanding of the expanding universe would find this book both interesting and useful." (Popular Science, popsciencebooks.blogspot.com, January 17, 2022)

Contenu

Chapter 1. Two Centuries Of Astronomical Discovery.- Chapter 2. A Portrait (1928).- Chapter 3. Childhood And Other Mysteries (1889-1909).- Chapter 4. Per Aspera Ad Astra (1910-1917).- Chapter 5. Merging Orbits (1918-1922).- Chapter 6. Rising Stars (1923-1927).- Chapter 7. Eclipsing Binaries (1928-1929).- Chapter 8. Bang! Goes The Universe (1929-1931).- Chapter 9. Grading Reality On A Curve (1932-1934).- Chapter 10. Cosmology And The Human Condition (1935-1936).- Chapter 11. War: Ultimate Disruptor (1937-1945).- Chapter 12. Aging Companion Stars (1946-1953).- Chapter 13. Shockwave: The Death Of A Star (1954-1961).- Chapter 14. The Last Horizon (1961-1991).