Can we change the past? The surprising answer to this question can be found in the final chapters of this book. Examining the history of the study of time and presenting in detail the modern state of physical research on the subject, this book is a superb overview of a fascinating subject. The figures who have helped to shape our views on time are presented as real people, in the context of their own times and struggles: from Socrates' troubles in Athens, to the experiences of physicists under the former Soviet Union. In addition Novikov details his own experiences with great Russian and Western physicists, such as Sakharov, Zeldovich, Rees and Hawking. Details of modern theories in fields such as the possibility of time machines, anomalous flows of time (at black or white holes) and the possible source of The River of Time are described with authority and clarity.
Igor Novikov has been hailed as 'Russia's answer to Stephen Hawking'. In this popular account of the cosmic importance of black holes, he explores the properties and significance of these mysterious phenomena, which represent the most condensed state of matter in the Universe. Black holes are formed by the force of gravity, warping space and time, crushing stars and perhaps galaxies until they fall in on themselves. Novikov's fascinating account, illustrated with a series of inspired cartoon drawings, illuminates this most enigmatic feature of our Universe with exemplary clarity.
Where the science of black holes, gravitational waves, and time travel will likely lead us, as reported by spacetime's most important theoreticians and observers.
