(read as research for a book I'm writing)

This is the 2nd in the Uncle Albert series, and this time Gedanken and Uncle Albert tackle General relativity and various aspects of cosmology. Through the usual device of Gedanken exploring the limits of time and space via her travelling in a space ship within Uncle Albert's thought bubbles, she learns about how gravity/acceleration (indistinguishable because of the equivalence principle) can curve and warp space and time. She also learns of the existence of the big bang and black holes, and how even light can be bent and compressed/expanded by gravity and acceleration. As well as her space ship excursions, she visits an imaginary universe lab, of beatles exploring a toy 2D rubber surface universe.

As usual, there is some very nifty, clear explanations here, amidst admittedly very little plot and characterisation (which actually lends some strange charm to the writing). Unlike the first novel, though, I found the analogies here a little difficult to follow and occasionally confusing. Obviously general relativity is a very difficult topic, but I just felt that it became a little convoluted in a few places and I would have liked to hear more about how general and special relativity mesh. ( )

Novas descobertas de Gedanken a sobrinha do famoso cientista...
Junta-te a ela e ao seu simpático computador falante. Descobre como começou o Universo e por que razão o espaço é curvo e irregular; que transformações sofrem o tempo e a luz à medida que aumentamos a velocidade; o fascinante universo dos escaravelhos míopes e o seu irascível professor; visita a Lua, as estrelas e as galáxias na poderosa nave de Gelanken, mas, ATENÇÃO!, NÃO TE APROXIMES DOS BURACOS NEGROS. ( )