Friday, September 29, 2017

The Friday 56 (114) & Book Beginnings: The Cosmic Web by J. Richard Gott

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE
Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.
25371883Synopsis from Goodreads...

J. Richard Gott was among the first cosmologists to propose that the structure of our universe is like a sponge made up of clusters of galaxies intricately connected by filaments of galaxies--a magnificent structure now called the "cosmic web" and mapped extensively by teams of astronomers. Here is his gripping insider's account of how a generation of undaunted theorists and observers solved the mystery of the architecture of our cosmos. "The Cosmic Web" begins with modern pioneers of extragalactic astronomy, such as Edwin Hubble and Fritz Zwicky. It goes on to describe how, during the Cold War, the American school of cosmology favored a model of the universe where galaxies resided in isolated clusters, whereas the Soviet school favored a honeycomb pattern of galaxies punctuated by giant, isolated voids. Gott tells the stories of how his own path to a solution began with a high-school science project when he was eighteen, and how he and astronomer Mario Juri? measured the Sloan Great Wall of Galaxies, a filament of galaxies that, at 1.37 billion light-years in length, is one of the largest structures in the universe. Drawing on Gott's own experiences working at the frontiers of science with many of today's leading cosmologists, "The Cosmic Web" shows how ambitious telescope surveys such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey are transforming our understanding of the cosmos, and how the cosmic web holds vital clues to the origins of the universe and the next trillion years that lie ahead...
Beginnings: "Galileo once said: "Philosophy [nature] is written in that great book which ever is before our eyes--I mean the universe.... The book is written in mathematical language, and the symbols are triangles, circles, and other geometrical figures." So it proved to be with the arrangement of galaxies in the universe." 

56: "After Caltech, I went to Cambridge University and worked with Martin Rees, who was head of the Institute of Astronomy at the time."
Comments: My current read, The Cosmic Web by J. Richard Gott, has finally broken me out of the reading slump I've been stuck in for the past couple of weeks. 

What are you reading this week?

19 comments:

  1. Hi Breana!

    Interesting choice. I'd like to read this one. Thanks for sharing. Especially as it mentions Cambridge University :D

    Mine is Anne Frank's story, since I just got back from Amsterdam. :D

    Find it here: http://bit.ly/2xFwmq9

    Thanks! Enjoy your weekend!

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  2. Sounds like a deep and slow read! Not one that I could finish easily but one that I would certainly learn a lot from!

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    1. What you said is pretty accurate. I've been reading this one basically all week and I'm not done with it yet. But, so far, its really good. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your weekend!

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  3. Congrats on overcoming the reading slump! This book sounds full of information. Thanks for sharing, and for visiting my blog.

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  4. Sounds interesting. Glad it helped get you out of a reading slump. I hate reading slumps :)

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  5. This sounds quite interesting! Thanks for sharing! Have a great weekend! :)

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    1. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your weekend! :-)

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  6. I like the beginning. It sounds like a fascinating read! Happy weekend!

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    1. It is fascinating. I've already learned so much from this book. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your weekend!

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  7. That cover is so beautiful! It sounds as though the story is one that makes you think. I hope that you enjoy it! :)

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  8. Sounds like a really interesting read. Hope you enjoy it.

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    1. So far, I really like the book. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy your weekend!

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  9. This doesn't sound very fun to me but hey if it works and gets you out of your slump then it's perfect for you! :)

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  10. Sounds fascinating! Happy reading!

    Lauren @ Always Me

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  11. This sounds fascinating! I love stuff like this, but rarely read about it. I hope you are enjoying it, Breana!

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Comments are appreciated and always welcome. :)

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