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Marcus Chown
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Afterglow of Creation: Decoding the message from the beginning of time Kindle Edition

by Marcus Chown (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 32 ratings
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Stephen Hawking described it as 'the discovery of the century, if not of all time', yet the scientists who first detected the cosmic radiation that was identified as the afterglow of the big bang had to admit that it was more by accident than intention. At first its discoverers mistook the readings for the disruption caused by the droppings of pigeons that had nested in their telescope, and yet they went on to win the Nobel prize.

In the mid-1990s New Scientist writer Marcus Chown drove across America to interview the key scientists who had made this astonishing discovery. Their account and Chown's description of their achievement was published to much acclaim. But now, over a decade later, in this new and fully revised edition he goes behind the hype and the hysteria to provide a clear and lively explanation of one of the biggest discoveries in modern science - and a brilliant picture of what happened next.

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  1. Print length
    309 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Faber & Faber
  4. Publication date
    4 Mar. 2010
  5. File size
    2.0 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Product description

Review

A 'science for dummies' take on creation, built around an account of the discovery of radiation ripples from the Big Bang. --The Times, January 16, 2010

The wonderful intro alone is worth the cover price. Witty and accessible science.
--Scott Pack (former chief buyer Waterstone's), meanmybigmouth blog, February 10, 2010

From the Author

These are just some newspaper/magazine reviews of my book
"A very good piece of storytelling... Chown writes as if he were addressing his fellow human beings." New Scientist

"An excellent introduction to the most recent developments in cosmology... he carefully explains intricacies in which other writers would have been bogged down." The Observer

"Chown superbly captures the spirit of scientific endeavour... The story is told with panache and the science is so well explained it makes and effortless read. Afterglow of Creation is upbeat, witty and informed." The Sunday Times

"It's a long time since this reviewer has read a popular science book that so accurately communicates the science involved while maintaining the reader's interest through the beauty of the written word... Afterglow excels at portraying science as a human endeavour where personalities, ideas, egos, politics and money all mix in the endeavour we know as astronomy... This book should be in every middle school, high school and public library and on the shelves of anyone interested in either astronomy or the nature of science. It is a wonderful story, brilliantly told." The Science Teacher (US)

"Beautiful science, beautifully told." The Australian

"The secret of the universe in 170 pages!" Focus

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003FW3IK4
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Faber & Faber; Main edition (4 Mar. 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.0 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 309 pages
  • Customer reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 32 ratings

About the author

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Marcus Chown

Marcus Chown

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
32 global ratings

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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Dave
    5.0 out of 5 stars Afterglow of Creation
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 May 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I had been looking for a copy of this book for about 15 years. I first read it, as background reading, for an OU course on Astronomy; having borrowed it from the local library. A few years later I asked the Chief Librarian for N. Yorkshire if I could purchase it when they decided to dispose of it. She refused as it was against their policy, and eventually it was sold off in the normal branch book disposal sale, so I missed it.

    I was really please to find this copy, and have enjoyed reading it again. I find books by Marcus Chown very interesting although, at times, they can be difficult to digest unless you already have more than average knowledge of the subject area.

    V. good transaction.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Cantab
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating report of the work to discover the origin of ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 September 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Fascinating report of the work to discover the origin of the universe and the current thinking on dark matter and dark energy
    One person found this helpful
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  • Just Be Nice
    5.0 out of 5 stars a great read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 October 2007
    Verified Purchase
    as usual, chown tells a brilliant story.

    this book starts with the realisation that the milky way is just one galaxy amongst billions of others and goes on to explain the significance of that knowledge with reference to the more recently proposed big bang theory.

    it's a fascinating tale. chown relates the serendipitous discoveries that astronomers and cosmologists have continued to find. these are men and women of gigantic intellect and genius. in short, you will probably find it as fascinating a read as i did.

    on the other hand, it IS a shorter book than chown's other works. but that's not necessarily a criticism.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • Ak
    5.0 out of 5 stars All good
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 January 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Nice reading
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  • Placeholder
    3.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 July 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Intriguing and informative - I did skip through the parts that talk about the political fight in the scientific community! As a reader I was v focused on the amazing science and revelations! I love the tittle Afterglow of creation!
    One person found this helpful
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  • W. T. Fletcher
    5.0 out of 5 stars Afterglow of creation
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 June 2011
    Verified Purchase
    I love all of Marcus Chowns books, he writes for the man in the street and not to impress other writers who have made that mistake.
    Terry
    One person found this helpful
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  • Sunwatcher
    4.0 out of 5 stars For the general reader.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 April 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Neither too technical nor swathed in mathematics. As an ordinary reader with an interest in this subject I would recommend this to any general reader.

    solmagwind.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • stupot
    4.0 out of 5 stars Chown vs Smoot
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 April 2010
    An interesting alternative history of the exploration of the cosmic background radiation and its implications for the theory of 'the Big Bang' origin of our observable universe.

    Chown, through the presentation of a narrative based upon interviews with other key members of the COsmic Background Explorer team and a version of the history of 20th century cosmology, downgrades the role played by George Smoot (who shared a Nobel Prize for his and his team's role in developing the COBE experiment) and presents a panoply of alternative 'stars' of the story - only one of whom shared the Nobel Prize with Smoot.

    Chown's explanations of the physical concepts are very clear and the story is quite gripping - and there's a useful update to the COBE findings in the new edition: a teasing coverage of the problems of 'dark matter' and 'dark energy' which may tempt the reader to want to go further.

    A very good read!
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Alok
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nice book
    Reviewed in India on 22 May 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Nice book
    Report

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