Cosmic Wormholes: 2The Search for Interstellar Shortcuts [Hardcover]

Paul Halpern (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Halpern ( Time Journeys ) tackles the No. 1 recreational problem of theoretical physics: actual applications of special relativity to create the possibility of spacetime travel. The "intersteller shortcuts" in the subtitle is an oxymoron in present technical terminology, so Halpern himself is free to travel freely between the ground of astrophysical theory and the speculative time-travel canon. Indeed, he borrows his illustrations from Asimov and Heinlein as often as from Thorne and Morris. The result is more a colorful survey-style lecture script than a coherent theory, sufficient to general readers and certainly inspiring to a science fiction following but without a firm sense of scale of the science involved (and none of the mechanics or mathematics). Halpern's wormholes appear deus ex machina, nearly the last loop of this joyride through astrophysical theory, and somehow one can't help wanting to get back on line. Halpern teaches mathematics and physics at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult (October 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525934774
• ISBN-13: 978-0525934776
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,581,218 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Physicist and writer Paul Halpern is the author of twelve popular science books, exploring the subjects of space, time, extrasolar planets, particle physics, higher dimensions and cosmology. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fulbright Scholarship and an Athenaeum Literary Award. His most recent book examines the Large Hadron Collider and the quest for the fundamental particles of the universe.

More information about Paul Halpern's books and other writings can be found at:
www.phalpern.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars interstellar travel could be around the corner, August 19, 2001

By 

ronald corless (Mississauga, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cosmic Wormholes: 2The Search for Interstellar Shortcuts (Hardcover)

I love this book more than life itself. It talks about the possibility of using wormholes for rapid interstellar travel not just for astronauts but for people like you and me:tourists ,businessmen etc and the possibility of using them for time travel as well. I've had a fascination with Black Holes since I saw the Disney movie The Black Hole and what fascinated me about them is they could take you to another part of the universe or another universe altogether. Halpern gives perfect detail of wormholes theorized by Kip Thorne,Michael Morris,Ulvi Yurtsever and Matt Visser and starships flying through them and what it would be like to enter a wormhole and a time travel expedition by an astronaut and the possibility of mining black holes around the year 2500. The final chapter is the most interesting of all as Halpern imagines life in the year 2500 when interstellar travel through wormholes is as common as air travel is today. People enter a wormhole at the edge of the solar system and arrive at a space station at the center of the galaxy called Galaxy Central where there are thousands of womholes leading to all parts of the galaxy. If you're into Star Wars,Star Trek,Buck Rogers in the 25th century or just dream of visiting other worlds and other galaxies or travelling through time. This is the book for you!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting book., November 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Cosmic Wormholes: The Search for Interstellar Shortcuts (Paperback)

This book is very interesting and extremely simple to understand. Although the application of this sort of science is still far off, there's no denying that it could some day affect all of us.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This book will kill your love of science., October 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Cosmic Wormholes: The Search for Interstellar Shortcuts (Paperback)

I must laud the author of this book; he took a seemingly interesting topic and managed to suck all the life out of it. Let me be Frank with you; although the book isn't very well written, the topic itself is interesting. If you can cut through the boring mire from this self proclaimed "Star Trek fanatic," you may be able to enjoy yourself. I wasn't and didn't.