![]() The latter determines the behavior of the nanoworld - i.e., atoms and their constituents. The former identifies gravity with the shape of space and time. The science question at the heart of Rovelli's new book comes from his own research into the intersection of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. This capacity is put to good use in White Holes, where the descent into a black hole is often narrated via quotes from Dante who made his own journey "down there in the blind world below." More than just an ability to explain cutting edge ideas in physics, Rovelli's erudition and sensitivity lets him make contact with the broadest human yearnings for making sense of the world. As a scientist who is also a popularizer, I often find myself marveling at the acuity of his passages. But the clarity of his explanations is unparalleled. White Holes, like Rovelli's other works, is remarkably short - less than 200 pages. Rovelli is unique among modern scientists who write for popular audiences in his ability to capture the purest essence of his science with both precision and lyricism. "What happens at the center of a Black Hole?" is one of those questions I get whenever I tell someone I'm an astrophysicist - and it's the question that propels this book. Going beyond that horizon towards a new understanding of space, time and black holes is the principal goal of physicist Carlo Rovelli's wonderful new book White Holes. Remarkably, this local, personal character of horizons also extends to black holes, the most enigmatic objects in the cosmos. ![]() They delimit what we can see in the distance, but they are also always personal: Walk 10 miles to the west and your horizon line moves 10 miles to the west with you.
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