When Science Stood Still
How S. Chandrasekhar Predicted the Existence of Black Holes
-
- $10.99
-
- $10.99
Publisher Description
Discover the remarkable true story about the man who discovered the science of black holes and persisted in his theories against the disbelief of the scientific community in this nonfiction picture book perfect for fans of Counting the Stars and What Miss Mitchell Saw.
When scientists get things right, science leaps forward. When they get things wrong, they learn from their mistakes, and science continues to advance. But sometimes, even when scientists get it right, nobody pays attention. Then, for a while, science stands still.
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar was a brilliant scientist with eyes fixed toward the stars. As a young man, he developed the theory that would eventually lead to the discovery of black holes. But when he presented his findings to the world’s leading Western scientists, they scoffed at his ideas. Chandra knew he was right. But would anyone listen?
Learn the true story of a relentless scientist and his cosmic discovery that had to wait for science to change its mind.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Astrophysicist Subrahmanya Chandrasekhar (1910–1995), known as Chandra, becomes a model of perseverance in the face of prejudice in this account of a scientist ahead of their time. The story opens with Chandra as an eager young student of mathematics. Later, on scholarship from India's government, he arrives in England ready to share recent calculations that seem to suggest "that a dying star could result in something mind-boggling": a black hole. But when he presents his ideas to other scholars, "the audience roared with laughter at this audacious young man from across the seas." Glossing over the science behind the theory, Rao's enthusiastic narration describes the post-WWII moment when the world finally sees the brilliance of Chandra's early work, resulting in his being awarded the Nobel Prize. Across this work's gratifying arc, Srinivasan's digitally finished, starry illustrations move comfortably between everyday scenes of Chandra and solar system panoramas. Contextualizing back matter concludes. Ages 4–8.
