Light Years: An Exploration of Mankind's Enduring Fascination with Light PDF
Preview Light Years: An Exploration of Mankind's Enduring Fascination with Light
LIGHT YEARS An Exploration of Mankind’s Enduring Fascination With Light BRIAN CLEGG macmillanscience e-book LIGHT YEARS LIGHT YEARS An exploration of mankind’s enduring fascination with light Brian Clegg Macmillan London New York Melbourne Hong Kong © Brian Clegg 2008 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2008 by Macmillan Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. 10010 Companies and representatives throughout the world ISBN-13: 978–0–230–52725–6 ISBN-10: 0–230–52725–6 This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 Printed and bound in China CONTENTS Preface vii Acknowledgements ix 1 At the speed of light 1 2 The philosophers 11 3 Out of the darkness 27 4 Engines of light 51 5 Seeing further 72 6 Light’s anatomy 105 7 Death of the ether 133 8 Fearful symmetry 169 9 QED 192 10 Tangled light 218 11 Tyger! Tyger! 231 Further reading 247 Index 250 v PREFACE And God said ‘Let there be light’: And there was light. Genesis 1:3 vii viii PREFACE Light is something that we take for granted. It is a fact of life, available at the press of a switch. It is the absence of darkness, the everyday gift of the Sun. It is a small part of the physics we are taught at school, a thing of ray diagrams and geometry, a natural phenomenon without substance. But light is not so easily com- partmentalized. Its beguiling combination of fragility and endur- ance, of delicacy and power, captures the imagination just as it has fascinated scientists through the ages. For thousands of years, uncovering the nature of light has proved an irresistible challenge. It forms a scientific quest that has endured from the conjectures of the ancient Greeks to the work of twentieth century geniuses likeAlbert Einstein and Rich- ard Feynman. By combining light’s history with the latest research we can assemble a complete picture of this remarkable phenomenon and its place at the centre of creation. What first was seen as merely the mechanism of sight has proved to be so much more. The source of all life on Earth, pro- viding warmth, powering the weather, driving the photosynthetic process that generates oxygen. The self-sustaining interplay of magnetism and electricity that lies behind Einstein’s special rela- tivity. The fundamental glue that keeps all matter together. And perhaps even the key to time itself. Looking back at the life and work of the extraordinary people who have uncovered light’s secrets provides both an understand- ing of light and a front row seat in the development of the remark- able new light-based technologies that are appearing as we enter the twenty-first century. Technologies that have the potential to transform reality itself. When I was at university studying physics, I was overwhelmed by the power and beauty of light, yet so much that I read at the time on this remarkable subject made it seem dull. You only have to look at optical diagrams with rays and lenses and focal points to feel a yawn coming on. Coming back to light now has been won- derful, a chance to rekindle the amazement and delight I felt 30 years ago. That sense of wonder is what Light Years is all about. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to all those who have helped in the production of this book, notably my agent, Peter Cox, and editor, Sara Abdulla. Specific thanks to Professor EdwardH.Adelson, for permission to reproduce his stunning optical illusion, and Professor Günter Nimtz for his considerable input and helpful comments on the manuscript. And a final thank you to the many individuals who have patiently helped with information and assistance. It would be boring to list them, but they know who they are. ix
The list of books you might like
