2010 April 14
To Whom It May Concern:
This is the first Literature Circle letter that I have composed. At this point, I am still attempting to find a technique for reading quickly while staying focused to the text. I notice that there is progress in my reading habits. However, the pace at which I am reading is not truly at a satisfactory level. At this point, I should be at the beginning of Chapter 09 (The Arrow of Time). Thus far, I have completed Chapter 03 (The Expanding Universe). Wow – six chapters behind in my readings. Nevertheless, progress has been made – and I believe that is as valuable and powerful. In the coming months (and if there is time over the summer) my goal is to build upon this now-stable reading foundation and hopefully practice the ability of good reading.
The text I have selected for 2010 April is A Brief History of Time: from the big bang to black holes. Professor Stephen W. Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA authored this 1988 compilation. The book is densely packed with rich information in all branches of physics – ancient and modern. In the Acknowledgements, Hawking writes “Someone told me that each equation I included in this book would halve the sales. I therefore resolved not to have any equations at all. In the end … I did put in one equation, Einstein’s famous equation, .” Basically, the professor hints that A Brief History of Time aims for a more general audience. He wishes not to limit this informative to those with advanced degrees from the University of Cambridge, but to readers with interest in the subject of astrophysics and lack of a PhD.
Hawking attempts to address and answer several questions – to the best understanding of 1988 science. These are the questions that compelled him to further his studies in cosmology and quantum theory: Where did the universe come from? How and why did it begin? Will it come to an end – and if so, how? It may also be the questions that stir interest to us all, to make us wonder about the space beyond our earth. Beyond our solar system. Beyond our galaxy. And lead us to the origins of the universe we see today. What makes this book so extraordinary is how Stephen W. Hawking is able to beautifully word complex (and often abstract) ideas and advanced scientific concepts with minimal reliability on the mastered levels of mathematics. Only several specialists are able to master the mathematics and use them to answer the aforementioned questions. It is further impressive that this book utilizes only one formula and can still answer some of these questions (like the basic ideas about the origin and fate of the universe) in a form that people without a highly developed scientific background can still understand.
Hawking first starts the Introduction saying “We go about our daily lives understanding almost nothing of the world.” Many times when children ask, it is still common for parents and educators to mumble some religious texts or simply give a shrug. It is possible that some are still uncomfortable with these issues as they vividly show the limits of human understanding...
