Carlo Rovelli

Quantum gravity is perhaps the most important open problem in fundamental physics. It is the problem of merging quantum mechanics and general relativity, the two great conceptual revolutions in the physics of the twentieth century. The loop and spinfoam approach, presented in this book, is one of the leading research programs in the field. The first part of the book discusses the reformulation of the basis of classical and quantum Hamiltonian physics required by general relativity. The second part covers the basic technical research directions. Appendices include a detailed history of the subject of quantum gravity, hard-to-find mathematical material, and a discussion of some philosophical issues raised by the subject. This fascinating text is ideal for graduate students entering the field, as well as researchers already working in quantum gravity. It will also appeal to philosophers and other scholars interested in the nature of space and time.

The nightly news and conventional wisdom tell us that things are bad and getting worse. Yet despite dire predictions, scientists see many good things on the horizon. John Brockman, publisher of Edge (www.edge.org), the influential online salon, recently asked more than 150 high-powered scientific thinkers to answer a vital question for our frequently pessimistic times: "What are you optimistic about?"Spanning a wide range of topics—from string theory to education, from population growth to medicine, and even from global warming to the end of world—What Are You Optimistic About? is an impressive array of what world-class minds (including Nobel Laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, New York Times bestselling authors, and Harvard professors, among others) have weighed in to offer carefully considered optimistic visions of tomorrow. Their provocative and controversial ideas may rouse skepticism, but they might possibly change our perceptions of humanity's future.

In June 1925, twenty-three-year-old Werner Heisenberg, suffering from hay fever, had retreated to the treeless, wind-battered island of Helgoland in the North Sea in order to think. Walking all night, by dawn he had wrestled with an idea that would transform the whole of science and our very conception of the world. In Helgoland Carlo Rovelli tells the story of the birth of quantum physics and its bright young founders who were to become some of the most famous Nobel winners in science. It is a celebration of youthful rebellion and intellectual revolution. An invitation to a magical place. Here Rovelli illuminates competing interpretations of this science and offers his own original view, describing the world we touch as a fabric woven by relations. Where we, as every other thing around us, exist in our interactions with one another, in a never-ending game of mirrors. A dazzling work from one of our most celebrated scientists and master storyteller, Helgoland transports us to dizzying heights, reminding us of the many pleasures of the life of the mind.

[L'ordine del tempo]ISBD L' ordine del tempo / Carlo Rovelli. - Milano : Adelphi, 2017. - 207 p. : ill. ; 18 cm. - (Piccola biblioteca Adelphi ; 705). - [ISBN] 978-88-459-3192-5. Livello bibliografico Monografia Tipo documento Testo a stampa Collezione · Piccola biblioteca Adelphi ; 705 Titolo uniforme · L' ordine del tempo | Rovelli, Carlo Nomi · [Autore] Rovelli, Carlo Soggetti · Fisica - Teorie Classificazione Dewey · 530.01 (23.) FISICA. Filosofia e teoria Lingua di pubblicazione ITALIANO Lingua dell'opera originale ITALIANO Paese di pubblicazione ITALIA [Codice identificativo IT\ICCU\RMS\2813556]

"Rovelli restores Anaximander to his place in the history of science by carefully presenting his theories from what is known to us and examining them in their historical and philosophical contexts."--Page of jacket.

This is a textbook on general relativity for upper-division undergraduates majoring in physics, at roughly the same level as Rindler's Essential Relativity or Hartle's Gravity. The book is meant to be especially well adapted for self-study, and answers are given in the back of the book for almost all the problems. The ratio of conceptual to mathematical problems is higher than in most books. The notational system emphasized most strongly is coordinate-free abstract index notation. Knowledge of first-year calculus and lower-division mechanics and electromagnetism is assumed. Differential equations, linear algebra, and vector calculus are used in various spots, and although it would not be too hard to skip over those spots while understanding the general ideas, the reality is that general relativity is a subject in which a fairly high degree of mathematical maturity will be useful. Special relativity is introduced from scratch, but it will be very helpful to have a thorough previous knowledge of SR, at the level of a book such as Taylor and Wheeler's Spacetime Physics or my own text Special Relativity.

Traces how the human image of the world has changed throughout history, demonstrating the evolution of the idea of reality while touching on subjects ranging from the Higgs boson to quantum gravity.

An introduction to modern physics by a founder of the loop quantum gravity theory shares seven succinct lessons on topics ranging from general relativity and quantum mechanics to elementary particles and black holes.