You can learn everything you need to know about “nothing” from this concise, intelligent book. What remains after you remove everything? Can “nothing,” or empty space, exist? The narrative of how scientists have explored the void and the rich findings they have made there is illuminated by distinguished scientist Frank Close as he leads us on a vibrant and approachable trip that extends from ancient concepts and cultural superstitions to the cutting edge of current research. The history of the vacuum is explained in detail to the readers, including how the search for a better vacuum led to the discovery of the electron, the theories of Newton, Mach, and Einstein regarding the nature of space and time, the enigmatic aether and how Einstein eliminated it, and the most recent theories suggesting that the vacuum is filled with the Higgs field. The story spans the intense heat and intensity of the early universe to absolute zero temperature and the seething vacuum of virtual particles and anti-particles that fills space.
