"Winner of the 2017 PROSE Award in Cosmology & Astronomy, Association of American Publishers" "One of Symmetry Magazine's Physics Books of 2016" J. Richard Gott is professor emeritus of astrophysics at Princeton University. He is the coauthor of Welcome to the Universe (Princeton).
A gripping first-person account of how scientists came to understand our universe's mysterious structure
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 Jurič 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. "With an insider's insight and a storyteller's eye for detail. . . . Gott offers a thorough, vivid, and fascinating look at the cosmic web that makes up our universe." "The Cosmic Webis 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 "Provides an outstanding summation of [Gott's] search for understanding the spongy cosmic web that characterizes the universe at large scales. . . . [A] magnificent achievement."---David Eicher, Astronomy Magazine "With a style that's rich in fascinating detail, and bolstered by personal memories and anecdotes,The Cosmic Webdelivers everything we need in a book on this subject."---Alastair Gunn, BBC Sky at Night "An extraordinary book guiding the reader through the large scale of the Universe and the structure scientists encounter whilst looking at the Universe as a whole." "I enjoyed this book hugely. It should be on the shelf of anyone who is intrigued by why the Universe looks the way it does."---Alan Longstaff, Astronomy Now "Full to the brim with wonderful analogies and genuinely interesting anecdotes that should be a component of all popular science books. If you've ever looked up at the night sky and wondered why it looks the way it does, this is one book you should really consider reading."---Amber Hornsby, Popular Astronomy "Fascinating. . . . I think it should be in every library which aims to cover astrophysics and cosmology."---G.W. Gibbons, Contemporary Physics "Always riveting and thought-provoking, Gott deftly drills down, tunneling through our spongelike universe to reveal wide vistas for contemplation."-Siobhan Roberts
