A Briefer History of Time by Stephen Hawking - Book Report/Review Example

Stephen Hawking has discussed numerous theories and concepts in physics. Some of the main topics of this book discuss the importance of physics in our daily life, gravitational theory, the movement of light in the universe, and the Big Bang theory, elements that constitute universes such as black holes, galaxies, and other celestial bodies and time travel. A Briefer History of Time is an updated version of Stephen’s A Brief History of Time. In short, it can be said that this book encloses the entire universe in a nutshell.

Review of the Four Chapters from the Book: In the first chapter of this book, the author has discussed the origin and significance of physics. Hawking has discussed the ideas proposed by Aristotle and Ptolemy that pinned the study and importance of physics. Hawking has highlighted the idea of Aristotle in which he stated that Earth is round in shape and sun along with stars revolves around our planet. On the other hand, Ptolemy suggested the theory that the sun and other celestial bodies constitute our universe.

However, with the passage of time, it was declared that it is the Earth that revolves around the sun further disapproving the locations of the sun and the stars in the universe. Hawking has discussed the ideas and theories proposed by different scientists such as Galileo, Copernicus, and Kepler. In the second chapter of the book, Stephen Hawking discusses space and time. In this chapter Hawking has described the movement of planets around the sun and how gravity has kept the planets and the sun in a perfect motion.

Hawking has also discussed the concepts of absolute rest and absolute position. These concepts or ideas revolve around the basic thought that whatever occurs in our life stays the same for a definite period of time. Stephen has also discussed Newton’s theory of gravity which opposes this idea of absolute rest. Further, the book also mentions the concepts and ideas that revolve around the speed of light. Different theories were proposed discussing the speed of light. Hawking has also described the viewpoint of Albert Einstein who believed that ether; an idea that was used to explain the speed of light was not needed if the concept of absolute time can be dropped.

Hawking has described different theories concerning the speed of light and that different events can be explained by light cones. In this chapter, Stephen Hawking has also discussed Einstein’s theory of relativity. In the third chapter, Hawking speaks about the universe and how it is getting bigger and bigger with the passage of time. Hawking has also discussed his idea of Doppler shift which happens when an object moves closer to or far from another object. Hawking has further discussed Doppler Shift in details and he has divided it into two types as red shifting and blue shifting.

Redshifting is a condition when an object moves away or far from another object. This condition is due to the change in wavelength which increases when it reaches us with an equal decrease in frequency. On the other hand, blue shifting is the condition when something moves towards or closer to an object. In this condition, the wavelength of light decreases with an equal increase in frequency. Stephen Hawking has used this idea to explain the expansion of the universe we are living in. In the fourth chapter, Hawking has discussed the idea of the uncertainty principle.

According to this principle, it is said that the speed and the position of a certain particle cannot be determined at the similar time. To determine the position of a particle, scientists throw light at that specific particle to enhance it. High-frequency light can determine the position of the particle perfectly but it will fail to recognize the speed of light similarly if a low-frequency light will be thrown on a particle it will help us to determine the speed of light but it will fail to locate the position of the particle.

The entire revolves around light, its frequency, speed, its nature; whether or not it is a wave or a particle. Hawking has discussed different theories discussing light and its components. Work Cited: Hawking, S. A Briefer History of Time. New York: Bantam Books (2005)