Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from Outer Space

March 14, 2016
Following the detection of gravitational waves 100 years after Einstein predicted their existence, Levin, a professor of physics and astronomy at Barnard College, goes behind the scenes for a chatty insider's look at the brilliant, eccentric people who continued the search for the elusive phenomenon. Much of the book is told through conversations with the major players involved with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), particularly Kip Thorne and Rainer Weiss, along with an earlier researcher's taped interview with Ron Drever. The scientists' personalities are evident in their stories, which are interlaced with clear explanations of the science of black holes. As is often the case in cutting-edge science, clashes were inevitable. There was professional jealousy; there was selfless collaboration. And all the while, there was the possibility that it was a fool's dream. Levin delves into the backgrounds of numerous researchers, painting a sad picture of Joe Weber, a pioneer in the field who erred in his calculations and was left behind. Few of the interviewees mince words, offering unvarnished perspectives on the conflicts and obstacles as well as the camaraderie of those involved. Levin tells the story of this grand quest with the immediacy of a thriller and makes the fixations and foibles of its participants understandable.

April 15, 2016

In this engaging narrative, Levin (physics & astronomy, Barnard Coll.; A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines) briefly summarizes the 100-year search for gravitational waves. Since Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity predicted in 1916 that the collision of black holes could be detected by the energy produced, scientists have experimented with ways to capture energy that can only be heard. Levin tells the story of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), the largest endeavor ever undertaken by the National Science Foundation, founded in the 1980s to detect and study gravitational waves. Interviews with students and colleagues reveal the decades of accomplishments and setbacks of an international cast of scientists and researchers. VERDICT This timely book enlarges the much-covered story of the proof of gravitational waves uncovered by LIGO in 2015. Levin relates a complicated subject conversationally in a way that will appeal to those interested in current events and scientific discovery.--Catherine Lantz, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago Lib.

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