so err...has anyone read "A Brief History of Time"?

[starlooker (Duc)]

I tried reading this thin book by Stephen Hawking in my mid 20's, and couldn't get past the second chapter. Too complicated.

But now I am in my mid 30's, and am ready for round 2!

So who are the trailblazers here that have achieved this mighty feat? Identify yourself, so that I may bask in your glory!

[renormalised (Carl)]

Read the book about a dozen times after I first bought it (when it first came out). Had it stolen on me (along with a lot of other stuff) back in 2006 and haven't read it since. It was OK....nothing too hard or difficult about it. Typical, chatty Stephen Hawking book.

[dpastern (Dave Pastern)]

I've read it a few times. Reminds me that I must get it back from the girl @ work.

Dave

[M54 (Molly)]

About ten years ago I read it from cover to cover, didn't understand a great deal of it and have forgotten more than I understood.

When I read it, I was just trying to get the general idea of what he was talking about, so I perservered through the mind boggling stuff.

Might try a second go at it now that you've brought it to mind again, that is, after the small stack of books I'm working my way through at the moment.

Molly

[sheeny (Al)]

I've read it a long time ago. I should re-read it, but there's lots of new stuff to read...

Al.

[starlooker (Duc)]

I think the problem I had when I first tried to read it was that I was focussed wayyy too much on the formulas, trying to understand each and every one. And of course, the formulas are presented as is, with no underlying explanation has to how they were derived.

This time around, I might just ignore the formulas and concentrate on the theory.

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

I nearly finished it a couple of months ago.
I'm reading an Einstein biography at the moment and it's just as heavy going.
Both very enjoyable, but a brain strain just the same.
I think I finally understand waves and can now use the word "doppler" constructively in a sentence.

[renormalised (Carl)]

There once was a scientist named Hawking
At the physics on a board he was gawking
In a flash of insight, that came faster than light
Warp field physics he was squawking

[barx1963 (Malcolm)]

Its one of a few books I try to read at least once every 12 months (the others being "Lord of the Rings", "Stalingrad" by Anthony Beevor and "Fatherland" by Robert Harris) I find it makes more sense each time I read it and helps me to integrate other stuff I have read in articles and books.

[renormalised (Carl)]

Here's another one...

Einstein was the doyenne of physics
His formulas even baffled the mystics
But with quantum mechanics, he doth multiple panics
Cos' he couldn't derive the heuristics.

[Davros (Lauren)]

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

I nearly finished it a couple of months ago.
I'm reading an Einstein biography at the moment and it's just as heavy going.
Both very enjoyable, but a brain strain just the same.
I think I finally understand waves and can now use the word "doppler" constructively in a sentence.

Ah good old Doppler sift and compression waves

[JimmyH155]

Yes, folks,
I hardly understood a word - especially when he started on about arrows of time and teacups re-assembling themselves back in the future when the Universe was contracting...
Also I have a copy of Einstein;s Theory of relativity. He starts off talking about a train and dropping stuff out of the window - great so far. Then shock horror he starts on about lights or a bolt of lightning shining from each end of the train and what happens in the middle...Completely lost, but fabulous stuff all the same. Hope they unpickle his brain some day

[seeker372011 (Narayan)]

Originally Posted by starlooker

I think the problem I had when I first tried to read it was that I was focussed wayyy too much on the formulas, trying to understand each and every one. And of course, the formulas are presented as is, with no underlying explanation has to how they were derived.

This time around, I might just ignore the formulas and concentrate on the theory.

from memory-its been a long time since I read this book- Hawking says in his forward that his publisher said sales of the book would halve for every formula..so they compromised and included only one -
the obvious one of course

you must be thinking of some other book

there is another version - "A briefer history of time"-that was published more recently

Though "a short history of time was a best seller"-it probably remains one of the top of the list of unread best sellers

like Salman Rushdie's Midnights children

reminds me of another Hawking book

I used to have the audio book of "The Universe in a Nutshell"..when the kids were younger, every time we went on a road trip, they would request this CD

usually they were fast asleep before we reached chapter 2

[renormalised (Carl)]

Christian Doppler, he noticed a shift
From the blue to red it was swift
Though shorter the stronger, the weaker the longer
All photons they share the same gift.

[Rhino1980 (Ryan)]

Light cones. Still don't get it LOL.

[White Rabbit]

I read a the updated version "A briefer history of time". No maths at all or very little anyway, give that one a go. You may find it easier going.

Sandy

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Originally Posted by Rhino1980

Light cones. Still don't get it LOL.

Sounds like something the young ones do at parties.

[renormalised (Carl)]

In going from A to B
On those light cones don't travel to C
For you'll be in violation of Einstein's grand summation
And your ship will just end up at "sea"

[Alchemy (Clive)]

probably only 3 or so people in the world that would understand it.... a lot of clever marketing to sell it to the masses thinking that they will understand it,

Intelligence by association perhaps.

the emperors new clothes to me. ( for those who dont know the story ... he had no clothes and only the naive kid had the gumption to say so)

[bird (Anthony Wesley)]

Read it a long time ago, thought it was good, but back in those days I was a student and still had functioning neurons (well, at least one neuron).

Bird