"A thoughtful meditation on the mythic, cultural, philosophical and,
yes, scientific implications of what happens when a wet potato or a
crystal vase slips from your hand."--Billy Collins
A mind-bending exploration of gravity, the universe's greatest mystery.
What is gravity? Nobody knows--and just about nobody knows that nobody
knows. How something so pervasive can also be so mysterious, and how
that mystery can be so wholly unrecognized outside the field of physics,
is one of the greatest conundrums in modern science. But as
award-winning author Richard Panek shows in this groundbreaking book,
gravity is a cold case that we are closer to cracking than ever--and
whose very investigation has yielded untold truths about the cosmos and
humanity itself.
Part scientific detective story, part metaphysical romp, The Trouble
with Gravity is a revelation: the first in-depth, accessible study of
this ubiquitous, elusive force. Gravity and our efforts to understand
it, Panek reveals, have shaped not only the world we inhabit, but also
our bodies, minds, and culture. Its influence can be seen in everything
from ancient fables to modern furniture, Dante's Inferno to the
pratfalls of Laurel and Hardy, bipedalism to black holes. As we approach
the truth about gravity, we should also be prepared to know both our
universe and ourselves as never before.
