The Wonder of Brian Cox by Ben Falk

Author:Ben Falk [Ben Falk]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781857829815
Publisher: John Blake Publishing
Published: 2012-05-20T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 9

MEGASTARDOM

When you’re as hot as Brian Cox, it would be foolish to stick to one medium. Why Does E=mc2? was released in hardback in July 2009, but began to pick up in profile and sales once it the paperback came out and the first Wonders series had made him a television star. The title was a question Gia had asked and her husband realised it might make an interesting book. He suggested it to Professor Jeff Forshaw, a close friend and confidante, as well as his partner in academic papers. The aim of Cox and Forshaw’s book was pretty explanatory: explain why Einstein’s most famous theory – that of relativity – is true and then examine what it means for the universe. As the introduction observed: ‘Difficult as it may sometimes seem, science at its heart is not a complicated discipline.’ This philosophy underpinned the book – the aim was not to use any mathematics harder than Pythagoras’ Theorem (which was explained) and while application was required, this was a book for everyone.

The style of writing often echoed Carl Sagan. At the beginning of Chapter One, they wrote: ‘Perhaps you picture space as the blackness between the stars as you turn your gaze toward the sky on a cold winter’s night. Or maybe you see the void between earth and moon sailed by spacecraft clad in golden foil, bedecked by stars and stripes, piloted into magnificent desolation by shaven-headed explorers with names like Buzz.’ The book became a popular science bestseller and was nominated by the Royal Society as one of the science books of 2010. It made the shortlist, with the judges saying: ‘It’s the most famous equation that exists but few people actually know what it means. This book could change that – it’s beautifully written and not afraid to tackle really challenging physics.’

The work received rapturous reviews, most of which highlighted the universality and lack of ego. ‘[It’s] clear, sparkling in places and totally without vanity, anyone with an adventurous mind should be intrigued by what two smart physicists say about it in plain language,’ said The Huffington Post. ‘[A] delightful little book.’ They garnered praise from celebrity quarters too, reiterating how Cox had entered the mainstream consciousness. ‘I can think of no one, Stephen Hawking included, who more perfectly combines authority, knowledge, passion, clarity and the powers of elucidation than Brian Cox,’ wrote Stephen Fry. ‘If you really want to know how Big Science works and why it matters to each of us in the smallest way then be entertained by this dazzlingly enthusiastic man. Can someone this charming really be a professor?’ But while all this was pleasing, Cox in particular must have been ecstatic at one plaudit, which came from Ann Druyan, barely known to the general public, but to him a heroine because of her work in co-writing the Cosmos television series with Carl Sagan. ‘Cox and Forshaw take the equation that all of us know and few of us understand –

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