Description

"Relativity in Curved Spacetime" attempts to reexamine the philosophical and practical basis of relativity theory, in the light of the "modern" idea that perhaps spacetime curvature may be an essential part of what makes the universe work. This isn't the way that relativity theory is usually taught. Some of the material is "popular" (chapter 17, on cosmology, seems to go down well with readers), and almost everything that most people will need to know about relativity theory is contained in the first four chapters. There are also separate chapters on various relativistic effects, the Newtonian catastrophe in the early Nineteenth Century, black holes, quantum mechanics, and chapters exploring what may be wrong with both Einstein's special and general theories. The later chapters deal with logic and "logical black holes" (logical systems that, once entered, offer no way out), and apply quantum principles to describe how tightly-organised systems (both mathematical and social) can go horribly wrong - including "Titanic syndrome," why computers crash, and why "Pi" is a "stupid" number. The book has something in the region of 250 diagrams and illustrations. "Here Baird presents physics with the clarity of one who truly understands what he is talking about." - www.ForewordMagazine.com/Clarion/ "Anyone fascinated with relativity, or seeking a deeper understanding of the subject will profit from reading Relativity in Curved Spacetime." - www.Bookreview.com