In Search of Dark Matter

by Ken Freeman and Geoff McNamara

Book Overview

What if scientists had no firm idea what makes up most of the universe? Well, they don't. The dark matter problem (only 5% of the universe is assuredly composed of stuff like us) is one of the most fundamental and profoundly difficult to solve problems in the history of science. Not knowing what makes up most of the known universe goes to the heart of our understanding of the Universe and our place in it. In Search of Dark Matter is the story of...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0387276165
• ISBN13: 9780387276168
• Release Date: March 2006
• Publisher: Springer
• Length: 158 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.7" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

In Search of Dark Matter

I found this book to be very informative, up to date, and could be understood by the layman

An EXCELLENT book on Dark Matter

This book sets out the evidence for missing matter in the universe in an entertaining yet thorough way. There is virtually no math in the entire book, and yet each subject area is treated fully. I had thought the first evidence for dark matter was star rotation rates in galaxies as set out by Vera Rubin and others. However this book traces the roots of the "something is wrong with our picture of the universe" back to the 1930s and Fritz Zwicky and Jan Oort--two astronomers who could not be more different from each other. And that is another strength of this book--we learn something about Zwicky and Oort without being seriously sidetracked. "In Search of Dark Matter" strikes a perfect balance between moving the story along (and it does read like a story) and stopping here and there for brief asides about the personalities and milieu involved at the various stages of dark matter research. Finally, alternatives such as MOND theory are discussed. This book is not a deep tome--it is only roughly 150 pages. But it certainly piqued my interest and made me want to find out more. The authors succeed in bringing up most topics assuming little or no background in astronomy, yet don't get mired explaining the basics. A great read!

Excellent Book

The book is very well organized and enjoyable to read. Well done!