Time Traveler: A Scientist's Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality

Time Traveler: A Scientist's Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality | Ronald L. Mallett | Fascinating

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Time Traveler: A S...

	Time Traveler: A Scientist's Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality Ronald L. Mallett Basic Books, 2007 - 240 pages average customer review:based on 18 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

This is the dramatic and inspirational first-person story of theoretical physicist, Dr. Ronald Mallett, who recently discovered the basic equations for a working time machine that he believes can be used as a transport vehicle to the past. Combining elements of Rocket Boys and Elegant Universe, Time Traveler follows Mallett's discovery of Einstein's work on space-time, his study of Godel's work on a solution of Einstein's equation that might allow for time travel, and his own research in theoretical physics spanning thirty years that culminated in his recent discovery of the effects of circulating laser light and its application to time travel. The foundation for Mallett's historic time-travel work is Einstein's theory of general relativity, a sound platform for any physicist. Through his years of reading and studying Einstein, Mallett became a buff well before he had any notion of the importance of the grand old relativist's theories to his own career. One interesting subtext to the story is Mallett's identification with, and keen interest in, Einstein. Mallett provides easy-to-understand explanations of the famous physicist's seminal work.

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A moving account of the emotional factors behind the author's quest to manipulate space-time

I heard Dr. Mallett on NPR and ordered the book right away. While some aspects of this book are less than satisfying (Dr. Mallett alternates between hubris and humility in an odd fashion at times....), the emotional quest that set the author on the path of theoretical physics cannot be anything other than deeply affecting. While his personal accounts were sometimes just not quite authentic or unfeigned to me (hey, he's not perfect!), what truly shines in this book is Dr. Mallett's love of science, of math, and his gift for explaining some of the very complex aspects of relativity theory. In this respect, I heartily recommend the book and would hope that he would write further for the general public on the subject. As a PhD chemist myself, I am very appreciative of the gift of teaching with which he is endowed, a rarity among great researchers. His explanations to a general science audience are almost as powerful as those of Feynman. Dr. Mallett's commitment to his lifelong work, his dogged pursuit of any and all tools (mathematical and instrumental) to achieve that goal stand as a shining example. His story should be required reading for minority youth interested in the sciences, engineering, or just seemingly forging ahead in academia. Any flaws in the book are dwarfed by his true artistry in theoretical physics.

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Fascinating

For anyone who ever raced around their neighbor's home and jumped off the back steps hoping to fly, this is the book that transcends childhood dreams and enters a world of fantasy and memoir. A fascinating story and great read.

Soon to be a Major Motion Picture!

Spike Lee has acquired the film rights to this story (spring 2008). "Lee, who will co-write the script for the film and direct it, says he is 'elated to have acquired the rights to a fantastic story on many levels, but also a father-and-son saga of loss and love.'" (University of Connecticut Advance, June 23, 2008)

Time Traveler Review 041508

My son is thoroughly enjoying this book -- he loves learning about astronomy and time travel!

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A Scientific Biography : Not Quite a Time Travel Guide

I got this due to my growing interest in quantum physics and relativity, and as any science-obsessed person will know, 'time travel' then becomes all the more glamorous to you when you tread this path. While there are many Time Travel books, very few are of any worth. At best, they are a bunch of vignettes and ideas put together, without any real basis in fact.

For my Research Thesis "Breaking the Time Box", published by Gugenspritzer, I mentioned that time travel as a notion is easily explainable using basic terms of physics. But unlike 'defying gravity' it is still virtually impossible to create a 'time travel' situation even in a small, highly contained lab. The failure of scientists to accomplish this, repeatedly, should tell us something. But as I am forever on a quest for answers to this and other science-oriented concepts, I picked up this book.

To my disappointment, the title of the book and the actual subject matter are two different things. I found this to be highly misleading. Not that this is a bad book by any means. It just reads more like the Doctors' Biography rather than anything else, and is quite a read either way. His insights as a young black man, and now an older and wiser black man, are penetrating and highly developed.

Its when he starts explaining concepts of time travel that he kind of lost me, because he obviously is doing this for a novice audience who is just getting started on the entire idea. The 'concentration of light' principle, while interesting, is virtually impossible, in my opinion, to be reconstructed in an actual lab. Also, its quite telling that the author doesn't really offer any new ways to actually accomplish time travel (I was looking for at least a few ideas on how to do so - but the Doctor only gives us concepts after concepts). Sure, this is all great stuff, but I must say that I was left quite disappointed considering the blurbs advertised this as one of the greatest time travel books ever published.

As an introduction to science and time, this book works fine. Just don't go for it expecting some concrete answers or methods to accomplish time travel. Putting that aside, this is a wonderful book that unfortunately has nothing to do with its' title!

Three Stars.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

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