"Bucky Fuller thought big," Wired magazine recently noted, "Arthur C. Clarke thinks big, but Cliff Pickover outdoes them both." And now, in his newest book, Cliff Pickover outdoes even himself, probing a mystery that has baffled mystics, philosophers, and scientists throughout history--What is the nature of time?
In Time: A Traveler's Guide, Pickover takes readers to the forefront of science as he illuminates the most mysterious phenomenon in the universe--time itself. Is time travel possible? Is time real? Does it flow in one direction only? Does it have a beginning and an end? What is eternity? These are questions that Pickover tackles in this stimulating blend of Chopin, philosophy, Einstein, and modern physics, spiced with diverting side-trips to such topics as the history of clocks, the nature of free will, and the reason gold glitters. Pickover includes numerous diagrams so readers have no trouble following along, computer code that lets us write simulations for various aspects of time travel, and an on-going science fiction tale featuring quirky characters who yearn to travel back in time to hear Chopin play in person. By the time we finish this book, we understand such seemingly arcane concepts as space-time diagrams, light cones, cosmic moment lines, transcendent infinite speeds, Lorentz transformations, superluminal and ultraluminal motions, ninkowskian space-times, Godel universes, closed timelike curves, and Tipler cylinders.
And most important, we will understand that time travel need not be confined to myth, science fiction, Hollywood fantasies, or scientific speculation. Time travel, we will realize, is possible.
Industry Reviews
"An entertaining introduction to modern scientific principles for bright students as well as adults."--Kirkus Reviews
"If you thought time travel was just for science fiction nuts, think again. As Pickover demonstartes, time travel is not the stuff of Asimovion dreams, it being theoretically possible. Of course, how to travel through time is no simiple matter, nor is explaining it, but Pickover rises to the challenge in many ways. Witty and profound quotations--from Einstein to Woody Allen--about time and our relationship to it are liberally scattered throughout.... The
imaginative and humorous approach makes a difficult subject palatable--and gives a plug for Chopin at the same time."--Publishers Weekly
"It is impossible to read Clifford Pickover's latest book without learning a great deal about modern physics, and at the same time being overwhelmed by the impenetrable mystery of time and its role in those other two dark mysteries, consciousness and free will. As always, the author's pages are exciting, entertaining, and a delight to read."--Martin Gardner
"Cliff Pickover explores most aspects of the implausible prospects of practical time travel. If not a visitor from the future, he's at least a man ahead of his time."--Julien Clinton Sprott, Professor Physics, University of Wisconsin
"The arrow of time and our understanding of it defines much of our humanity, Whether it be correcting past mistakes, regaining lost youth, or learning what comes next, everyone yearns to overcome the consequences of time. Traveling through time creates enormous paradoxes, but modern physical theories do not eliminate the possibility. In this book, Clifford Pickover presents those theories in layman's terms. To understand time is to know the ambitions of humans,
something Pickover excels at."--Charles Ashbacher, Book Reviews Editor, Journal of Recreational Mathematics
"Only Clifford Pickover would think of mixing time travel and music. Gripping, clear-- this book could well be his best yet! A must buy for all wannabe time travelers."--Ian Stewart
"Time: A Traveler's Guide is certain to shed new light, raise new questions, and make your mind reel over the ancient and illusive concept of time."--Theoni Pappas, author of The Joy of Mathematics and The Mathematics Calendar
"ime: A Traveler's Guide ...provides stimulating questions on the nature of time travel and how to do it.... If you can force your way through the fiction, the scientific theory and speculation make this book well-worth the effort."--LRC Publications
"Reading-and enjoying-Pickover's book is time well spent."--Ben Bova,Courant
"H.G. Wells, call your office! Pickover has stolen your time machine.... He moves the concept of time travel out of wild fantasy into scientific possibility. In an entertaining dialogue between imaginary characters from the twenty-first century, he draws out the imaginative and scientific implications of a technology that would allow us to tunnel back into the past or catapult into the future.... The intellectual daring of this book guarantees it a sizable
readership."--Booklist
"Pickover blends whimsy, Chopin and science in this accessible study of time. The book poses more questions than answers about time travel-but that's the nature of the cutting-edge science Pickover treats so enthusiastically in this book."--Philadelphia Inquirer
