Awards

• Short-listed for Symmetry Magazine 's Physics Books of 2016 2016
• Winner of 2017 PROSE Award in Cosmology & Astronomy, Association of American Publishers 2017
• Winner of PROSE Awards: Cosmology & Astronomy 2017
• Winner of PROSE Awards: Cosmology & Astronomy 2017.

Overview

J. Richard Gott was among the first cosmologists to propose that the structure of our universe is like a sponge made up of clusters of galaxies intricately connected by filaments of galaxies--a magnificent structure now called the ""cosmic web"" and mapped extensively by teams of astronomers. Here is his gripping insider's account of how a generation of undaunted theorists and observers solved the mystery of the architecture of our cosmos. The Cosmic Web begins with modern pioneers of extragalactic astronomy, such as Edwin Hubble and Fritz Zwicky. It goes on to describe how, during the Cold War, the American school of cosmology favored a model of the universe where galaxies resided in isolated clusters, whereas the Soviet school favored a honeycomb pattern of galaxies punctuated by giant, isolated voids. Gott tells the stories of how his own path to a solution began with a high-school science project when he was eighteen, and how he and astronomer Mario Juri? measured the Sloan Great Wall of Galaxies, a filament of galaxies that, at 1.37 billion light-years in length, is one of the largest structures in the universe.Drawing on Gott's own experiences working at the frontiers of science with many of today's leading cosmologists, The Cosmic Web shows how ambitious telescope surveys such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey are transforming our understanding of the cosmos, and how the cosmic web holds vital clues to the origins of the universe and the next trillion years that lie ahead.

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9780691157269

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Reviews

With an insider's insight and a storyteller's eye for detail, Gott ... explores the ways scientists have worked to reveal the large-scale structure of our universe... Mixing accessible science with entertaining anecdotes and personal stories, Gott offers a thorough, vivid, and fascinating look at the cosmic web that makes up our universe. --Publishers Weekly (starred review) The Cosmic Web is not just a well-told story about the frontiers of cosmological knowledge. It is also an inspiration to explore them further. --Michael Blanton, Nature Weaving together personal anecdotes with physics and math, Princeton astrophysicist J. Richard Gott's The Cosmic Web chronicles the nearly 100-year quest to understand the anatomy of the universe... Gott brings detailed insight to how our view of the cosmos has changed, providing a thorough accounting of how cosmologists arrived at these revelations. --Christopher Crockett, Science News [M]ust reading for anyone interested in cosmology and the universe's large-scale structure. [The Cosmic Web] is a magnificent achievement. --David Eicher, Astronomy Magazine

With an insider's insight and a storyteller's eye for detail, Gott ... explores the ways scientists have worked to reveal the large-scale structure of our universe... Mixing accessible science with entertaining anecdotes and personal stories, Gott offers a thorough, vivid, and fascinating look at the cosmic web that makes up our universe. --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Author Information

J. Richard Gott is professor emeritus of astrophysics at Princeton University. He is the coauthor of Welcome to the Universe (Princeton).

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