Black Hole Factory

"A black hole is a region of space-time with such strong gravitational effects that nothing not even particles and electromagnetic radiation such as light can escape from inside it. In BLACK HOLE FACTORY, poet Eric Smith writes his way into and out of such holes with a commitment to the history and craftsmanship of the well-shaped poem. He compresses experience, intellect, and feeling within concentrated stanzas of compelling density. Even traditional rhyme and meter become sources of surprise and innovation in his hands. The book has poems that communicate impressive control, intellect, and wit poems that cultivate ironic self-awareness and detachment on the part of both poet and reader. And then there are breakthrough moments giving up both irony and control in which poet and reader experience a kind of gravitational collapse powerful enough to deform and reshape space and time. In the end, Eric Smith has shaped a profound and accomplished manuscript of deep personal engagement graced by moving, open flights of lyricism."-From Amazon.

From the acclaimed author of Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from Outer Space—an authoritative and accessible guide to the most alluring and challenging phenomena of contemporary science. "[Levin will] take you on a safe black hole trip, an exciting travel story enjoyed from your chair’s event horizon.” —Boston Globe Through her writing, astrophysicist Janna Levin has focused on making the science she studies not just comprehensible but also, and perhaps more important, intriguing to the nonscientist. In this book, she helps us to understand and find delight in the black hole—perhaps the most opaque theoretical construct ever imagined by physicists—illustrated with original artwork by American painter and photographer Lia Halloran. Levin takes us on an evocative exploration of black holes, provoking us to imagine the visceral experience of a black hole encounter. She reveals the influence of black holes as they populate the universe, sculpt galaxies, and even infuse the whole expanse of reality that we inhabit. Lively, engaging, and utterly unique, Black Hole Survival Guide is not just informative—it is, as well, a wonderful read from first to last.

EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE IN DR. SEUSS-STYLE RHYME Ladies and gents, listen up if you please! Let's hop in a rocket and zoom past the trees. We'll check out the Moon and black holes; we adore 'em! Of course, we'll find planets and stars and explore 'em Determine just how old our Universe is. And please, don't you worry. There won't be a quiz! Astronomer Sean Raymond wraps space facts in poetry, explaining complex topics in playful prose. Drawings by Owen Raymond illustrate how our Universe works, from the phases of the Moon to "spaghettification." Eleven astronomical poems cover topics ranging from telescopes to black holes, from galaxies to the search for extra-terrestrial life, from the Big Bang to the planets. PRAISE FOR BLACK HOLES, STARS, EARTH AND MARS This book (with its wacky poems and Dr. Seuss-like rhymes) appeals both to adults' inner child, and to the curious natural scientist in all our children. The illustrations by a 12-year old artist convey a reassuring sense of "I got this!" -- Jill Tarter, Astronomer and pioneer of SETI (the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) This delightful book is a gentle reminder of the better things in life, and science. With echoes of Dr Seuss and the skilled crafting of Edward Lear, Raymond and Raymond create a world well worth losing yourself in, all the while telling a story about the frontiers of our understanding of the universe. An absolute pleasure. -- Caleb Scharf, Director of Astrobiology at Columbia University and author of The Copernicus Complex Cutting edge concepts dished out in poetry you'll want to be reading in striped pyjamas, Raymond presents clear explanations of the biggest concepts in astronomy today in a form guaranteed to intrigue and delight both scientists and artists of all ages. -- Elizabeth Tasker, Astrophysicist, science communicator, and author of The Planet Factory Black Holes, Stars, Earth and Mars is like an Astronomy 101 textbook wrapped up in delightful Dr. Seuss style poetry. It's remarkably comprehensive and covers serious physics, but the easy rhymes make it simple to understand. I'd recommend it for kids learning about space, but also for any astronomy enthusiast! -- Gillian Rhodes, Astronomy/Art Fusion Show Host and Dancer/Choreographer

The authoritative story of the headline-making discovery of gravitational waves—by an eminent theoretical astrophysicist and award-winning writer. From the author of How the Universe Got Its Spots and A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines, the epic story of the scientific campaign to record the soundtrack of our universe. Black holes are dark. That is their essence. When black holes collide, they will do so unilluminated. Yet the black hole collision is an event more powerful than any since the origin of the universe. The profusion of energy will emanate as waves in the shape of spacetime: gravitational waves. No telescope will ever record the event; instead, the only evidence would be the sound of spacetime ringing. In 1916, Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves, his top priority after he proposed his theory of curved spacetime. One century later, we are recording the first sounds from space, the soundtrack to accompany astronomy’s silent movie. In Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from Outer Space, Janna Levin recounts the fascinating story of the obsessions, the aspirations, and the trials of the scientists who embarked on an arduous, fifty-year endeavor to capture these elusive waves. An experimental ambition that began as an amusing thought experiment, a mad idea, became the object of fixation for the original architects—Rai Weiss, Kip Thorne, and Ron Drever. Striving to make the ambition a reality, the original three gradually accumulated an international team of hundreds. As this book was written, two massive instruments of remarkably delicate sensitivity were brought to advanced capability. As the book draws to a close, five decades after the experimental ambition began, the team races to intercept a wisp of a sound with two colossal machines, hoping to succeed in time for the centenary of Einstein’s most radical idea. Janna Levin’s absorbing account of the surprises, disappointments, achievements, and risks in this unfolding story offers a portrait of modern science that is unlike anything we’ve seen before.

A collection of essays on the cosmos, written by an American Museum of Natural History astrophysicist, includes "Holy Wars," "Ends of the World," and "Hollywood Nights."

The English-language debut of Hiroko Oyamada—one of the most powerfully strange young voices in Japan The English-language debut of one of Japan's most exciting new writers, The Factory follows three workers at a sprawling industrial factory. Each worker focuses intently on the specific task they've been assigned: one shreds paper, one proofreads documents, and another studies the moss growing all over the expansive grounds. But their lives slowly become governed by their work—days take on a strange logic and momentum, and little by little, the margins of reality seem to be dissolving: Where does the factory end and the rest of the world begin? What's going on with the strange animals here? And after a while—it could be weeks or years—the three workers struggle to answer the most basic question: What am I doing here? With hints of Kafka and unexpected moments of creeping humor, The Factory casts a vivid—and sometimes surreal—portrait of the absurdity and meaninglessness of the modern workplace.

Frederik Pohl was on a streak when this Hugo Award–finalist novel was published in 1980. Now back in print after an absence of nearly a decade, this unique science fiction novel is as fresh and entertaining as ever. The story begins when the hero of Gateway finances an expedition to a distant alien spaceship that may end famine forever. On the ship, the explorers find a human boy, and evidence that reveals a powerful alien civilization is thriving on a transport ship headed right for Earth.... At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Forget about rockets to Mars – the future of space science lies with the search for exoplanets Twenty years ago, the search for planets outside the Solar System was the preserve of science-fiction writers. Now it's one of the fastest-growing fields in astronomy, with thousands of exoplanets discovered to date, and the number rising fast. These new-found worlds are more alien than anything in fiction. Planets larger than Jupiter with years lasting a week; others with two suns lighting their skies, or with no sun at all. Planets with diamond mantles supporting oceans of tar; possible Earth-sized worlds with split hemispheres of perpetual day and night; waterworlds drowning under global oceans and volcanic lava planets awash with seas of magma. The discovery of this diversity is just the beginning. There is a whole galaxy of possibilities. The Planet Factory tells the story of these exoplanets. What can we learn about these faraway surface environments and planetary atmospheres? And do the results hint at the tantalising possibility of alien life?