Synopses & Reviews
What if the speed of lightnow accepted as one of the unchanging foundations of modern physicswere not constant? Brilliant young physicist João Magueijo puts forth the heretical idea that light once traveled faster, in the very early days of the universean idea that may dethrone Einstein and forever change our understanding of the universe. Solving the most intractable problems of cosmology in one brilliant leap, Magueijos varying-speed-of-light theory (VSL) could have truly marvelous implications for space travel, black holes, time dilation, and string theoryand could help uncover the grand unified theory that ultimately eluded Einstein. Faster Than the Speed of Light tells the remarkable story of Magueijos struggle to understand how the universe works, to challenge long-established ideas, and to fight to have his bold new vision accepted.
Review
A racy account . . . jaunty and irreverent. (The New York Times) A new species of science book . . . provides the vicarious thrills that the poetically or mystically minded reader looks for in a book on theoretical physics. (The Village Voice) A great read, extremely well written, with the real edge of a young scientist honestly saying what a life in science is like. (Lee Smolin) Dark matter, string theory, cosmic rays, quantum gravity, M-Theory and its 11 (!) dimensions . . . this book wont disappoint. (The Boston Globe)
About the Author
João Magueijo (pronounced zhwow ma-gay-zhoo) is a professor of theoretical physics at Imperial College, London. He has been a visiting scientist at the University of California at Berkeley and Princeton University, and he received his doctorate in theoretical physics at Cambridge University.