Brian Greene's "Icarus at the Edge of Time"
Explains Einstein’s General Relativity to Younger Audiences
Nov 14, 2008
After writing 2 hefty tomes, The Elegant Universe and Fabric of the Cosmos, both about advanced theories in cosmology, Brian Greene puts a new spin on Einstein’s complicated theory of relativity with Icarus at the Edge of Time (Knopf; September 2, 2008. ISBN0307268888) .
You don’t have to read world-famous physicist Dr. Brian Greene’s latest book to know he has talking to kids on the brain.
Brian Greene Explains Einstein to Kids
After years of explaining science to a more advanced and educated audience, Brian Greene, father of a 3-year-old, is finally taking some time to explain his work to a younger audience.
In Dr. Greene’s latest lecture tour the entertaining String theorist starts off his talks with several quips about explaining science to kids. In physics a child-like curiosity is highly prized, Dr. Greene reminds his lecture attendees, which includes ages ranging from as young as 11 to much older.
Icarus at the Edge of Time Aims for General Audience
If taking a break from expounding his latest theoretical complexities involving Dr. Greene’s famed String Theory, which describes the universe with innumerable dimensions and essentially composed of tiny vibrations from the strings of the fabric of space, one can’t tell. Dr. Brian Greene explains the history of modern cosmology with ease, seamlessly shifting gears whether he is answering a question from a PhD physics student or a young elementary school girl.
Why the sudden switch to a more general audience? In an interview to amazon.com, Dr. Greene states, “In Icarus At The Edge Of Time, my intention is to open a different kind of avenue onto science--a more visceral, more emotional side that a fictional narrative more readily accesses.”
Icarus Very Different from Other Science and Physics Books
The book, published by Knopf Publishing Group , has received welcome reviews from readers. Icarus at the Edge of Time is composed of 34 full color pages, which include fabulous Hubble Space Telescope images, and is written in a novel format. It is a re-telling of the legend of Icarus as a science fiction tale.
Though it is being touted at as an all ages read, most suggest that the language and concepts are really more geared toward middle school and up. Its unusually simple format reads almost like a children's picture book, and is in stark contrast to Greene's earlier books.
Use of Novel Format to Explain Physics Concepts
In it, Dr. Greene takes on what few have before. He uses the power of story to explain one of the most complex concepts of theoretical physics. Greene creates the story of Icarus, a young man who flies too close a black hole against his father’s advice. Rife with character development and suspense, the story sneaks in an education of Einstein’s theories, making it both entertaining and educational.
Dr. Brian Greene earned an undergraduate degree in Physics from Harvard and a PhD in Physics from Oxford, where he attended as a Rhodes Scholar. He currently holds a professor of physics and mathematics post at Columbia University.
In addition to two popular books on cosmology and groundbreaking string theory, Dr. Greene has appeared on several television cosmology documentaries and talk shows to tout the latest cosmological theories. Dr. Greene also travels the country giving lectures about his and others’ cosmological theories. The popular scientist draws many to compare him to the late Dr. Carl Sagan.
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