The Hunt for Vulcan
How Albert Einstein Destroyed a Planet and Deciphered the Universe
by Thomas Levenson
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Pub Date 5 Nov 2015 | Archive Date 10 Dec 2015
Description
In 1859, the brilliant scientist Urbain LeVerrier discovered that the planet Mercury has a wobble, that its orbit shifts over time. His explanation was that there had to be an unseen planet circling even closer to the sun. He called the planet Vulcan. Supported by the theories of Sir Isaac Newton, the finest astronomers of their generation began to seek out Vulcan and at least a dozen reports of discovery were filed. There was only one problem. Vulcan does not exist – and was never there.
The real explanation was only revealed when a young Albert Einstein came up with a theory of gravity that also happened to prove that Mercury's orbit could indeed be explained – not by Newton's theories but by Einstein's own theory of general relativity.
THE HUNT FOR VULCAN is a scientific detective tale at the intersection of theory, measurement, and belief; and a reflection on a bizarre period in which the power of conformity led very smart people to literally see a planet that wasn’t there.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781784973971 |
| PRICE | £14.99 (GBP) |
Featured Reviews
Elaine A, Reviewer
The Hunt for Vulcan by Thomas Levenson. Published by Head of Zeus This is the story of the planet that never was, but whose phantom presence resulted in Einstein’s general relativity. It all started with the ‘wobble’ of the planet Mercury as it progressed across the heavens. This movement was thought to be as a result of the presence of another planet nearby influencing Mercury’s movement. Vulcan was ‘discovered’ in 1860, but it would be 1915 before Einstein’s mathematical explanation finally proved otherwise. It took some doing because ‘The Hunt for Vulcan’ is really a story of how scientific discoveries are made and how sometimes scientists have to step aside from the received wisdom of scientific giants (Newton in this case) and forge a path to become their own giant.
Thomas Levenson’s book concentrates on story rather than mathematical exposition and the result is a highly readable account of Newton’s physics, which is still valid today, and how Einstein updated the way the universe works. The book also demonstrates why it is scientists must always keep an open mind when following up on the findings of those who have gone before and how conceptual fixations can potentially lead to scientific stagnation. While doing all this he creates a remarkably entertaining read and one that is full of possibilities for story writers. For example, there is the unpleasant political wrangling of the Machiavellian Urbain-Jean-Le Verrier to unseat the incumbent director François Arago. Then at the other extreme there is the hilarious vision of teams of astronomers with all their bulky telescopes and photographic equipment piling onto the newly build railways of the American Wild West to rub shoulders with gunslingers, as they race to the location with a total solar eclipse.
In all, Levenson has crafted a very entertaining read while putting both Newton’s and Einstein’s achievements into language that makes it possible for someone with no science background to begin to grasp their combined contributions to science.
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