Authors:
- Written for general readers interested in the history of science and physics
- Provides a full recounting of the partnership between Edwin Hubble and Milton Humason
- Explores the political and cultural context in which the theory of the expanding universe arose
Part of the book series: Springer Praxis Books (PRAXIS)
Part of the book sub series: Popular Astronomy (POPULAR)
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Table of contents (14 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
About this book
The story of Hubble and Humason is one for the ages—and in particular, the Cosmic Age. In this compelling book, science writer Ron Voller digs deep into how and why the two scientists continued to investigate their theory of universal expansion in the face of persistent doubt, contrary theories, and calamitous world events.
The evolution of this dynamic duo’s tenuous friendship and professional partnership is in many ways as intriguing as their groundbreaking work on the evolution of the universe. The book therefore traces their lives from their childhoods into their burgeoning careers, revealing how a World War and their own personal differences stood in the way of initial cooperation. It then shows how despite all this, the two opposites eventually came together in the pursuit of something far greater than themselves.
“Edwin Hubble has often been considered as an island of sorts—a lone wolf of astronomy. But Voller’s book shows otherwise, as he examines Milt Humason’s essential contributions to our understanding of the expanding universe.” - Daniel Lewis, Dibner Senior Curator, History of Science & Technology, The Huntington Library
Reviews
“I can strongly recommend this book as a skilful and informative mixture of vivid biography and the history of science at a unique time when our picture of cosmology was first coming into focus.” (John Peacock, The Observatory, Vol. 142 (1289), August, 2022)
“The book is a very helpful source for someone attempting to dig into Hubble and Humason's work in some depth. … anyone investigating Hubble or the development of the understanding of the expanding universe would find this book both interesting and useful.” (Popular Science, popsciencebooks.blogspot.com, January 17, 2022)
Authors and Affiliations
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Brooklyn, USA
Ron Voller
About the author
Ron Voller is a writer and producer based in Brooklyn, NY. A native of Chicago, he earned his undergraduate degree in literature from the University of Denver before moving to New York City in 1999. He is currently working on his graduate degree in interdisciplinary studies at Johns Hopkins University’s Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. In addition to his ongoing historical research, he is working on several works of children’s fiction as well as screenplays for documentary and feature films and the development of various television series. Other literary work includes magazine articles and a memoir. Actively engaged in a variety of artistic disciplines, he is an avid songwriter and sculptor and volunteers as a board advisor for a charitable organization that focuses on community development abroad. When not working, he enjoys spending his leisure time with his large family and friends.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Hubble, Humason and the Big Bang
Book Subtitle: The Race to Uncover the Expanding Universe
Authors: Ron Voller
Series Title: Springer Praxis Books
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82181-4
Publisher: Springer Cham
eBook Packages: Physics and Astronomy, Physics and Astronomy (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-82180-7Published: 29 October 2021
eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-82181-4Published: 28 October 2021
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XVII, 445
Number of Illustrations: 50 b/w illustrations, 9 illustrations in colour
Topics: Popular Science in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Astroparticles, History and Philosophical Foundations of Physics