A Brief History of Time

A Brief History Of Time
Overview
Main Character
Numbering
In A Brief History of Time, Hawking presents the search by physicists for a single unified theory to explain everything in a way that the average person can theoretically understand. He traces the history of this search through the development of multiple theories by some of the foremost scientists of the past and present.
Relative Time & Space
Your experience of time and space depends on your location and velocity.
Uncertainty Principle
The idea that the position and speed of subatomic particles cannot be accurately measured became a key scientific concept.
Four Fundamental Forces
Electromagnetic, gravitational, strong nuclear, and weak nuclear forces keep matter in the universe together and in place.
Galileo Galilei
Put on trial by the Catholic Church for saying that the Earth revolved around the sun
Albert Einstein
Came up with a theory of relativity, showing that time is relative instead of absolute
Isaac Newton
Established the physics of motion, showing that space is relative rather than absolute
300
Years to the date that Hawking was born after the death of Galileo on January 8, 1642
1985
Year Hawking lost his voice and had to start using a computer system to talk
2017
Year Hawking predicted humanity would have to leave Earth within 100 years to save itself from extinction
21
Age at which Hawking was diagnosed with ALS, a disorder that destroys muscle function
Key terms
Big Bang Theory
The theory that the universe started as a single concentration of mass and time that expanded outward
Cosmology
The study of the universe and its origins
Black Hole
A place in space where the gravitational pull is so intense that nothing can escape
Quantum Mechanics
The study of the way atoms and subatomic particles act and interact
General Relativity
Albert Einstein's theory that gravity results from objects and energy causing curves in space and time
Author
STEPHEN HAWKING BORN 1942
A British physicist, Hawking pioneered exploration of black holes and popularized the investigations of cosmology through A Brief History of Time. The popularity of his book, combined with his public appearances, has since made Hawking a well-known public figure in science and popular culture.
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